"Jessie's Girl" - Rick Springfield, 1981

 Of all the songs that I have analyzed for this project, I am probably most familiar with "Jessie's Girl."  This is not because I love the song and have fond nostalgic memories of rocking out to it as a kid.  My history with the tune goes back to my first professional rock cover band back in 2003.  This was one of our staples and a crowd favorite.  The funny thing is, I probably didn't hear the recorded version until 2006.  Back in those days, YouTube wasn't the giant it is today and finding recordings of songs was limited to owning the CD or finding stray Napster download.  Like many songs in that particular cover band, I learned it on the gig, quite incorrectly, as played by the guitarist.  

As I went into this analysis, I listened with fresh ears in attempt to objectively find out why this song is beloved by many.  I was initially surprised at how "small" the song comes off....it always felt so much bigger and more epic on a live stage with people singing along.  What I did find was some creative songwriting and a no.1 hit with qualities I love discovering. 

In an interview with Classic Rock, Rick Springfield says the despite its inherent simplicity, the song took a while to get right. [1]  For a song that relies on basic harmony, there is something sneaky complex about this song.  Next time you listen, open your ears and you will hear phrasing that sneaks up on you, mixed meter and subtle changes to repeated material.

August 1st - 8th, 1981: "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield finally reaches no.1 for two weeks after a 19 week climb!

For such a "simple" song, this form is not so simple.  The first half does contain two chunks of verse-prechorus-chorus, a common song form.  Look a little closer though....the lengths of the prechorus and chorus are a little wonky.  The chorus starts on the + of beat 1 in the 7th measure of the prechorus, but I decided that was more than a pickup. I rolled it into the chorus, even though the harmony insinuates otherwise.

The second verse sneaks in a measure of 2/4, hence the extra .5 in the measure count.  This is only the 2nd time this project has encountered any mixed meter (the first was 1960's "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini")!

When the chorus comes around the 2nd time, it is repeated and given a short tag (C').  That leads to the double bridge, which features a lengthy new melody in a new key, followed by a return to a guitar riff, in a new key! When we get back to the home key, we hear a guitar solo, followed by another double chorus, which is again different.

I love song forms that have lots of twists and turns, yet essentially maintain a predictable structure.  When I learned this song on the job 17 years ago, I don't think I wasted any brain space on these intricacies and just tried to feel the broad strokes.  I would imagine that's what many listeners do with this song and it's interesting how these small variants go by unnoticed, yet unquestionably contribute to the overall vibe.

Chord Progressions

The opening guitar riff is the basis for the verse and prechorus:

Verse Guitar Riff

The sequence of power chords moves through some predictable diatonic sequences:

D   A   B   G  /    A  D

I    V  vi  IV /     V  I

The syncopation helps these standard chords stand out.  There is an accent on most (4)+, yet the harmonic movement happens on beats 2 and 3.  Alone, it feels unstable and jerky.  Combined with the melody and grounding drum beat, it comes off smooth.  

Coming out of the prechorus with a measure long build on A (V), which is really the first measure of the chorus.  When we get to the 1 chord in the 2nd measure, we hear familiar chords, but switched around with new syncopation: 

Chorus Chords - meas.2 - 7

The A5 chord hits on beat 1 and an eighth note later goes to the I chord.  In the 2nd measure, we hear defined chord tonality between the guitar and keyboard.  The lick alternates between A and Bmin as the bass stays on B.  It leaves the A/B feeling a little like Bsus2 with the added C#.  This lick moves to a cadence of G-A-D, or IV-V-I, followed by a swerve to B (vi) and then pivoting to A (V).  All of these elements keep the chorus moving forward.  

The first bridge of the song modulates to a G and features a new chordal melody before the vocal enters.  Here, we see the guitar and bass pedaling on a G5 chord with the keyboard/guitar stabbing echo heavy chords above.  The chords outline G-D-A, the same changes as before, now in a completely new context, I-V-II in G - G-D/G - A/G.

Bridge 1 Harmony

The only other harmonic wrinkle happens in bridge 2, when the chorus guitar riff appears in the key of B, a minor 3rd lower than the original.  After 8 measures, it returns to the chorus cadence in D, bringing us home.

Melody

With all of those harmonic escapades going on, the melody is the glue that holds the song together.  Though it contains plenty of syncopation, the notes are structured to create fluid lines.  Of the 4 phrases, the entrances happen on beats (4)+, (3)+, 4 and (3)+.  Remember that harmonic motion occurs on beats (4)+, 2 and 3......in a vacuum, the phrases feel very strange.  In the context of the song, they work.

