The Word (song)
"The Word" | |
---|---|
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 |
"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.
Background and inspiration
John Lennon had felt during his youth that "love had been the answer", and had written "The Word" as his "first expression" of the concept. He had felt that love was an "underlying theme of the universe", and that love was fundamental in many things, which had inspired the lyric "In the good and bad books that I have read".[3] The song is credited to Lennon-McCartney, however Lennon had stated that it was "mainly mine".[4] It had marked the first time the Beatles had written a song about love as a concept, which would become important in the band's later work.[5][6]
Composition
Musically, the song is founded on a driving funk beat, with few chord changes and a simple melody in the key of D major.[7][8] (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'".[9]
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."
In 2018, the music staff of
Personnel
According to Walter Everett,[12] 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[14]
Additional musician
Notes
References
- ^ Hamelman, Steven L. (2004). But Is It Garbage?: On Rock and Trash. University of Georgia Press. p. 11.
- Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- ^ The Beatles 2000, p. 192.
- ^ "Beatles Songwriting & Recording Database: Rubber Soul". Beatlesinterviews.org. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
- ^ Far Out. Archivedfrom the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
- ^ Far Out. Archivedfrom the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
- ^ Pollack 1993.
- ^ MacDonald 2007, p. 498.
- ^ Aldridge 1990, p. 24.
- ^ a b Albano, Jacob (3 December 2015). "Rubber Soul by The Beatles". Classic Rock Review. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- Time Out London. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ^ Everett 2001, pp. 331–332.
- ^ Winn 2008, p. 375.
- ^ MacDonald 2007, p. 178.
Sources
- ISBN 0-395-59426-X.
- ISBN 978-0-19-514105-4.
- ISBN 978-1-55652-733-3.
- Pollack, Alan W. (4 May 1993). "Notes on The Word". Notes on ... Series.
- ISBN 9780805052480.
- Winn, John C. (2008). Way Beyond Compare: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume One, 1957–1965. New York: ISBN 978-0-307-45157-6.
- ISBN 978-0811836364.