Music 109 The Music of the Beatles Analytical Paper music of 3 Beatle songs , ideally from different periods in the group’s stylistic development (see p

Music 109 The Music of the Beatles Analytical Paper music of 3 Beatle songs

,

ideally from different periods in the group’s stylistic development (see

page

3 of this document

for a “safe”

song list

from which

you may

choose

and their categories).

Write about what

you hear

:

c

onsider words AND music

and their interaction

equally

,

as the song unfolds from beginning to

end

.

Concentrate

on how a song’s message is conveyed by different musical techniques.

Incorporate musical

concepts and terms from the course text

that specifically describe what is going

on;

avoid vague descriptors

like “flowing/

upbeat/catchy,” etc.

If needed, refer back to the lessons (especially Lesson

s

2 and

5) for ideas on

how you might approach talking about musical aspects (such as the discussions of melody, harmony, key,

instrumentation,

form, timbre, texture, meter, rhythm, special effects, etc.), plus the interaction of words and

music.

By interaction of the words and music, I am referring to

how the use of music elements listed above

enhances the meaning and emotions associated with th

e song’s lyrics

. For instance, a fast tempo with

strongly articulated rhythms could suggest

a

lively,

excited,

or anxious feeling being portrayed in the song’s

lyrics. A slower

tempo

song in a minor key could suggest a melancholy mood associated wi

th the text. Even

high or low pitches could correspond to something mentioned as being high or low in the lyrics

—

word painting

like this has been used for centuries (e.g., “falling in love”). It is

particularly important

to

take what you have

learned and apply it

independently to songs with which you are not familiar.

Such independent research

and application is a vital part of the learning process.

T

h

is

paper is your oppor

tunity

to demonstrate how well you have learned

to deeply

think ab

out and

listen

mindfully

to music,

an

d

then be able to expre

ss

what you hea

r

by

using

course

terms and c

oncepts.

To

find out what songs are covered in the course, just scroll through the Outline on the Course Website

