The Word (song)
"The Word" is a song by English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and recorded with Lennon on lead vocals. It was first released on their 1965 album Rubber Soul.
| "The Word" | |
|---|---|
 Philippine single label | |
| Song by the Beatles | |
| from the album Rubber Soul | |
| Released | 3 December 1965 |
| Recorded | 10 November 1965 |
| Studio | EMI, London |
| Genre | Rock,[1] R&B[2] |
| Length | 2:41 |
| Label | Parlophone |
| Songwriter(s) | Lennon–McCartney |
| Producer(s) | George Martin |
Composition
The song was co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. According to Lennon, it was written together but it was "mainly mine".[3]
Music
Musically, the song is founded on a driving funk beat, with few chord changes and a simple melody in the key of D major.[4][5] (The refrain is a 12 bar blues in D. The main chord is D7(♯9), also used in "Drive My Car" and "Taxman".)
Paul McCartney said of this song, "John and I would like to do songs with just one note like 'Long Tall Sally'. We get near it in 'The Word'".[6]
Reception
In his review for the 50th anniversary of Rubber Soul, Jacob Albano of Classic Rock Review writes that "The Word" is the first song on its parent album not to be "absolutely excellent," calling the harmonies "a bit too forced."[7] However, Albano still considered the song "entertaining", and complimented the "piano backdrop" and Starr's drum performance.[7]
In 2018, the music staff of Time Out London ranked "The Word" at number 33 on their list of the best Beatles songs.[8]
Personnel
According to Walter Everett,[9] except where noted:
The Beatles
- John Lennon – lead vocal,[nb 1] rhythm guitar
- Paul McCartney – falsetto and double-tracked backing vocals, bass, piano
- George Harrison – double-tracked backing vocal, lead guitar
- Ringo Starr – drums, maracas[11]
Additional musician
Notes
References
- Hamelman, Steven L. (2004). But Is It Garbage?: On Rock and Trash. University of Georgia Press. p. 11.
- Young, Alex (19 September 2009). "Album Review: The Beatles – Rubber Soul". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- "Beatles Songwriting & Recording Database: Rubber Soul". Beatlesinterviews.org. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
- Pollack 1993.
- MacDonald 2007, p. 498.
- Aldridge 1990, p. 24.
- Albano, Jacob (3 December 2015). "Rubber Soul by The Beatles". Classic Rock Review. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- Time Out London Music (24 May 2018). "The 50 Best Beatles songs". Time Out London. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- Everett 2001, pp. 331–332.
- Winn 2008, p. 375.
- MacDonald 2007, p. 178.
Sources
- Aldridge, Alan (1990). The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics. Boston: Houghton Mifflin / Seymour Lawrence. ISBN 0-395-59426-X.
- Everett, Walter (2001). The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-514105-4.
- MacDonald, Ian (2007). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Third ed.). Chicago: Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-733-3.
- Pollack, Alan W. (4 May 1993). "Notes on The Word". Notes on ... Series.
- Miles, Barry (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York City: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9780805052480.
- Winn, John C. (2008). Way Beyond Compare: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume One, 1957–1965. New York: Three Rivers Press. ISBN 978-0-307-45157-6.
External links
