Can't Buy Me Love - Lecture Series 44 (bonus)

In this lecture, Kenyon examines Paul McCartney’s “Can’t Buy Me Love,” a pivotal track in the Beatles’ early catalog that bridges 12-bar blues tradition with modern pop innovation. Written in Paris and released as a single before appearing on A Hard Day’s Night, the song is often remembered for its hook, but Kenyon’s analysis reveals deeper structural and harmonic nuance. The lecture explores the song’s lyrical progression, which subtly reframes materialism into a broader reflection on emotional values. Kenyon unpacks the use of syncopation, plagal cadences, and a carefully executed turnaround that alters the expected blues form. He also dissects George Martin’s reharmonization of the chorus to create the song’s intro and outro, and highlights George Harrison’s compact, memorable solo as a turning point in Beatles guitar work. With its fusion of blues, show-tune harmony, and rhythmic inventiveness, “Can’t Buy Me Love” emerges as a deceptively complex exemplar of early Lennon-McCartney songwriting craft.

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