. MUSIC 109
The Music of the Beatles
Analytical Paper Guidelines
GOAL: Write a well-developed analytical paper of at least 5 pages of text (focusing on the analysis of the
words and music of 3 Beatle songs, ideally from different periods in the group’s stylistic development (see page
3 of this document for a “safe” song list from which you may choose and their categories). Write about what
you hear: consider words AND music and their interaction equally, as the song unfolds from beginning to
end. Concentrate on how a song’s message is conveyed by different musical techniques. Incorporate musical
concepts and terms from the course text that specifically describe what is going on; avoid vague descriptors
like “flowing/upbeat/catchy,” etc. If needed, refer back to the lessons (especially Lessons 2 and 5) for ideas on
how you might approach talking about musical aspects (such as the discussions of melody, harmony, key,
instrumentation, form, timbre, texture, meter, rhythm, special effects, etc.), plus the interaction of words and
music. By interaction of the words and music, I am referring to how the use of music elements listed above
enhances the meaning and emotions associated with the song’s lyrics. For instance, a fast tempo with
strongly articulated rhythms could suggest a lively, excited, or anxious feeling being portrayed in the song’s
lyrics. A slower tempo song in a minor key could suggest a melancholy mood associated with the text. Even
high or low pitches could correspond to something mentioned as being high or low in the lyrics–word painting
like this has been used for centuries (e.g., “falling in love”). It is particularly important to take what you have
learned and apply it independently to songs with which you are not familiar. Such independent research
and application is a vital part of the learning process.
This paper is your opportunity to demonstrate how well you have learned to deeply think about and listen
mindfully to music, and then be able to express what you hear by using course terms and concepts. To
find out what songs are covered in the course, just scroll through the Outline on the Course Website.
Formatting:
• Use Microsoft Word to draft your paper
• Use a 12-point Times New Roman font
• Use 1-inch margins
• Double-space your paper
• Proofread your writing for spelling, grammar, usage and double/missing/wrong word errors and errors
of fact: There is no excuse for “McCarthy” or “Beetles”
• Don’t rely only on Spellcheck, as it will not find many of those errors
• Put song titles within quotes (e.g., “Please Please Me”) and italicize film, TV show, and album titles
(e.g., Please Please Me)
• Put your first and last names on the uploaded document
• Include your name as part of the file name
• Upload your Word doc into the drop box in CANVAS
• Double-check to make sure it is there, and legible. Only one paper will be graded; resubmitted papers
will be deleted
• The Analytical Paper Drop Box in CANVAS will appear starting Monday, October 29th
• Submit your paper between 8:00 a.m. EST on Monday, October 29th, and 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday,
November 12th. Late papers will not be accepted. Be mindful that this assignment is 25% of your
overall course grade (as much as your final exam) and it is your responsibility to turn it in on time
(there will be numerous reminders via email and Canvas. In addition to this document, the
deadline is stated in the syllabus and in your Canvas “To Do” list).
• HOW to DO WELL on this Analytical Paper:
• Write a thoughtful succinct introduction and conclusion
• Choose no more than one song studied in the online course whether done already or not
• Choose all unfamiliar songs if you prefer (you will learn more this way)
• Listen mindfully multiple times to each song—Take notes and reflect on the lyrics
• Consider words AND music equally, plus the interaction of words and music as each song unfolds
from beginning to end
•
•
•
•
The vast majority of content consists of your own ideas:
o At the very least, try to pick out at least 3 unique/special musical characteristics that are
prominent features in each particular song
o But to earn an A, you must identify and discuss at least 5 per song, and provide in-depth
interpretation of the lyrics, verse by verse as each song progresses
If you choose a song discussed in the course lessons, you are required to incorporate and cite what
the course author has said about that song, including any information derived from embedded
video clips, especially those where the individual Beatles or George Martin are discussing a song
Outside source use is extremely limited and used ONLY for basic song facts like album or release
date (these must be cited)
Cite any sources: If there is specialized information (which should be kept to a minimum), or you quote
someone else’s words, put the author’s name and date in parentheses after the information in question,
like this: (Benitez 2019). Put any partial song lyrics within quotation marks. See the Syllabus page 5 for
a list of resources only if needed to enhance your discussion
HOW NOT to DO WELL on this Analytical Paper:
• Add extra line spaces between paragraphs or triple-space your text
• Use a format other than MS Word
• Write 2–4 pages of text instead of the minimum requirement of 5
• Count optional title or reference pages as part of your 5 pages
