I remember seeing Rocky III as a youngster and being enthralled. If not for the appearance of Hulk Hogan, definitely for the inspiring story of Rocky Balboa. The entire franchise was appealing to me; drama and violence set to catchy rock and roll. Rocky I and II used on Bill Conti's "Gonna Fly Now," a cross genre blockbuster that spent a cool week at no.1 in 1977. In 1982, Sly called an audible and the result would be one of the greatest rock songs ever.
I can't imagine getting a phone call from Sylvester Stallone requesting a song for his new movie because he was moved by my music. If that wasn't surreal enough, churning out the demo just in time for the film's release and having it become HUGE must have fluffed the surrealistic pillow. That's more or less the story of how Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan of Survivor wrote "Eye of the Tiger." [1]
Of all the songs I've analyzed in this project, this has to be one of the biggest. If not in terms of record sales, certainly in longevity. Now I don't go around blasting this in the car, but if it comes on, I'll listen and probably sing along and probably have a physical and emotional response in some way. If those aren't hallmarks of a good song, I'm not sure what is.
The form of this song took me by surprise and is simpler than I gave it credit for. The intro and outro are the cornerstones of the entire piece. The intro starts with 4 measures of guitar that build with an ominous piano swell. The next 16 measures are the main guitar riff that develops with rhythmic variance and added harmony. Then things simmer down with 2 measures of the guitar pedaling on the root. This little bumper, denoted as "I" above, is a reoccurring interlude. The first time it returns, it lasts 2 measures and then doubles before heading into verse 3. The outro features a similar sequence to the intro, adding in some synth swells before fading out.
Verse 1 is a doubled 16 measure section, with verses 2 and 3 lasting the standard 8. Each verse is more or less the same, aside from lyrics.
The chorus is varied the third and final time, adding an extra measure on the climax of "he's watching us all in the eye...........of the tiger."
There is no bridge in "Eye of the Tiger." This is somewhat surprising, especially when considering the last 80's analysis ("Jesse's Girl" 1981). The song doesn't really need a bridge though and accomplishes the mission of a kick ass motivational rock song without one. The intro and outro are perfect bookends to the vocal sustenance.
Chord Progressions
The iconic intro starts with the guitar pedaling 16th note C's. We will hear this riff throughout the entire intro and outro, laying a tonal and rhythmic bed for the rest of the band.
Guitar Ostinato
As this rolls on for four measures, an ominous swell ushers in the first sense of tonality, the R-min7 motion in the famous power chord guitar riff. This eventually leads to the Ab, or bVI chord, a staple in minor chord progressions. Note the slight change in rhythm 6th measure below, off set by an eighth note.
Intro Guitar Riff
After we hear the power chorded riff, the guitar changes roles and add harmony, filling out the chords:
Riff with harmony
The three chords presented in the intro will constitute the entire verse progression, through shifted around. The intro works out to:
Cmin Bb Cmin / Bb Cmin / Cmin G Ab / (Ab) i bVII i / bVII i / i V bVI /
The verse stabilizes and reorders them to:
Cmin / Ab / Bb / Cmin
i / bVI / bVII / i
The bass plays an interesting role during the verse. In the intro and through the first half of verses, it thumps quarter notes on a repeated C, flourishing with C minor licks every 4 bars. In the second half of the verses, chord roots are followed and slightly different flourishes and articulations are incorporated.
Bass - verse sample
Verse 2 features background guitar harmonies that add a little spice to the familiar part. The tail end also features an adventurous flourish from Stephan Ellis, one of Survivor's revolving bassists. The guitars sustain an Eb and G, shifting chord tones over Cmin (-3/5) and Ab (5/7), then drop down a step to line up with Bb (3/5). It certainly has the 80's twin guitar feel.
Verse 2 - guitar harmony + bass fill
Moving along to the chorus, we get more of the same, this time enhanced with some slick syncopation and the addition of 2 new chords. The guitar and piano interplay during the chorus looks something like this:
Chorus - Guitar and Piano Redux
The chord progression works out to be:
Bb Cmin / Fmin / Eb/G Bb / Fmin / Cmin Bb
bVII i / iv / III/V bVII/ iv / i bVII
Fmin / Eb/G Bb / Fmin Eb/G / Ab
iv / III/V bVII / iv III/V / bVI
Adding the minor iv chord into the mix gives the part a completely different feel. Even though it's built around minor chords, it feels brighter than the verse thanks to the higher guitar chords. The Eb/G almost acts as a Bbsus as the guitar's Eb resolves to D over the Bb in the bass. I have heard this song hundreds of times and never bothered to really analyze what was happening in this section. It is a great balance to the rest of the tune.
The last two measures feature a harmony with the vocal on the ascending lines, a third lower, doubled by guitar and bass. The walk up F-G-Ab creates a perfect tension until the classic release "of the tiger."
Melody
While the famous guitar riff is no doubt an important melodic statement in the song, let's look at the vocal melody. The first time we hear Dave Bickler (who also sang "real men of genius" from those early 2000 Budweiser commercials!), he enters on beat 2, singing two words that most people know, "rising up."
This double verse is well crafted, repeating rhythmic and melodic themes. The first two 4 measure phrases begin on beat 2 with a similar pitch and rhythm patterns. Throughout each phrase, the rhythm is altered but the pitch choices are similar. G-Bb (5th and -7) over Cmin, G, F and Eb (7, 6 and 5) on Ab, F, Eb and G (5, 4 and 6) over Bb and a chord tone resolution in the 4th bar on C minor, Eb or G.
Comparing the first 8 measures with the second 8, we see more repeated patterns, specifically the quarter note triplet figure in measures 6 and 14.
Verse 1
Each verse follows this basic melodic structure. I like how it maintains the same character but leaves plenty of room for variation, driven by the lyrics. Every note is delivered with confidence and strength, very fitting to the musical style and message of the song.
The chorus begins with a subtle syncopation shared with the piano, entering on the + of beat 3 with the repeated dotted 8th figure. The structure of most of the chorus is similar to the verse, sticking to note groupings for each chord. Every F minor chord features repeated Ab's (-3) walking down through G and F to Eb (-3, 2, R, -7). The 2nd and 6th measures use Eb, F and G, R-2-3 for Eb and 5-6 for Bb, similar intervals as in the verse.
Chorus
The end of the chorus has the climax to the song and one of the hooks "and he's watching us all in the eye of the tiger." This part kills on a few levels. First, the ascending line that moves up two steps then down one until reaching the top C is a familiar pattern and very dramatic. The way the F minor scale (F, G, Ab, Bb, C) works over the shifting chords adds to the drama. When it the C is held over Ab, now the 3rd, it has the intense open quality. The band tacet on beat 3 an the prolonged completion of the phrase, "of the tiger," is just a classic moment.
Lyrics
While the lyrics to "Eye of the Tiger" are not very poetic or profound, they are motivational, especially if your name is Rocky Balboa and you're training to fight Clubber Lang in a championship boxing match.
For a song to be universally motivational, the language has to be to the point without much room for interpretation. Survivor does a good job of telling the story about a beaten person developing "the eye of the tiger" and "rising up to the challenge of their rivals." The chorus gives this sentiment particularly well!
Apparently, the original version of the song only featured two verses and Stallone requested a third verse. [1] If this story is true, then according to Lyric Genius, verse 2 may be the additional verse, directly influenced by the movie. [2] In reality, the whole song seems to be written directly about the plight of Mr. Balboa; Everyman's journey from poverty to prosperity, if you will...
The verse rhyme scheme follows ABAC. The C line, in fact, is "survive" three times and "alive" once. Note the use of "survivor" in the chorus as well. Any band who can regularly reference their own band name is okay by me. I mean Iron Maiden has a song called "Iron Maiden" and Black Sabbath has a song called "Black Sabbath." Not that this song shares the band's name, but a little self promotion isn't a bad thing.
