ABSTRACT
This chapter evaluates paralinguistic voice qualities giving rise to paralinguistic personae in The Beatles’ late style and solo careers. Whilst The Beatles no doubt progressed musically, they did so with their influences (old and new) and their own recordings to hand. Explicit examples occur in the lyrics, but these influences are amplified through their use of paralanguage. The results are assessed in music videos of the surviving members where the conditions for performative identities are challenged. The chapter further explores the expressive significance of accent and dialect in popular song. Expressive tropes are examined in relation to Stephen Davies’ formulation of Jerrold Levinson’s study of musical truth. This involves arguing that the presence of a trope (X – falsetto) indicates a particular expression or persona (Y – surprise, desperation, or a female antagonist).
