This track is a masterclass in how a deceptively cheerful musical surface can carry a darkly comic narrative. The contrast between the bright, bouncy feel and the grim subject matter is precisely what makes it so memorable and so worth studying as a musician.

Recorded during the Abbey Road sessions in 1969 and released on that album, the track was primarily driven by Paul McCartney, who oversaw an unusually lengthy recording process. The arrangement features a distinctive anvil strike, a music hall piano flavor, and tight vocal harmonies that give it a vaudeville-tinged character unlike almost anything else in the Beatles catalog.

The harmonic language sits squarely in the key McCartney favored for his more theatrical pop tunes, with a verse-chorus form that relies on bright major chords and a few well-placed chromatic moves for color. The groove is a steady, driving eighth-note feel with a light, almost theatrical lilt. The signature rhythmic punctuation on the anvil is as much a part of the composition as any chord.

When approaching this song on any instrument, the challenge is controlling tone and touch to match that light, almost satirical character. Practice playing with deliberate restraint, keeping the energy consistent across the form without letting it become heavy. Listen closely to how the ensemble breathes together and how the harmonic changes are voiced to keep things bright and forward-moving.

• Artist: The Beatles
• Album: Abbey Road
• Year: 1969
• Feel: Driving eighth-note, vaudeville-tinged pop groove
• Arrangement highlight: Anvil strikes are written into the score as a percussion instrument
• Style: Music hall pop with chromatic harmonic color