Formal structure of [159] "Don't Let Me Down": palindromic

Single
         Introduction 0:00-0:06 based on riff from middle 8

         Chorus 0:06-0:27
                    statement (4 m)
                    restatement (4 m)

         Verse 1 0:27-0:57
                    statement (4 m)
                    restatement (4 m)

         Chorus     0:57-1:22

         Middle 8   1:22-1:47

         Chorus     1:47-2:10

         Verse 2    2:10-2:41

         Chorus     2:41-3:06

         Coda         3:06-3:35


Naked
          Introduction 0:00-0:05 based on middle 8

          Chorus      0:05-0:30
                    statement (4 m)
                    restatement (4 m)

          Verse 1      0:30-0:54
                    statement (4 m)
                    restatement (4 m)
          Chorus     0:54-1:18

          Middle 8   1:18-1:41

          Chorus      1:41-2:06

          Verse 2     2:06-2:30

          Chorus      2:30-2:54

          Coda           2:54-3:19 based on chorus

Comments: "Don't Let Me Down" was not included on the album Let it Be, but it was released as a single, and was included on Naked. Though they share formal layouts, the two released versions do show substantial timing differences - the single is much slower than the version released on Naked, accounting for these discrepancies.

In both versions, the formal design is palindromic structure with middle 8 serving as the keystone.

This makes the song the 8th Beatles track to date to employ a palindromic structure, behind [33] "I'll Be Back", [74] "The Word", [93] "Strawberry Fields Forever", [94] "When I'm Sixty-Four", [97] "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", [98] "Good Morning Good Morning", [136] "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", and [151] "Martha My Dear", (and the inverse palindromic formal designs of [57] "I've Just Seen a Face", and [114] "All You Need Is Love")

I am tempted yet again to call the guitar lick that opens the song and reappears frequently throughout a tag, but in this case it just feels better to include it as part of the section it follows. This is due in large part to the phrasing, which merges the lyrics and the potential tag, which is very different from past songs' tags, where the tags feel more independent and bridge two phrases rather than conclude a phrase like this one does.

[157] "Dig a Pony""Dig a Pony" is the 60th Beatles original not to use a middle 8. Instead, the chorus serves as contrast to the verses.

[158] "I've Got a Feeling"
The middle 8 is used once, lasting 5 measures and 14 seconds, totaling 8.7% (19/218) of the song's duration.

[159] "Don't Let Me Down"
The middle 8 is used once (as the keystone of a palindromic structure), lasting 8 measures and 25 seconds, totaling 11.6% (25/215) of the song's duration.

[160] "Get Back"
"Get Back" is the 61st Beatles original not to use a middle 8. The chorus instead serves as a contrast to the verses.

[161] "Two of Us"
The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 6 measures and and 14 seconds, totaling 13.0% (28/216) of the song's duration.

[161b] "Maggie Mae"
The middle 8 is used once (although that's debatable), lasting 8 measures and 15 seconds, totaling 37.5% of the song's duration. But, of course, this is incomplete. Had the full song been present, no doubt the middle 8 would not constitute such a significant portion of the track.

[162] "Dig It"
"Dig It" is the 62nd Beatles original not to use a middle 8. The novel structure has no need for a middle 8.

[163] "For You Blue"
"For You Blue" is the 63rd Beatles original not to use a middle 8. The novel structure has no need for a middle 8.

[164] "Let It Be"
"Let it Be" is the 64th Beatles original not to use a middle 8. Instead, the chorus serves as contrast to the verses.

[165] "The Long and Winding Road"
The middle 8 is used twice (including the break as a middle 8), lasting 4 measures and 14 seconds each time, totaling 12.8% (28/218) of the song's duration.

[166] "The One After 909"
The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 16 measures (which can be subdivided into two 8-bar phrases) and 21 seconds each time, totaling 24.1% (42/174) of the song's duration.

[167] "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"
"I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is the 65th Beatles original not to use a middle 8. The novel structure has no need.

[168] "Ballad of John and Yoko"
The middle 8 is used once, lasting 8.5 measures and 16 seconds, totaling 8.9% (16/179) of the song's duration.

[169] "Old Brown Shoe"
The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 12 measures and an average of 20.5 seconds each time, totaling 20.7% (41/198) of the song's duration.

[170] "Something"
The middle 8 is used once, lasting 8 measures and 28 seconds, totaling 15.4% (28/182) of the song's duration.

[171] "Oh! Darling"
The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and averaging 33.5 seconds, totaling 32.4% (67/207) of the song's duration.

[172] "Octopus's Garden"
The middle 8 is used once (although that's debatable), lasting 8 measures and 21 seconds, totaling 30.0% (21/170) of the song's duration.

[173] "You Never Give Me Your Money"
"You Never Give Me Your Money" is the 66th Beatles original not to use a middle 8. It's structure (as part of the massive "Abbey Road Medley") does not need one.

[174] "Her Majesty"
"Her Majesty" is the 67th Beatles original not to use a middle 8. It's structure (as part of the massive "Abbey Road Medley") does not need one.

[175] "Golden Slumbers"
"Golden Slumbers" is the 68th Beatles original not to use a middle 8. It's structure (as part of the massive "Abbey Road Medley") does not need one.

[176] "Carry that Weight"
"Carry that Weight" is the 69th Beatles original not to use a middle 8. It's structure (as part of the massive "Abbey Road Medley") does not need one.

[177] "Here Comes the Sun"
The middle 8 is used once. Due to time signature changes that could be interpreted in any number of different ways, counting the duration of the middle 8 in measures is pointless; however, in seconds the duration is 41 seconds. This totals 22.2% (41/185) of the song's duration. The middle 8 consists of 6 iterations of the same pattern (the part with the lyrics "Sun, sun, sun, here it comes") in the first of which vocals are omitted.

[178] "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
"Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is the 70th Beatles original not to use a middle 8. Instead, the chorus serves as contrast to the verses.

[179] "Come Together"
"Come Together" is the 71st Beatles original not to use a middle 8. Instead, the chorus serves as contrast to the verses.

[180] "The End"
"The End" is the 72nd Beatles original not to use a middle 8. It's structure (as part of the massive "Abbey Road Medley") does not need one.

[181] "Sun King"
"Sun King" is the 73rd Beatles original not to use a middle 8. It's structure (as part of the massive "Abbey Road Medley") does not need one.

[182] "Mean Mr. Mustard"
"Mean Mr. Mustard" is the 74th Beatles original not to use a middle 8. It's structure (as part of the massive "Abbey Road Medley") does not need one.

[183] "Polythene Pam"
"Polythene Pam" is the 75th Beatles original not to use a middle 8. It's structure (as part of the massive "Abbey Road Medley" does not need one.)

[184] "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window"
The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 6.5 measures and averaging 14 seconds, totaling 23.7% (28/118) of the song's duration.

[185] "Because"
The middle 8 is used once, lasting 4 measures and 19 seconds, totaling 11.5% (19/165) of the song's duration.

[186] "I Me Mine"
The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 10 measures and 18 seconds both times, totaling 24.7% (36/146) of the song's duration.


Complete Middle 8 chart: