Norwegian Wood Analysis
Rory Say

“Norwegian Wood” first appeared on The Beatles’ sixth full length album, Rubber Soul, which was released December 3rd, 1965. Not only is the song unique in the context of the album, but it is an example of one of The Beatles’ more experimental tracks. Written primarily by John Lennon, it was in fact George Harrison’s idea to use a sitar during the recording, which is the instrument that makes the song so recognizable, and also marks the first time a sitar was used by a pop/rock band.

The song opens with a sweepingly catchy acoustic melody that seamlessly evokes a sense of nostalgic longing. This feeling of sadness and reflection permeates throughout the piece. While the arrangement is actually quite complex, the music appears stripped down to the casual listener; the song is centered around a main lick performed simultaneously on acoustic guitar and sitar, which is introduced at the beginning and decidedly does not evolve into anything beyond this. The simplistic structure brings to mind a sensation of loneliness, which i...

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