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The Beatles – Here There And Everywhere – Middle 8

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Chord Progression

[‘F’, ‘Bb’, ‘Gm’, ‘Cm’, ‘D7’, ‘Gm’, ‘Cm’, ‘D7’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The section given (Middle 8) takes the song momentarily from G major to F major, prior to a brief modulation to G minor before returning to G major.

1. In the key of F major, ‘F’ is the I chord and ‘Bb’ is the IV chord. The progression then moves to ‘Gm’ which acts as the ii chord.
2. ‘Cm’ functions as the v chord.
3. ‘D7’ is a secondary dominant (V7/vi)
4. ‘Gm’ ii
5. ‘Cm’ v
6. ‘D7’ V7/vi

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F (I), Bb (IV), Gm (ii), Cm (v), D7 (V7/vi), Gm (ii), Cm (v), D7 (V7/vi)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

1. “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys has a comparable non-standard progression and key changes, which McCartney said directly influenced “Here, There and Everywhere.”
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B (I), A (VII), G#m (VI), E (IV), F# (V), D#m (III), B (I), E (IV)
“`
2. “Something” by The Beatles, another song that uses similar techniques of borrowed chords and modulation.
“`
C (I), Cmaj7 (Imaj7), C7 (I7), F (IV), D (V/vi), G (V), Am (vi), Am(maj7) (vimaj7)
“`

Musical Analysis

This song is a perfect exemplification of how The Beatles revolutionized pop music by stepping away from the typical I – IV – V constructions and experimented with unusual chord progressions and modulations. The use of a secondary dominant (D7), which functionally operates as a borrowed chord from the key of G minor in a major context, is a common practice in popular music to smoothly transition into minor keys or closely related keys.

Overall Analysis

“Here, There and Everywhere” is a Beatles song from the album “Revolver”, released in 1966. The song is in the key of G major and showcases an advanced use of borrowed chords and modulations, a topic that contributes to the originality of this song. McCartney credited the song’s structure of changing key to Brian Wilson’s influence in the same period.

Style Analysis

“Here, There and Everywhere” leans towards the soft and melodic style of songwriting, which was distinctive of Paul McCartney among The Beatles. The song’s melody has physically tracked the chord changes to create a smooth, flowing feel.

Chords in the Middle 8 section of Here There And Everywhere by The Beatles are:

[‘F’, ‘Bb’, ‘Gm’, ‘Cm’, ‘D7’, ‘Gm’, ‘Cm’, ‘D7’]