• Ignore the rule above about quotation marks around song titles and italicizing album titles
• Make the Beatles’ career trajectory the focus of your paper
• Write only one paragraph per song
• Demonstrate no personal engagement with each song’s music and lyrics
• Have personal connections, themes, etc. take precedence over real engagement w/ the songs
• Include a lot of extraneous information on song rankings, recording process, biographical information,
etc.
• Write on 2 or even all 3 songs discussed (or to be discussed) in the online course text
• Substitute facts on the music (from Pollack, BeatlesBible.com, etc.) for your own observations on
the musical characteristics or interpretation of the lyrics
• Use someone’s blog as a source, such as “Songfacts.com” or other untrustworthy sources
• Plagiarize from the Internet (including even slight paraphrases of content not generally known to
the public, as well as verbatim text)
• Try to pass off another student’s paper as your own—either of these would be in violation of Penn
State’s policies on Academic Integrity (see syllabus)
• Write on songs by individual band members released after the Beatles broke up (such as Lennon’s
“Imagine”)
• Write on songs written by a Beatle but never recorded and released by the Beatles (such as “Nobody I
Know” written by Paul McCartney but recorded by Peter and Gordon)
• Write on songs NOT recorded and released by the group
• Write on more than 3 songs—it will only hurt, not help, your paper grade
Songs that will not be studied this semester in the course lessons that are fair game:
You are allowed to choose only one song that we have (or will have) covered this semester as a part of the three
that you will write about for this paper. As for the remaining two, those that were mentioned in passing in a
lesson as well as those that were not addressed at all are fair game. Therefore, I’d like to suggest the following
songs that we did not cover as possible choices when authoring your paper. Some of the songs are covers, which
would be perfectly fine with me—if you choose a cover, I’d expect you to critique the original and the
Beatles’ version (e.g., “Twist and Shout”) in some detail. So, here they are. As you can see, there are plenty
of songs from which to choose.
Early period of the Beatles: “From Me To You,” “Thank You Girl,” “I’ll Get You,” “Misery,” “Anna,”
“Chains,” “Boys,” “Please, Please Me,” “A Taste of Honey,” “Baby It’s You,” “Do You Want To Know A
Secret,” “There’s A Place,” “Twist And Shout,” “It Won’t Be Long,” “All I’ve Got To Do,” “Little Child,” “Till
There Was You,” “I Call Your Name,” “Please Mr. Postman,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Hold Me Tight,” “You
Really Got A Hold On Me,” “Devil In Her Heart,” “Not A Second Time,” “Money (That’s What I Want),” “I
Should Have Known Better,” “And I Love Her,” “Tell Me Why,” “I’m Happy Just To Dance With You,” “I’ll
Be Back,” “You Can’t Do That,” “When I Get Home,” “Any Time At All,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Slow
Down,” “Bad Boy”
Transitional period (late 1964-65): “No Reply,” “Baby’s In Black,” “Rock And Roll Music,” “I’ll Follow The
Sun,” “Mr. Moonlight,” “Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey,” “Eight Days A Week,” “Words Of Love,” “Honey
Don’t,” “Every Little Thing,” “I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party,” “What You’re Doing,” “Everybody’s Trying
To Be My Baby,” “I’m Down,” “The Night Before,” “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away,” “I Need You,”
“Another Girl,” “You’re Going To Lose That Girl,” “Act Naturally,” “It’s Only Love,” “You Like Me Too
Much,” “I’ve Just Seen A Face,” “Dizzy Miss Lizzie”
A New Level of Mastery (late 1965-66): “You Won’t See Me,” “Think For Yourself,” “The Word,” “What
Goes On,” “Girl,” “I’m Looking Through You,” “Wait,” “Run For Your Life,” “We Can Work It Out,” “I’m
Only Sleeping,” “Yellow Submarine,” “She Said She Said,” “Good Day Sunshine,” “And Your Bird Can Sing,”
“For No One,” “Doctor Robert,” “I Want To Tell You,” “Got to Get You Into My Life”
Psychedelia and Post-Psychedelia: “Blue Jay Way,” “Your Mother Should Know,” “Baby You’re a Rich
Man,” “Dear Prudence,” “Happiness Is A Warm Gun,” “Martha My Dear,” “I’m So Tired,” “Rocky Raccoon,”
“Don’t Pass Me By,” “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road,” “I Will,” “Julia,” “Everybody’s Got Something To
Hide Except Me And My Monkey,” “Sexy Sadie,” “Helter Skelter,” “Long, Long, Long,” “Cry Baby Cry,”
“Mother Nature’s Son,” “Savoy Truffle”
Getting Back to Their Roots: “Two Of Us,” “Across the Universe,” “Maggie Mae,” “One After 909,” “The
Long And Winding Road,” “For You Blue”
Swan Song (Abbey Road): “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” “Octopus’s Garden,” “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),”
“Her Majesty,” “Old Brown Shoe (single)”
Beatles Anthology: “Free as a Bird,” “Real Love”
Access to Beatle Songs: Many of you may already have aural access to Beatle songs through a variety of means
(iTunes, Spotify, CDs, iPod, etc.). If you do a search on Bing for videos and put the name of the song + the
Beatles, you’ll probably be able to see and hear almost any song you’ll be writing about as done by them (most
Beatles song videos on YouTube are now covers done by others, since Sony Music routinely scrubs the site for
real Beatles music)

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