This lecture examines John Lennon’s “When I Get Home” as a study in lyrical focus and harmonic misdirection. We begin with the title premise: the narrator is away and eager to return, “with a whole lot of things to tell her.” The refrain functions ambiguously as either a true refrain or a tagged final line, mirroring the song’s tension between urgency and form. Lyrically, lines such as “no time for trivialities” place him on the last leg of the journey, pushing past press and distractions to reach home. The middle eight turns explicit and awkwardly charming with “hold her tight” and “love her till the cows come home,” before landing on the puzzling “I’ll bet I’ll love her more till I walk out that door again.”

Musically, the lecture explores Lennon’s use of pentatonic riffing, sudden shifts that create a sense of unpredictability, and phrasing that feels almost tacked on yet grabs attention. These quirks highlight his willingness to bend structure in pursuit of immediacy and impact.

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