Though the work at first appears to be a formless mass of random sounds, it actually splits very clearly into two halves, and each half has several smaller sections that can be detected, though some of these divisions are a bit less clear. The first four minutes of the piece can be divided into parallel A and B sections, each of which has a more orchestral expository beginning, and a more electronic second half. In addition, the B section has a short coda. The last four minutes and ten seconds divides more clearly into a sequence of six episodes, several of which depict a descent into chaos and mob rule. The first four of these sections seem to form a larger unit, which I will call the C section, and the other two form a definite coda, which will be the D section. Overall, the A and B section seem to form more of an instrumental binary form, while the C and D section have a more through-composed dramatic feel.

Approximately the first minute of the piece makes up the A1 section. This section has the most orchestral sound of the whole piece, and serves to introduce the fundamental musical materials used throughout. It begins with the piano music and the repeated recording of "number nine" that together frame most of the work. It also plays the reversed piano and band music that repeat throughout the first half. The other major elements it uses are the orchestral tuning and the large orchestra and chorus chord with cymbal crash. The tuning reappears at only a few other places, but the loud chord underlies much of the second half of the piece, and is expanded with a similar loud orchestral phrase later in the first half. The A2 section follows for the next fifty seconds, focusing more on the electronic sounding sources. In place of the orchestral chords, there is a phrase that sounds like it is coming from a radio dial being turned, and the backwards sounds form more of the focus of this section. Then the tuning sound reappears, followed by a high pitch, and then laughter, as the music fades in and out of silence. This section can also be seen as a varied repeat of the first section. The opening piano and number nine sounds have been replaced by a voice saying "a little bit older, a little bit slower", but all the rest of the sounds until the very end of the section come at approximately the same time and place in the two sections.

The entire B section is a variation on the A section with a short coda added at the end. The number nine phrase is repeated many times in this section, to emphasize its connection with the earlier material. Because it was used at the very beginning, it is associated with openings (since it was originally used as a sound test phrase as well), and often serves to alert the listener to the beginning of a new section of the piece. The B1 section introduces some new sounds not used in the beginning of the piece, such as the Indian oboe-sounding instrument. However, it brings back the opening piano music, and plays longer orchestra phrases that remind us of the chord with the cymbal crash, so that it seems more like a development of the beginning than like something totally new. The B2 section has some of the character of a varied repeat of B1, and also shares the more electronic quality of A2, so the form remains very symmetrical. The B3 section then serves as a cap on the first half of the piece, recapitulating all the important material from the beginning except the orchestra chord with cymbal. However, this is a very static recapitulation, emphasized by the statement about "standing still" at the beginning. Since the cymbal causes great forward motion, it makes sense that it is not used here.

The second half of the piece has a much stronger drive towards the end, instead of repeating earlier material so much. This drive is emphasized by the fact that the reversed sound material is no longer used, so everything is going forwards towards the end. Even the band, which has only played backwards so far, plays forwards at the end of the C section. C1 is rather clearly the climax of the piece. It opens with a recording of applause from the beginning of a Beatles concert, which continues while many of the earlier sounds are played back simultaneously. The number nine phrase is repeated more times than anywhere except the very beginning, and the cymbal crash is repeated for over thirty seconds. At the end of the section, there is a loud crash, the band playing backwards, and many other loud noises that can't be identified directly. This is also the halfway point of the piece and thus occupies the central point. The end of the C1 section is the first indication of the true disintegration that is to come. The C2 section continues restates the applause without the extraneous noises, but then immediately begins to add the electronic sounds used in parts A2 and B2. The clarinet melody in particular brings back B2, but the "hold that line" chant anticipates D2. Thus, this section shows the intimate connections between the second part of each major section in the piece. C3 is also closely connected to B2. They both open with the chorus, and both have the clarinet melody, and the loud orchestral passage. However, the C3 section develops this into the sounds of warfare, climaxing with large explosions. Only with the "shh…" after the clarinet melody does this violence go away. The C4 section gives the final closure to the C section. After restating the piano, cymbal, and clarinet themes from earlier, along with the chorus and carnival sounds, which have each been used once in the first half, the phrase "number nine" comes back for the last time. After that, the piano returns, and most of the rest of the section is unusually clear speech. The first voice sounds like a businessman listing off dances, sounding very disrespectful of popular culture. The other voice mysteriously says "take this brother, may it serve you well." This phrase sounds like it is full of significance, but appears to come out of nowhere. With that, the main body of the piece ends, and we reach the coda.

The D section forms a very peaceful coda after the violence and loudness of the C section. In addition, all the samples are much longer now, and the texture is relatively uncomplicated. The D1 section appears to be a private glimpse at the possible personal interactions of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, with a radio broadcast of an opera superimposed. This section seems to be the one hopeful section in the second half of the piece, validating the importance of love, and the symbolic significance of baring themselves to each other. After the woman clearly says "you become naked", the scene changes dramatically to a soccer game where the fans are brutally cheering on their team. The two chants that are repeated for the last twenty seconds of the piece show the submergence of these many individuals into a mob mentality, bringing out their violent tendencies. The fact that this motion was paralleled by the descent of most of the C sections into chaos indicates the pessimistic outlook of this piece. The spirit of "Revolution 1" is alive in "Revolution 9". Lennon is, in the end, suspicious of any revolution that idolizes collective consciousness, rather than the natural value of the individual. Thus, he fears the possibilities of future revolution, particularly as he sees it expressed by the fans of the Beatles, as in sections C1 and C2.

• piano - this is the original recording that started the entire piece, which was originally a long, quiet coda to the song "Revolution 1".
• #9 - this is the sample that gave the piece its title. It was apparently a recording of the voice of a sound engineer testing some equipment.
• piano bkwds, band bkwds - these are samples of a piano and a band, respectively, but played backwards, giving both a string sound.
• cymbal - this is a chord played on large orchestra, with chorus, with a prominent cymbal crash.
• tuning - this is a low-fidelity recording of an orchestra tuning up, so it has many open fifths.
• indian - this is a recording of an Indian instrument that sounds very much like an oboe.
• orch loud - this is a loud, brassy orchestra passage, perhaps from the same source as "cymbal"
• clarinet - this is a quiet recording of a clarinet playing a melody raditionally associated with Middle Eastern things. It is always followed by a "shhh…", so they may be part of the same recording.
• "hold that line", "block that kick" - these are the chants of fans at a soccer game cheering on their team.
• "financial…the twist" - this is a voice saying "financial imbalance. The Watusi. The Twist." "El Dorado" follows quickly afterwards, but appears to be spoken by a different voice, since it is in a different channel.
• "take this brother…" - this is a voice saying "take this brother, may it serve you well."
• John and Yoko - this sounds like it might be a recording of John Lennon and Yoko Ono talking in their bedroom. The only clearly enunciated phrase is Yoko saying "you become naked" right at the end, and the only word I can make out in the earlier dialogue is her saying "naked".