In this lecture, Kenyon unpacks Paul McCartney’s “Hold Me Tight,” a deceptively simple track from With the Beatles that reveals deeper structural and harmonic complexity on close inspection. Though the song was often dismissed by its creators, Kenyon explores how its repeated ostinato patterns, major-minor tension, and chromatic middle eight create an unsettled, almost adolescent emotional landscape. The lecture analyzes the use of anti-phrasing, call-and-response, and tonal ambiguity—particularly the unexpected shift to A-flat major in the middle eight, a jarring move that foreshadows later Beatles experimentation. Kenyon also questions the song’s rhythmic phrasing, noting its disorienting seven-bar structure and off-kilter cadences, which mirror the lyrical uncertainty and emotional immaturity at the song’s core. Far from being a throwaway, “Hold Me Tight” serves as a window into the Beatles’ transitional period, where conventional love-song tropes meet increasingly adventurous musical instincts.

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