One of Lennon's semi-autobiographical songs, "You Can't Do That" "contradicted the genial tone with its tense threats, sexual paranoia and nagging, dragging groove", wrote Robert Sandall. The song's theme of jealousy was revisited in other Lennon compositions, such as "Run for Your Life" and "Jealous Guy". Influenced by the then relatively unknown Wilson Pickett, it is rooted in the twelve-bar blues form, with Lennon introducing a discordant sharp 9th (F) on the D7th chord, pointedly emphasising ""…I told you before…"" and then pushing this note for the exasperated ""Oh!"" before resolving to the song's key of G. Lennon also composed and played the guitar solo. The work reflected Lennon's love for hard-edged American R&B—"a cowbell going four in the bar and the chord going chatoong!" as he put it.