Formal structure of [33] "I'll Be Back"
Intro (verse) 0:00-0:05 A Major Verse 1 0:05-0:27 A minor (with Picardy third) Middle 8 #1 0:27-0:40* A (major or minor) Verse 2 0:40-1:03 A minor (with Picardy third) Middle 8 #2 1:03-1:21* A (major or minor) Verse 3 1:21-1:46 A minor (with Picardy third) Middle 8 #1 1:46-1:58 A (major or minor) Verse 4 1:58-2:05* A minor (with Picardy third) Coda (verse) 2:05-2:21 A (major or minor) Comments: "I'll Be Back" marks the first Beatles recording in several categories: First, there are two distinct Middle 8s, the second of which is slightly longer, but both of which end with the same music. Second, the structure is perfectly palindromic (the same forwards as it is backwards), with the second Middle 8 serving as the centerpiece. The title even suggests the composer's knowledge of this fact on some level - "I'll Be Back" could refer to the structure of a rondo, where a particular theme or melody reappears several times. In this case, the song may be seen as a nine-part rondo (or a seven-part rondo with an intro and coda). Third, there is an interesting tonal play between A major and A minor (which will appear in later songs, such as [136] "While My Guitar Gently Weeps). The intro is in A major, but the first verse is in A minor (but it ends in major with a Picardy third). All three Middle 8s explore other chords, but never to the extent of rivaling A as tonic. The coda, which fades out, alternates A major and A minor, offering no more weight either over the other. Although tonal ambiguity is not a trademark of Beatles music, the album A Hard Day's Night features two songs that are tonally ambiguous: "I'll Be Back" and [25] "And I Lover Her". In addition, although less substantial and not unique, Verse 4 is abbreviated to prepare for the coda. Also, "I'll Be Back" features an interesting use of triplets - something I plan on blogging about in the future.
0 Comments
Formal structure of [32b] "Slow Down":
Intro (verse) 0:00-0:34 Verse 1 0:34-0:45 Chorus 0:45-1:08 Verse 2 1:08-1:19 Chorus 1:19-1:42 Solo 1:42-2:16 Verse 3 2:16-2:28 Chorus 2:28-2:45 Coda (verse) 2:45-2:56 Comments: Longest intro to date. Formal structure of [32] "I'll Cry Instead"
Intro (verse) 0:00-0:03 Verse 1 0:03-0:22 Verse 2 0:22-0:42 Middle 8 0:42-0:52 Verse 3 0:52-1:12 Middle 8 1:12-1:22 Verse 4 1:22-1:45 Comments: Very simple and straight forward structurally. No coda or chorus. Formal structure of [31b] "Matchbox"
Intro (verse) 0:00-0:06* Verse 1 0:06-0:23 Verse 2 0:23-0:41 Verse 3 0:41-0:58 Solo 0:58-1:16 Verse 4 1:16-1:35 Verse 5 1:35-1:50 Coda (ind.) 1:50-1:58 Comments: Another two-part intro (first a guitar riff, then the backing for the verses), just as heard previously in [6b] "A Taste Of Honey", [11] "Thank You Girl", [17] "Little Child", [14b] "Roll Over Beethoven", [24] "You Can't Do That". Formal structure of [31] "A Hard Day's Night"
Intro (coda) 0:00-0:04* Verse 1 0:04-0:24* Verse 2 0:24-0:45 Middle 8 0:45-0:59 Verse 3 0:59-1:20 Solo 1:20-1:33 End of verse 1:33-1:40* Middle 8 1:40-1:54 Verse 4 1:54-2:15 Coda (intro) 2:15-2:33* Comments: "A Hard Day's Night" is the first Beatles song to use a particular verse structure that I suspect will become common as I continue analyzing. The verses may be divided into four parts. In the case of the opening verse: "It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog" "It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log" "But when I get home to you, I find the things that you do" "Will make me feel alright." The only thing different between the first and second quarter of the verse is the lyrics - everything else (guitar chords, bassline, drum beats, duration) are completely identical. Then with the third quarter of the verse, things change slightly. McCartney adds his high vocal harmony, the phrase length is halved (4 measures to 2), and the chords are different, all of which contributes to an increased level of energy. The fourth quarter then returns to the