Common Threads
Are there common musical elements shared by no.1 hits throughout the decades? That's what I'm hoping to find out. For every analysis, I compiled some potential shared elements and investigate how they are utilized in various no.1 songs. Building off the list from last time, with Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)," let's see how "Eye of the Tiger" fits in:
Repetitive Melody - 'Eye of the Tiger" has a lot of repetition. The main guitar riff, the vocal melody from verse to verse, as well as chorus to chorus, along with melodic conventions within each section use repetition liberally.
Texture Changes - While they are few, the texture changes are prominent. The isolated guitar playing a single note is an enduring texture for this song and rock music in general. The sparse entrance of the rhythm section stabbing out the chord melodies is another classic sound, reminiscent of "stop rhythm" choruses in blues music. Then there is the pulsing verses contrasted with the brighter choruses, complete with octave guitars....lots of texture changes here for sure.
Hook that Uses Title of the Song - I couldn't even make up my mind which "eye of the tiger" hook was more catchy!
Stepwise Motion Common in Melody - Steps and minor thirds have the "Eye of the Tiger." The verses and chorus definitely rely on 2nds.
- Strong motion of V- I - We see lots of bVI -i resolutions, common for songs in a minor key.
Hold Overs
- Use of Vocal Harmony - no background vocals! The second one in 9 analyses.
- New Material at the End - While the coda may seem new, it's the same as the intro
Chord Count: 6 - Cmin, Bb, G5, Ab, Fmin, Eb/G - I lumped the power chords in with their triadic brothers. After hearing this song my entire life, I expected less chords. 6 is a solid number for a relatively straightforward tune.
For such an iconic song, I'm not surprised to see some of these commonalities. The melody is repetitive, built on diatonic steps with lyrics that are easy to relate with. The end result is a catchy tune that elicits feeling from the first note.
Final Takeaways
"Eye of the Tiger" has to be included on a list of songs I learned to play early in my musical training. I took a life changing course in high school called "instrumental workshop" that offered non-band instrumentalists an opportunity to play in a rock band setting. There was a class book filled with classic rock songs every young player should get the chance to play and not surprisingly, "Eye of the Tiger" was there. Funnily enough, it was always considered "hard," mostly due to the clunky rhythm of the chorus.
As an elementary school music teacher, this song comes up regularly. When kids reach upper elementary and their parents expose them to Rocky, they request the guitar toting music teacher (me) to serenade them with Rocky's training music. It is also adaptable to play on recorder, a genuinely fun melody on that instrument (B BAB BAB BAG). Funnily enough, in all of my experience with the song, I have been playing it wrong for all those years! It's nice to finally know exactly what they are playing in the main riff and chorus. Sorry for getting it wrong all those years Survivor!
Given my experience, I half expected to be tired of it heading into this analysis. While I don't plan on rocking out to it in my "off" time, I was happy to learn it in this context and even enjoyed it. For an almost 40 year old song, it has aged well. It has intensity, nostalgia, a relevant message and a catchy melody you can't help singing along with. While it may be lacking a bridge or any serious variation from section to section, it serves its function well. What more could you want in a motivational rock song that makes you want to kick life's ass?
What do you think of "Eye of the Tiger?" Does it hold up as a no.1 hit? I am the only musician who has been playing it incorrectly for 20 years? Leave me a comment!
Up next time, we head to 1992, the next stop "on the 2's." August 8th, 1992, snugly nestled between the 5 week run of Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back" and the monumental 13 week run of Boys II Men's "End of the Road," we get a one week flash in the pan. "This Used To Be My Playground" by Madonna. I have been strictly adhering to songs no.1 in the first week of August. Madonna's entry sneaks in between two very well known songs. I am unfamiliar with this one, so given my track record "on the 2's," I could be in for a pleasant surprise?
One of the greatest joys this project has given me is exposure to new music, new to me, anyway. When I looked up the no.1 hit around august of 1972, I was completely unaware of Gilbert O'Sullivan and was impressed with a 4 week run at no.1. Upon further digging, I discovered that a week after being dethroned (by Looking Glass's "Brandy"), it climbed back to no.1 for two more weeks!
In 1972, Roberta Flack's "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" stayed at no.1 for 6 consecutive weeks, the longest running no.1 that year. To put this into a little context, earlier in the year, "American Pie" by Don McLean hit no.1 for 4 weeks. Other notable entries in the no.1 position that year included "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers, "Heart of Gold" by Neil Young and "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green.
