While chatting about Beatles songs with a friend of mine,¹ he mentioned that he had noticed a Beatles song do an unusual trick: it started with vocals unaccompanied by instruments. This is unusual, partly because most singers need a lead-in to hit the right note. The effect is very powerful, however, adding a strong sense of authenticity to the performance.
I decided to listen to every Beatles, McCartney, and Lennon song to list the tracks that carried out this gambit. This was quicker than you might expect, because a) I only had to listen to the opening few moments of each track, and b) I already have complete playlists of their songs curated on Spotify.² I excluded songs that were entirely unaccompanied.
The Complete List Of Beatles Songs That Start With Unaccompanied Vocals
- It Won't Be Long, With The Beatles
- All My Loving, With The Beatles
- Long Tall Sally, single
- If I Fell, A Hard Day's Night
- Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night
- No Reply, Beatles For Sale
- I'm A Loser, Beatles For Sale
- Mr Moonlight, Beatles For Sale
- Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby, Beatles For Sale
- Another Girl, Help!
- You're Going To Lose That Girl, Help!
- I'm Down, single
- Nowhere Man, Rubber Soul
- Girl, Rubber Soul
- Wait, Rubber Soul
- Paperback Writer, single [Red Album]
- Yellow Submarine, Revolver
- Hey Jude, single [Blue Album]
- Happiness Is A Warm Gun, The Beatles [White Album]
- I Will, The Beatles [White Album]
- (Revolution 9, The Beatles [White Album])
- The Long And Winding Road, Let It Be
The Complete List Of Paul McCartney³ Songs That Start With Unaccompanied Vocals
- 3 Legs, Ram
- Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, Ram
- Heart Of The Country, Ram
- Another Day, single [Ram, extended]
- She's My Baby, Wings At The Speed Of Sound
- San Ferry Anne, Wings At The Speed Of Sound
- After The Ball/Million Miles, Back To The Egg
- The Other Me, Pipes Of Peace
- Good Times Coming/Feel The Sun, Press To Play
- My Brave Face, Flowers In The Dirt
- Don't Be Careless Love, Flowers In The Dirt
- That Day Is Done, Flowers In The Dirt
- Follow Me, Chaos And Creation In The Backyard
- Fuh You, Egypt Station
- Deep Down, McCartney III
The Complete List Of John Lennon Songs That Start With Unaccompanied Vocals
- Power To The People, single
- Happy Xmas (War Is Over), single
- Aisumasen (I'm Sorry), Mind Games
- One Day (At A Time), Mind Games
- (Just Like) Starting Over, Double Fantasy
sum θoətiz abaʊt unakumpaniiyəð voʊkəl staətiz [blank]
wail catiŋᵍ abaʊt biitəliz soŋgiz wið a frend ov miis,¹ hii did menʃən ðat hii did av noʊtis a biitəliz soŋ dʊʊʷ an unyʊʊʒʊʊəl trik: it did staət wið voʊkəliz unakumpaniiəð bai instrəməntiz. ðis biiʸ unyʊʊʒʊʊəl, paətlii bikuz moʊst siŋgəriz niid a liid-in tə hit ðə rait noʊt. ðiiʸ ifekt bii verii paʊəfəl, haʊwevəʳ, adiŋᵍ a stroŋ sens ov ʊəθentisitii tə ðə pəfʊəməns.
mii did disaid tə lisən tʊʊʷ evrii biitəliz, məkaətniiʸ, and lenən soŋ tə list ðə trakiz ðat did kariiʸ aʊt ðis gambit. ðis did bii kwikə ðan ðii mait ekspekt, bikuz m) mii did oʊnlii haf tə lisən tə ðiiʸ oʊpəniŋ fyʊʊ moʊməntiz ov iic trak, and n) mii did oəlredii hav kəmpliit plei-listiz ov diis soŋgiz kyʊəreitəð on spotifaiʸ.² mii did eksklʊʊd soŋgiz ðat did biiʸ entaiəliiʸ unakumpəniiəð.
ðə kumpliit list ov biitəliz soŋgiz ðat staət wið unakumpəniiəð voʊkəliz
- it wil not bii loŋᵍ, wið ðə biitəliz
- oəl miis luviŋᵍ, wið ðə biitəliz
- loŋ toəl saliiʸ, siŋgəl
- if mii did foəl, a haəd deiy-iis nait
- not kan bai mii luv, a haəd deiy-iis nait
- noʊ riplaiʸ, biitəliz foə seil
- mii biiʸ a lʊʊzəʳ, biitəliz foə seil
- mistə mʊʊn-lait, biitəliz foə seil
- evriibodii bii traiyiŋ tə bii miis beibiiʸ, biitəliz foə seil
- anuðə guəl, pliiz help!
- ðii bii gonə lʊʊz ðat guəl, pliiz help!
- mii bii daʊn, siŋgəl
- noʊweə man, rubə soʊl
- guəl, rubə soʊl
- weit, rubə soʊl
- peipə-bak raitəʳ, siŋgəl [red albəm]
- yeloʊ subməriin, rivolvəʳ
- hei jʊʊd, siŋgəl [blʊʊʷ albəm]
- hapinəs biiʸ a wʊəm gun, ðə biitəliz [wait albəm]
- mii wil, ðə biitəliz [wait albəm]
- (revəlʊʊʃən naʰ, ðə biitəliz [wait albəm])
- ðə loŋᵍ and waindiŋᵍ roʊd, pliiz let it biiʸ
ðə kumpliit list ov poəl məkaətnii³ soŋgiz ðat staət wið unakumpəniiəð voʊkəliz
- tii legiz, ram
- unkəl albət/admirəl hoəlsiiʸ, ram
- haət ov ðə kuntriiʸ, ram
- anuðə deiʸ, siŋgəl [ram, ekstendəð]
- ʃii bii miis beibiiʸ, wiŋgiz at ðə spiid ov saʊnd
- san feriiʸ an, wiŋgiz at ðə spiid ov saʊnd
- aftə ðə boəl/mail mailiz, bak tə ðiiʸ eg
- ðiiʸ uðə miiʸ, paipiz ov piis
- gʊd taimiz kumiŋ/pliiz fiil ðə sun, pliiz pres tə pleiⁱ
- miis breiv feis, flaʊəriz in ðə duət
- pliiz not bii keələs luv, flaʊəriz in ðə duət
- ðat dei bii dʊʊəð, flaʊəriz in ðə duət
- pliiz foloʊ miiʸ, keiyos and kriiyeiʃən in ðə bak-yaəd
- fu ðiiʸ, iijipt steiʃən
- diip daʊn, məkaətnii tiiʸ
ðə kumpliit list ov jon lenən soŋgiz ðat staət wið unakumpəniiəð voʊkəliz
- paʊə tə ðə piipəl, siŋgəl
- hapii krisməs (wʊə biiʸ oʊvəʳ), siŋgəl
- aisʊʊmasen (mii bii soriiʸ), maind geimiz
- um deiʸ (at a taim), maind geimiz
- (just laik) staətiŋᵍ oʊvəʳ, dubəl fantəsiiʸ