The Word (song)
"The Word" is a song by English rock group 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] rhythm and blues[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". The two line verse uses D7, C7, F13, and G7.)
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
- John Lennon – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar
- Paul McCartney – harmony vocal, bass, piano
- George Harrison – harmony vocal, lead guitar
- Ringo Starr – drums, maracas
- George Martin – harmonium solo
- Personnel per Ian MacDonald[9]
Notes
- 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 2005, 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.
- MacDonald 2005, p. 178.
References
- Aldridge, Alan (1990). The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics. Boston: Houghton Mifflin / Seymour Lawrence. ISBN 0-395-59426-X.
- MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-84413-828-3.
- 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.
