Things we said today: A linguistic analysis of the Beatles.
Authors:
- Keith J. PetrieKPKeith J. Petrie
- James W. PennebakerJPJames W. Pennebaker
- Borge SivertsenBSBorge Sivertsen
- 1 November 2008
- journal article
- Published by American Psychological Association (APA) in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts
- Vol. 2 (4) , 197-202
Abstract
In early 1963, the Beatles released the song "Please Please Me," which immediately climbed to the top of the British charts. By the time the group disintegrated in 1970, they had recorded over 200 songs and had influenced music, politics, fashion, and culture like no other group before or since. Because of their popularity and the murder of John Lennon in 1980, the history of the Beatles has become a cultural story or narrative. In this study, we examine whether a psychological analysis of the Beatles lyrics provides insight into changes within the group over time and enables a comparison of characteristics of the main songwriters and their influence in the group.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Institutes of Health (MH52391)
- US Army Research Institute (W91WAW-07-C-0029)