patterns of the first half except for the fact that, like the third quarter, it too is 2 bars long instead of 4, and the melody sits lower in Lennon's vocal range (G to D instead of B to F). This pattern returns with every verse - and will return in future songs (although I cannot recall any off the top of my head). It is quite common for the solo section to take the place of a verse. In "A Hard Day's Night", however, it only lasts for the first half of a verse. The second half of the verse, then, immediately follows the solo. "A Hard Day's Night" is the first Beatles release to do so. Just like the verse pattern discussed above, I have a feeling this solo/verse pattern will reappear in many future Beatles tracks (although I cannot recall any off hand). The other aspect worth mentioning is the association of the intro and coda, which share harmonic similarities (though they are not identical) but are otherwise independent from the rest of the song - just like in "Thank You Girl" (analyzed on 12/9), with the exception that "A Hard Day's Night" omits the transition that also uses that same musical material. Formal structure of [30] "I Call Your Name"
Intro (ind) 0:00-0:09 Verse 1a 0:09-0:24 Verse 1b 0:24-0:39 Middle 8 0:39-0:55 Verse 2b 0:55-1:10* Solo 1:10-1:25* Middle 8 1:25-1:40 Verse 3b 1:40-1:51* Coda (verse) 1:51-2:08 Comments: Solo section uses swung 8th notes, while the rest of the song uses straight 8ths. That makes "I Call Your Name" the first Beatles recording to switch between straight and swung 8ths within the same song. In both iterations, the middle 8 functions as the first half of the verse instead of as a completely separate and independent structural segment. Formal Structure of [29b] "Long Tall Sally"
Verse 1 0:00-0:06 Chorus 0:06-0:17 Verse 2 0:17-0:22 Chorus 0:22-0:34 Solo 1 0:34-0:51 Verse 3 0:51-0:56 Chorus 0:56-1:07 Solo 2 1:07-1:24 Coda (Chorus) 1:24- 2:02 Comments: No intro. Very short verses. Long coda (2 sections). The Verse and Chorus combines to make a 12 bar blues progression. Formal structure of [29] "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You"
Intro (chorus) 0:00-0:07* Chorus 0:07-0:14 Verse 1 0:14-0:28 Verse 2 0:28-0:43 Middle 8 0:43-0:50 Chorus 0:50-0:58 Verse 3 0:58-1:12 Middle 8 1:12-1:19 Chorus 1:19-1:27 Verse 4 1:27-1:39 Coda (verse, Mid 8) 1:39-1:56* Comments: This is the first Beatles song to use the chorus as the basis for the intro and the verse as the basis for the coda. It is much more common to reverse that and use the verse as the basis for the intro and the chorus as the basis for the coda (as is the case with [3] "Please Please Me", [4] "Ask Me Why", [6] "I Saw Her Standing There", [9c] "Boys" and many more). "I'm Happy Just to dance With You" is also the first to use the Middle 8 as the basis for the coda. Verses 3 and 4 share identical lyrics. Formal structure of [28] "If I Fell''
Intro (independent) 0:00-0:18 Verse 1 0:18-0:40 Verse 2 0:40-1:02 Middle 8 1:02-1:13 Verse 3 1:13-1:35 Middle 8 1:35-1:46 Verse 4 1:46-2:09 Coda (verse) 2:09-2:18 Comments: One of the most developed and harmonically unusual introductions (it's in Eb minor while the rest of the song is in D major), but ultimately a very straight-forward macro-scale formal structure. Verses 3 and 4 share identical lyrics. Formal structure of "Tell Me Why:
Intro (chorus) 0:00-0:06* Chorus 0:06-0:25 Verse 1 0:25-0:37 Chorus 0:37-0:55 Verse 2 0:55-1:08 Chorus 1:08-1:27 Middle 8 1:27-1:42 Chorus 1:42-1:58 Coda (chorus/ind.) 1:58-2:08* Comments: The intro (four measures long and characterized primarily by two elements: the syncopated guitar chords Em7 and A7, and the energetic drum patterns) is spun out from the brief fill in the chorus (0:14-15, 0:45-46, 1:15-16) by repeating that fill and those chords four times in a row. That drum fill returns in the coda, but with independent chords. |
Beatles BlogThis blog is a workshop for developing my analyses of The Beatles' music. Categories
All
Archives
May 2019
|