I'm trying to convey that fact that"Alone Again (Naturally)" was in fine company. When I first listened to it, it seemed dated, but in a good way. Gilbert O'Sullivan's sound reminds me of Burt Bacharach meets The Beatles, another complimentary comparison. As I continued to listen, I became obsessed with the delicate balance of complexity and simplicity. Musically, this one is a bit of an outlier. It is, however, a killer song! Hopefully I can figure out how this obscure classic reached such popular heights on a musical level.
Looking at the form, it's strikingly simple. Each verse is a 16 measure cycle. The way each A section is structured reminds me of a jazz standard, repeating the changes and the same melody each time with little variation, aside from lyrics. After two verses, we get a 6 measure bridge that leads to the back half of the tune. There, we find two more verses, one of which features a guitar playing the vocal melody, before the song tags the hook.
While there is no formal chorus, each verse contains a refrain: "alone again, naturally." This refrain is even heard in the guitar solo verse and is used as a fitting ending. I'd like to think the simplicity of the form, along with easily understood and relatable lyrics provides a balance to the complex chords and melody that comprise each section?
In a way, I see similarities with "In The Year 2525" by Zager & Evans from 1969. That featured 11 verses with no chorus: AAA or strophic form. While "Along Again" does contain a short bridge, the A section is the main attraction. This type of song composition is surprising to see in a pop song, and I am continuously surprised as I learn more about Gilbert O'Sullivan. UPI (United Press International) gave him a "Shlock Rock Trophy" and called him "the worst potential influence on the direction of pop music since Tiny Tim" in the wake of his success. [1] While I actively disagree, it does affirm my suspicions that, despite success on the charts, this song must have seemed strange to listeners in 1972.
Chord Progressions
Why do I keep referring to this song as strange and obscure? Get ready.....it's all in the harmony. The 4 measure intro gives us a small taste of what's to come:
F# / A#min7 / G#min C#7b9 / F#6 F# I / iii / ii V / I
Very rarely in pop music does a iii chord resolve to ii. Usually, we get iii - IV or iii - vi. The b9 sound on the dominant chord sticks out as a little dissonant, usually reserved for resolving to a minor chord in the home key. Instead, we get a major 6 chord. When the vocal comes in, the first two measures repeat, then things go way out! Below is the full 16 measure A section:
Verse (A) Chord Changes
In the third measure, we begin a ii-V sequence to G#min (ii), moving through some half diminished chords. This is a very unusual sound in pop music and is comes off quite dissonant. While it strangely works with the gloomy lyrics, it is certainly surprising. (The A#min7b5/C# chord could also be viewed as a C#min6, resulting in v/F# or even iv/G#min). When we finally arrive at G#min7, that gets altered to G#min7b5 (half diminished). If you think of G#min7b5 as B minor 6, that acts as the iv chord, moving back to F#. You could also think about it as the ii min7b5 of F# minor. When it resolves, we get F# major instead of the more appropriate minor. Either way it feels like home.
Measures 7 and 8 keep evolving with an chromatically ascending inner voice: F# - F# + - F#6; C# - D - D#. While this is just the glorified I chord, if you look at where we are going, they take on different function. Measure 9 rests on A# minor. To get there, F#+ could be considered the V of D# (A#,CX (D) root and 3rd); D# minor and F7 are iv and V of A# minor. These two bars provide some interesting voice leading to get us back to the iii chord, now the second time we've resolved there.
Measures 9 through 12 rehash measures 1-6, only they move more quickly through the changes. When you hear them the second time, they sound less dissonant, especially when we hear the last 4 bars of the progression, a familiar iii-VI-ii-V pattern in the home key. With 10 chords in the verse alone, I think we may have a new contender for "most chords used in a pop song." I'm not sure Tiny Tim's music can boast that kind of chord volume!
