Yesterday Rhetorical Analysis

Communication is a necessity to interact with others, but what some people don’t realize is that without communication we would be missing most media and entertainment. Communication is seen in everything we do and watch for example: movies, television, art, and music. The skills of communication are easily used to convey emotions and ideas to broad audiences. The Beatles are arguably the most popular band of the 20th century and their chart toppers conveyed various topics through song. An analysis of The Beatles’ song Yesterday reveals some of the communication skills used: relatability, intrapersonal communication, and self-feedback. Imagine a young Paul McCartney sleeping and dreaming of a melody so sweet he could not get it out

An important aspect of both music and communication is making your thoughts relatable. Making something relatable will allow your audience to connect and care about it more knowing that they have felt similar things. Everyone has regrets and think about the past, lost loves, and reminisce about the good ole days of our past. Nostalgia is a powerful tool utilized by artist typically to provide listeners with memories and allow them to empathize with the work. This song makes me reflect on a time where I once made a mistake with someone I was romantically interested. Just like McCartney sings about, the once seemingly untroubled relationship disappeared, so quickly in fact it seemed like only yesterday things had been more than

The lyrics illuminate his communication with himself by using the lines “why’d she go.” Through reflecting on the pretenses of the actions of his significant other, he can prevent this from happening in future relationships and apply it to other aspects of his life. Understanding what/why something is “wrong” or inappropriate to say can all social awareness and emotional intelligence to grow. Allowing him to not only become more successful in romantic relationships but all types of relationships. Writing/recording this song provides audiences with the opportunity to relate as well as learn from McCartney’s mistakes.

Self-feedback is described as listening to yourself and making some sort of correction. Paul McCartney does this through reflecting on his past behavior and taking responsibility for saying something wrong. He wishes he could go back-- Millions of fans to this day enjoy the music of The Beatles further proving the long-lasting effects of their music and messages. The song Yesterday can be analyzed to better understand the progression of ideas and how they are communicated. Paul McCartney’s writing process was one filled with key tools of communication such as, self reflection taken on in the writing