An Analysis of 'Stairway to Heaven', Part 1: Overview

Earlier, I blogged about organic development in 'Good Times Bad Times'. It's an extremely sophisticated song, at least from a structural standpoint. There's no way they could top that, right?

WRONG – They were just getting started! If you thought the organic development and structure of 'Good Times Bad Times' was sophisticated, then the expanded and elaborated use of both in 'Stairway to Heaven' will blow your mind.

Now, many people before me have analyzed 'Stairway', and the vast majority of them strike me as deeply problematic.

Most analyses oversimplify by differentiating sections that are clearly and strongly related. This robs the music of its organic development.

Others try to over-complexify (I'm might be making up that word), as if their spectacularly arcane analysis will somehow make the music better. Yes, this is an extremely sophisticated (and to my knowledge unique) design for a song, and so it absolutely requires analysis that does justice to its nuances. But I have major problems when analyses are more complicated than the subject being analyzed. The point of analysis is to better understand that which is being analyzed. And if the analysis is more thorny than the subject, then that analysis only inhibits rather than facilitates understanding.

The trick, then, is balance – don't make the analysis so simple that it misses the musical sophistication, but don't make it unnecessarily complicated, either. With that caveat in mind, here's my take on 'Stairway to Heaven'.

​0:00-0:54   (A) Introduction (16 measures)
   0:00   (a)   |a E/g# |C/g D/f# | FM7 |a |    [instrumental]
   0:14   (a)   |a E/g# |C/g D/f# | FM7 |a |    [instrumental]
   0:27   (b)   |C D |FM7 a |C G |D |    [instrumental]
   0:40   (b')   |C D |FM7 a |C D |FM7 |    [instrumental]

0:54-1:48   (A) Verse 1 (16 measures)
   0:54   (a)   |a E/g# |C/g D/f# | FM7 |a |    “There's a lady...”
   1:07   (a)   |a E/g# |C/g D/f# | FM7 |a |    “When she gets...”
   1:21   (b)   |C D |FM7 a |C G |D |    “Ooo...”
   1:34   (a & b')   |C D |FM7 a |C D |FM7 |    “There's a sign...”

1:48-2:40   (A') Verse 2 (8 measures)
   1:48   (a)   |a E/g# |C/g D/f# | FM7 |a |    “In the tree...”
   2:01   (a)   |a E/g# |C/g D/f# | FM7 |a |    [instrumental]

2:15-2:40   Transition A 1 (8 measures)
   2:15   (c)   |a |D |   “Makes me wonder...”
   2:21   (c)   |a |D |   [instrumental]
   2:27   (c)   |a |D |   "Makes me wonder..."
   2:34   (c)   |a |D |   [instrumental]

2:40-3:31  (B) Verse 3 (17 measures)
   2:40   (a & d)     |C G |a |C G |a |    “There's a feeling...”
   2:52   (a & d')   |C G |a |C G |a |C G |    “In my thoughts...”

3:07-3:31   Transition A 2 (8 measures)
   3:07   (c)   |a |D |  “Makes me wonder...”
   3:13   (c)   |a |D |   [instrumental]
   3:19   (c)   |a |D |   "Makes me wonder..."
   3:25   (c)   |a |D |   [instrumental]

3:31-3:55   (B) Verse 4 (9 measures)
   3:31   (a & d)   |C G |a |C G |a |   “And it's whispered...”
   3:42   (a & d')   |C G |a |C G |a |C G |    “And a new day...”

3:55-4:20   Transition A 3 (8 measures)
   3:55   (c)    |a |D |   [instrumental]
   4:03   (c)   |a |D |   [instrumental]
   4:09   (c)   |a |D |   [instrumental]
   4:14   (c)   |a |D |   [instrumental]

4:20-4:45   (C) Verse 5 (9 measures)
   4:20   (d & e)   |C G |a |C G |a |    “If there's a bustle...”
   4:31   (d & e')   |C G |a |C G |a |C G |    “Yes, there are two paths...”

4:45-5:08 Transition A 4 (8 measures)
   4:45   (c)   |a |D |   [instrumental]
   4:51   (c)   |a |D |   "Makes me wonder..."
   4:57   (c)   |a |D |   [instrumental]
   5:02   (c)   |a |D |   "Makes me wonder..."

5:08-5:35 (C) Verse 6 (9 measures)
   5:08   (d & e)   |C G |a |C G |a |    “Your head..”
   5:19   (d & e')   |C G |a |C G |a |C G |    “Dear lady...”

5:35-5:56 Transition B 1 (8 measures)
   5:35   (f)   |Dsus4 | D |C |   |    [instrumental]
   5:46   (f')   |Dsus4 | D |C |G/b |    [instrumental]

5:56-6:45 (D) Solo (20 measures)
             (g)   |a G |F |  x10

6:45-7:47   (D) Verse 7 (18 measures)
   6:45   (g)   |a G |F |   “As we wind...”
   6:50   (g)   |a G |F |   “Our shadows...”
   6:54   (g)   |a G |F |   “There walks...”
   6:59   (g)   |a G |F |   “Who shines...”
   7:04   (g)   |a G |F |   “How everything...”
   7:08   (g)   |a G |F |   “And if you listen...”
   7:13   (g)   |a G |F |   “The tune will come...”
   7:18   (g)   |a G |F |   “When all are...”
   7:22   (g)   |a G |F |   “To be a rock...”

7:47-8:02   Coda   “And she's buying...”

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With the overview complete, it's time for a detailed look at each of the individual component parts that comprise the song. I plan to dedicate one blog to each section over the next week or two.