
Here Comes the Sun
The Beatles
Legends, Icons & Rebels: Music That the Changed the World (2013)
George Harrison
Listen to the Song
At a glance
- Key
- A Major
- Time signature
- 4/4
- Main progression
- I–IV–V7–V/V–bIII–bVII
- Chords used
- C · G · D · A · E7 · B7
Summary
Written by George Harrison during a moment of personal reprieve, this 'Abbey Road' masterpiece is a landmark of folk-rock. It perfectly captures a universal sense of relief through its warm melodic structure and groundbreaking incorporation of electronic textures.
Chord Sheet
Chords Used
Progression by Section
Bridge
Chorus
Verse
Chord Diagrams
Musical Analysis
The song's harmony is characterized by the juxtaposition of bright A-major folk tonality with sophisticated modal borrowing in the bridge. While the verse/chorus use standard major-key functions and a secondary dominant for lift, the bridge utilizes a sequence…
History
George Harrison wrote the song while 'playing truant' from a series of stressful business meetings at Apple Corps. He spent the day at his friend Eric Clapton's country house, walking around the garden with one of Clapton's acoustic guitars when the lyrics and…
“John Lennon does not appear on the track at all.”
Full musical analysis
The song's harmony is characterized by the juxtaposition of bright A-major folk tonality with sophisticated modal borrowing in the bridge. While the verse/chorus use standard major-key functions and a secondary dominant for lift, the bridge utilizes a sequence of fourths and borrowed chords (bIII, bVII) that, when combined with shifting time signatures (11/8, 4/4, 7/8), creates a unique tension and release cycle that mimics the rising of the sun.
George Harrison wrote the song while 'playing truant' from a series of stressful business meetings at Apple Corps. He spent the day at his friend Eric Clapton's country house, walking around the garden with one of Clapton's acoustic guitars when the lyrics and melody came to him.
Written by George Harrison during a moment of personal reprieve, this 'Abbey Road' masterpiece is a landmark of folk-rock. It perfectly captures a universal sense of relief through its warm melodic structure and groundbreaking incorporation of electronic textures.
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Song DNA
Genre
Folk Rock
Era
60s
Mood
Uplifting
Tempo
Mid-tempo
Key
Major
Texture
Layered
Sound
Acoustic-driven
Feel
Syncopated
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Statistics
8.5M
Plays
1.0M
Listeners
1.5M
Genius Views
11
Annotations
100%
Popularity
3:04
Duration
4/4
Time
Credits
Written by
Produced by
From the album Legends, Icons & Rebels: Music That the Changed the World
Compilations
- 1956–1970
Other releases
- Legends, Icons & Rebels: Music That the Changed the World2013