The bridge of the song modulates to A major, a minor third higher. There we see a 6 measure section:
A / E / G#min7b5 C#7b9 / A D#min7b5 / C#maj7 / G#min7 C#b9 I / V / ii/vi V/vi / I ii/III / III / ii/F# V/F#
The bridge continues to use half diminished chords to get to new places. Like the verse, the III chord (C# major) is used as a resting point. The last two measures sneakily get us back to F# with a good ol ii-V.
Verse 3 - arrangement highlights
The last verse uses the same 16 measure progression but adds in a tag over the last two measures. To get there, he goes through another round of iii-VI-ii-V. Below, I pulled the melodic bits from the arrangement to highlight the progression. The arrangement is nicely split between strings, horn and flutes.
Melody
16 measures is rather long for a pop melody. There are certainly 16 measure sections, usually composed of smaller repeated chunks. That is not the case here. There are repeated rhythmic cells as well as melodic motifs, but they are spread out in a way where repetition is not glaringly obvious. For this analysis, we will look at the first verse.
Right away we hear 16th notes that gradually become more syncopated. In the first two measures, chord tones are used with rhythmic anticipation into the next bar. Measures 2-4 expand on this with more rhythmic variance and a killer descending line from E to G natural, major 3rd of D#7.
Verse 1 - meas. 1-8
Measures 5 -6 repeat melody chunks, B and G#, chord tones over the shifting G#min, root and minor 3rd. Measures 7-8 expand this, now using F#, G# and A# in similar rhythms; root, 2nd and 3rd of F#. An ascending line brings us up to the F7, touching chord tones all the way.
Measure 9, below, continues the repeated note motif, this time with A#, B# and C#, root, 2nd and minor 3rd of A#min. Measures 10-11 return to the descending line we saw in meas.3-4, this time only getting as low as G#. Measure 12 is unique, touching on 4th, minor 3rd and minor 7 of G#min7b5. The lyric "remaining" also sounds very low after all the high crooning.
Verse 1 - meas.9-16
Measures 13 and 14 are similar to the opening measures of the section, taking less time to get to the high note, E# (F). We then hear the hook, sequences of 2nds and 3rds with a huge leap down a minor 7th in between. The very last measure is a sample of the impressive guitar arpeggios that permeate each verse. There, the guitar descends through the scale, A#, G#, F#, E#, arpeggiating the F#6 chord along the way.
The bridge uses some familiar conventions like 16th note syncopation and descending scales through chord tones. While it sounds different, it is similar in character. Notice how the "what do we do" line has a similar feel and syllable count to "naturally."
Bridge
The bridge is the most "out" with a suspension to the 4th over the A chord and the b9 and b7 usage in the 4th measure over the C#7b9; still chords, but less obvious ones than the verse. Other than that, notes are generally resolved pleasantly and in an expected way, even if the harmony is moving very unexpectedly.
Summarizing this mammoth melody, the most unifying factor is use of chord tones. Given the dissonant harmony, I think that's the only way the melody could work. Rhythmically speaking, this melody gets around. We see almost every 16th-8th syncopation you can think of....except 16th-8th-16th. There are many spots where the same pattern repeats a few times before it gets varied. It is a wonder it works so well. The element that makes it work has to be:
Lyrics
Songs that hint at suicide have a certain aura. They are usually dark and depressing, loved or hated, depending on your emotional capacity and tolerance. "Alone Again" goes there quite a bit, capping it off with a more universal feeling of loneliness. While the lyrics do fit the music quite well, it's still surprising to me that this song was so popular.
Verse 1 flirts with suicide after being left at the wedding altar. The second verse presumably continues this tale of woe with the narrator contemplating the existence of God. The final verse deals with losing aging parents. Heavy stuff all the way through, delivered with a melancholy matter of factness.
The rhyme scheme is complex. First off, the verse is so long and lines blend together so often, it's hard to get a sense of properly segmented phrases. There are also many internal rhymes that further muddle the mixture. Here is verse 2 with the rhymes underlined.
Looking back over the years
And whatever else that appears
I remember I cried when my father died
Never wishing to hide the tears
And at sixty-five years old
My mother, God rest her soul
Couldn't understand why the only man
She had ever loved had been taken
Leaving her to start with a heart so badly broken
Despite encouragement from me
No words were ever spoken
And when she passed away
I cried and cried all day
Alone again, naturally
There is a hint of AABBA that gets disrupted the 2nd time with "taken." The third chunk then adds AABBCCD, with "naturally" acting as the refrain and un-rhymed line. The other verses are similar in this approach.
I implore you to read the lyrics while listening to get a full sense of how well they compliment the music. Maybe that's to blame for the song's success. There is a somber feeling that comes from listening, that despite the apparent unpleasantness, smothers you like a dark warm blanket. You know it's sad but it doesn't stop you from wanting more. Way to be Gilbert O'Sullivan!
Common Threads
For the past 7 song analyses, I have compiled a list of common musical elements in each no.1
hit. Last time, I looked at "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" by Neil Sedaka from 1962. Let's see how "Alone Again" figures into some of these commonalities:
Repetitive Melody - This one barely qualifies. As noted, the primary 16 bar melody borrows from itself on several occasions. It is also repeated 4 times throughout the song. Note, this is not the type of repetition pop songs usually employ. Generally, we hear phrases repeated throughout a section. This is certainly different, but repetitive none-the-less.
Texture Changes - again, this one is barely sliding in. The arrangement features strings, flutes and French horn adding background pads and melodies throughout. We also hear classical guitar arpeggios ripping in the background. While each verse has these elements, they are varied in intensity from verse to verse. The guitar solo verse provides an actual texture change.
Hook that Uses Title of the Song - yes, though the "hook" is relatively weak in terms of strong melodic hooks. It's really the only candidate for hook as it repeats five times, like a good refrain should.
Strong motion of V- I - There are many resolutions of V-I. There are several other resolutions, but it technically qualifies.
+ Stepwise Motion Common in Melody - While there are other intervals used, 2nds are mostly dominant in the melody.
- Use of Vocal Harmony - no background vocals! This is a first in 8 analyses.
(hold overs: - new material at the end - the hook gets the tag ending)
Chord Count - 14 - F#, F#6, F#+, A#min7, A#min7b5, D#7b9, G#min7, G#min7b5, C#7b9, A, E, C#Maj7, F7, D#min7b5
We have a new winner! Wow, that's a lot of chords. Last time, "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" took the lead with 12 chords. This one is going to be tough to beat!
I have to say there are more common threads than I initially expected. For as strange as the harmony is, there are many strong cadences, a trend more prevalent in older decades. The melody, though lengthy, is repetitious, which is somewhat expected. Repetitive melody has been an enduring common thread through every analysis I have done.
Final Takeaways
This tune hit me hard. I certainly did not expect to admire it so much. It was a thrilling challenge to transcribe with every chord change becoming an exciting discovery. In a rare move, I listened to the entire record, Back to Front. It has some charming moments, even though the 70's sound is a little grading after a while. "Alone Again" is the album closer. I'm not sure if that was a ploy to get people to listen all the way through or not. In any case, I was happy to learn about Gilbert O'Sullivan and his music.
I'm still taken aback by the harmony. In perusing my end of round recaps, no song has the same complexity. The closest might be "Magic" by Olivia Newton John from 1980. But that one had a definite verse and chorus and repeated dissonant harmony enough that it sounded "normal." I became obsessed with playing and singing that one on my acoustic guitar. It's safe to add "Alone Again" to my playlist of "obscure no.1 hits."
One explanation for "Alone Again's" rise to the top may be the state of the world at the time. Tom Breihan's "The Number Ones" series does a nice job of summarizing the toils of the early 70's. He also touches on a lawsuit involving good old Gilbert and Biz Markie......Gilbert won in case you were wondering. [2]
What do you think of "Alone Again (Naturally)?" If you were alive when the song came out, do you remember the mass appeal? Are you surprised it made no.1 twice and was tied with the longest running no.1 single from 1972!?!? Leave me a comment!
Up next time, we continue to the assault "on the 2's," travelling to my birth year, 1982! July 24th - August 28th, 1982: "Eye Of The Tiger" by Survivor! I know this one quite well and look forward to diving into the transcription! This should be a fun one to add to the catalog of no.1 hits through the decades!
