Love conquers all

This article explores the tonal and lyrical architecture of side B of the Beatles’ Abbey Road through the lens of pastoral narrative. Building on the analytical frameworks of Robert Gauldin, Walter Everett and Thomas MacFarlane, it argues that the medley functions as a multi-movement work tracing a journey of departure, experience and return. The tonal opposition between A and C — representing tension and repose — is reflected in harmonic progressions that juxtapose sharp and flat sides of the tonal spectrum. Through recurring motifs, plagal and authentic cadences, and evolving lyrical perspectives, the sequence enacts a story of self-discovery and transformation. Ultimately, the medley’s closing affirmation — ‘The love you take is equal to the love you make’ — embodies a modern echo of Virgil’s Eclogues , positioning Abbey Road within a long pastoral tradition in which love, loss and renewal converge in musical form.

This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .