The Beatles

The Beatles

Style marker

Single falsetto note

[Little Richard] would say, 'I taught Paul everything he knows'. [...] I had to admit he was right.

Paul McCartney, Twitter (2020)

Paul McCartney sometimes sings a single note in falsetto, in imitation of Little Richard who did it before him.

Transcript of a line from The Beatles's 1969 song Oh Darling.
Transcript of a line from Paul McCartney's 1980 song Waterfalls.
Transcript of a line from TLC's 1994 song Waterfalls.
Transposed from Eb.

These songs share

  • A lyric
  • A sequence on the word "waterfalls" that descends from 7̂ to 6̂ and then to 5̂ (though the 7̂ is flat in McCartney's case)

AV Club: TLC ripped off Paul McCartney? I had no idea!

Paul McCartney: I think so.

AV Club interview (2007)

The Beatles are one of my favorite groups.

Michelle Branch, website bio (2001)

Transcript of a line from The Beatles (wr. John Lennon)'s 1968 song Happiness is a Warm Gun.
Transcript of a line from Michelle Branch's 2003 song 'Til I Get Over You.

These songs share

  • The key of E minor
  • Verse melodies that alternate 2̂ and 3̂ in a similar rhythmic pattern
  • Lyrical reference to a gun, unusual in the work of Michelle Branch
Transcript of a line from The Beatles (wr. Paul McCartney)'s 1967 song Penny Lane (bassline).
Shown in treble clef for comparison.
Transcript of a line from Paul McCartney's 1979 song Wonderful Christmastime.

I see critics compare me to Elton John, I see Harry Chapin, and I go 'No, no, it's McCartney.'

Billy Joel, New York Times interview (1978)

2
1
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
and
1
though
b7
she
6
thought
6
I
5
knew
1
the
3
an
2
swer
1
2
1
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
I
1
did
3
n't
5
think
6
I
5
need
1
ed
3
an
2
y
1
thing
1

Points of connection

  • Both songs are in the key of A and share a single rhythmically-identical pentatonic melody line (highlighted)
  • Phonetically similar lyrics in the same rhythmic positions ("thought I knew"/"think I need", "an[swer]"/"an[ything]")