The Word

The Word is a precursor to All You Need is Love, and thus it is one more step into the Beatles' "Middle Period." It illustrates the growing desire in Lennon to use his lyrics to inspire people to create a better world ("Give the Word a Chance"). At the same time, the song follows a conventional 12-bar blues format (with a good bit of variation), and the track was recorded with McCartney and Lennon singing in a high-energy, "grunge" style borrowed from Motown. It has a couple of middle-period features, like the dissonant note held throughout in the bridge, the postponement of the solo break until near the end, and the continuation of the break into the final verse. Minor thirds appear throughout, creating a major-minor tension in the melodic flow. Ringo's drum work is creative and noteworthy. This song also is one of only a couple on the album that introduce the harmonium (played by George Martin) into the instrumental mix. In spite of the rush to get the record into the stores for Christmas, it is clear that the producer and the musicians took great care to apply their best art to this track.