Songs Written by John Lennon

•I Am The Walrus

•Strawberry Fields Forever

•Dear Prudence

“I Am The Walrus”

•Written by John in 1967

•Abby Roads Studios

•B-side to “Hello-Goodbye”

•On The Magical Mystery Tour Album

•Contains Nonsense and Wordplay

•Song Written in Response to A Student

•Trying to decipher meaning from The Beatles songs

•From Quarry Bank Grammar (John’s old school)

•Influenced by Lewis Carroll

•Alice in Wonderland•Childhood Poem

•LSD

“I Am The Walrus” Listening guideWritten by: John Lennon

Preformed by: The Beatles

Introduction:0:00

•Simple Division•Quadruple Meter, 4/4•Violins, Cellos and Piano•Disjunct Major Melody•Array of Complementing Instruments

•Verse 1- 0:21•Nonsense lines

•Major mode

•Conjunct and even

•Chant

•Chorus- 0:58•Voiced mimic violins

•Ascending notes

•Verse 2- 1:04•Emotion

•Rhythm emphasized

•Structured and rigid

•Chorus- 1:51•Same as first chorus

•John chants followed by violins

Bridge- 2:00

•takes on a new tone

•Adding variety.

•experimental sounds

•layers of voices, bells and back masked tracks.

• confusing texture.

Chorus:

2:25-

• Chorus is the same as the first two

•No descending violins or back ground vocals

•radio broadcast of Shakespeare’s King Lear, Act 4, Scene six

"Now, good sir, …."… "poor man, made tame by fortune.." "good pity…"

once again Shakespeare’s King Lear, Act 4, Scene six chimes in.

Verse 3:

2:37-3:07

•starts similarly to the previous two

•make you feel as if you are the one being laughed at

•chanting vocals.

Chorus:

3:08-3:29

•Chorus continues the same as the first two choruses.

Coda

3:30-4:30

•Random chanting and sounds make up the last minute

•radio is being tuned and

•4:30 the song ends on a fading note

“Strawberry Fields Forever

•Recorded 1966- Abby Roads Studio

•Magical Mystery Tour Album

•Written While Filming “How I Won The War”

•Inspired by Lonliness

•Remembered Strawberry Fields Children’s home

•Reminded Him of Happier Times

•Strawberry Fields Orphanage Located in Liverpool

•Host Carnivals

•John Donated

 “Strawberry Fields Forever”

Listening GuideWritten by: John Lennon

Preformed by: The BeatlesIntroduction:

0:00

•soft melodic melloton accompanied by a flute.

•4/4 simple quadruple meter.

Chorus:

0:12

•chorus first, not the verse

•major monophonic melody

•upbeat fast tempo drumbeat and a sliding guitar

Verse 1:0:34•sweet, and yet sad, feeling •The texture is simple and smooth•monophonic vocals •uncomplicated rhythm and keyboard•simple guitar riff and drumbeat

Chorus:

0:56

•begins the same as the previous

•complex drum fill and sliding guitar

•quickly becomes more ominous

•cellos are introduced

•low bass line not present until now.

•Horns then join, adding a dissonant harmony to the cellos.

Verse 2:

1:18

•descending contour

•Melloton

•conjunct vocal melody

 

Chorus:1:41•Very similar to the previous •horns create an intense dynamic •cellos rumbling in the background

Verse 3:

2:05

•Vocals are soft slow

•Cellos

•more upbeat tempo

•faster pace than before

Chorus:

2:26

•texture and timbre

•most boisterous sound of the entire song.

Outro/Instrumental

2:57•short, sweet whining guitar solo •all fades to silence•Just when you think the song is over…. •Strange noises start fading back in •The sound strongly resembles a passing train•continue until the final fade out•Famous and ever debated words of John…

“I buried Paul”… or is he saying “cranberry sauce”?

“Dear Prudence”

•Recorded 1968- Trident Studios•White Album•Written While in Rishikesh, India•Spiritual Retreat•About Mia Farrow’s sister Prudence Farrow

•Prudence Meditates Indoors•Worried The Beatles•Song Written to Coax Her Outdoors•Song Was Never Actually Presented to Prudence

“Dear Prudence” Listening Guide

Written by: John LennonPreformed by: The Beatles

Intro

0:00

•quickly captures your curiosity

•acoustic guitar fade in

•4/4 simple quadruple meter

•minor mode.

Verse 1:

0:17

•“Dear Prudence” is brightly sung out

•very simple texture

•The timbre is emphasized

•0:45

•Drums are added to create a stronger rhythmic feel

•emphasizing the 1-2-3-4

•sustained vocal note

Verse 2:

1:03

•simplicity of the first verse

•Tambourine

•3-part harmony starting at 1:24 and going to 1:36

Bridge:

1:42

•plucked guitar strings

•Polyphonic harmonious

•Middle Eastern vibe.

Verse 3:

2:09

•The echoing of the acoustic

•slowly easing in vocals, guitar, and bass

•edgier sound

Verse 4:

2:50

•repeat of verse 1 words

•more variability than the first verse

•The drums are played heavily

•Guitar Solo

•Piano- asynchronous rhythm

•excitement and chaos.

Coda:

3:19

•continues the same feel as the fourth verse

•More emphasis on vocals

•full bad

•vocals and instruments begin to fade

•The song ends with the acoustic guitar playing in a descending contour.

Bibliography:

Doyle, Jack. “Dear Prudence, 1967-1968,”PopHistoryDig.com, July 27, 2009. Web. 20 June 2011.

< http://www.pophistorydig.com/?p=2909>.

Fontinot, Robert. "Dear Prudence- The history of this classic Beatles song." n. pag. About.com. Web. 23 Jun 2011. http://oldies.about.com/od/thebeatlessongs/a/dearprudence.htm.

Fontinot, Robert. "Strawberry Fields Forever- The history of this classic Beatles song." n. pag.About.com. Web. 24 Jun 2011. http://oldies.about.com/od/thebeatlessongs/a/strawberryfield.htm.

Fontinot, Robert. "I Am The Walrus- The history of this classic Beatles song." n. pag. About.com. Web. 24 Jun 2011. http://oldies.about.com/od/thebeatlessongs/a/iamthewalrus.htm.

Hammitt, William. "John Lennon Time Line." John Lennon and the Mercy Street Cafe. William Hammett, Web. 20 Jun 2011. http://www.johnlennonandthemercystreetcafe.com/lennontimeline.html.

Henke, James. Lennon Legend: An Illustrated Life of John Lennon. Beck & Mayer, 2003. 4-10. Print.

"John Lennon." 2011. Biography.com. Web. 26 Jun 2011, http://www.biography.com/articles/John-Lennon-9379045.

Pettinger, Tejvan. "Biography of John Lennon", Oxford,www.biographyonline.net, 28th May. 2007. Web. 20 June 2011. < http://www.biographyonline.net/music/john-lennon.html>