Verse 1

  The first two phrases stay low in the range, moving between root, 2nd and 3rd.  The next two phrases move up to A, or the 5th, and work their way down the D major scale, A-G-F#-E-D.  

Compare verse 1 to verse 2.  The entrances are different: (1)+ (or (3)+ ?), (3)+, (2)a, (3)+.  The third phrase also mimics the chorus guitar syncopation.  Pitch wise, we see the same sequences.  

Verse 2

The prechorus comes in strong with a higher range and added harmony.  3 note descending phrases dominate this part - D-C#-B, or root-7th-6th and then C#-B-A, or 7th-6th-5th.  The section ends with 6-5, setting up the A chord build in the chorus. 

Pre Chorus

The chorus is the most memorable part of the song.  The first 7 measure version climbs quickly to the highest note of the song and hook - "Jessie's Girl."

Chorus 1

This part also has lots of space.  We see two or more beats of rest between phrases that repeat the hook, but vary in approach.  In the space, the keyboard/guitar riff rings out clearly.  The end of the chorus, like the end of the verse, goes down diatonically from A to D.  The last two notes go up a step to E to match the chord of the moment, A.

The next iterations of the chorus feature slight variations and internal repetition.  The 2nd chorus tags "where can I find a woman."  The third chorus takes a different approach.  Here, we get a tag of "Jessie's girl" in measure 6, below.

Chorus 3a

The added "like" in the 9th measure, also used in the 2nd chorus, bridges to the final statement of the song.

Chorus 3b

 

Inside this section is a subtle moment where Rick Springfield and his background singer do a quick overlapping vocal on "I want."  It happens only once, but it's very cool.  After the 3rd "Jessie's girl" of this part, we get the ending, another syncopated cadence, this time, ultimately leading to D.  It comes out of nowhere, a fitting way to end the tune, considering all the syncopation we've encountered throughout.

The only other vocal melody in the song comes in the first bridge.  Here, an ascending line, with added high harmony, moves from B to E, or 3rd to 6th of G.  It then makes its way back down to B by thirds, E-C#, C#-A, or 6-#4, #4-2.  

Bridge 1 - Meas. 5-12

The rhythm of this melody is fairly uniform, more so than the verses.  Looking above, it's easy to see rhythmic similarities on each line as well as phrase similarities between every other line.  This part has such a great vibe and functions as a true bridge, breaking up repetitions of the hook.  The vocal harmony here is great as well, taking the male voice to its outer limits (for my voice anyway).  

There is, of course, a guitar solo where a third verse would go.  I did not transcribe the solo, but it's what you would expect from an 80's rock pop tune.  There are some repeated notes, some bends, arpeggios and fast licks in between.  

Lyrics

In researching the song, I was unaware it was based on true events.  It looks like the real life "Jesse" was named Gary and he had a girlfriend Rick Springfield fancied. [1]  Rick had a lot of complicated feelings about this, and he lets it show in the lyrics.

For such an iconic pop song, the tone is bordering on dark.The bridge demonstrates this best, using the simple rhythme scheme ABAB.  Check out the video of this part as well if you're questioning his tone:

And I'm lookin' in the mirror all the time

Wonderin' what she don't see in me

I've been funny; I've been cool with the lines

Ain't that the way love's supposed to be?

Other sections use some pretty inventive rhyme schemes. Verse 1 is ABBB, while verse 2 is AABB, with the last B containing a great forgotten phrase "the point is probably moot."

The prechorus doesn't really rhyme at all and the chorus rhymes "girl" with "girl"  

Last time, I was not so fond of the lyrics in Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You."  I think this was because they were an idealistic sap fest that lacked a real personal connection.  This song, on the other hand, reeks of personal experience.  You can just tell Rick has some genuine animosity when he belts out "and she's loving him with that body, I just know it."      

Common Threads

What musical elements are present in no.1 hit songs across the decades?  That is exactly what I am trying to find out.  Picking up where "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You (1991)" left off, what common threads does "Jesse's Girl" add or subtract from the equation?

• Repetitive Melody -  the verse follows a repeated melodic sequence, as does the chorus, specifically in the repetition of the hook.
• Stepwise Motion Common in Melody - Lots of stepwise diatonic motion in this one.  The next most common interval would be a minor third, but 2nds rule the day.   
• Texture Changes - There are three main textures throughout: guitar alone (intro), guitar with low key drums (bridge 2) and full on band.  We also get the buildup that leads into the chorus.  
• Hook that Uses Title of the Song - I wish that I had....
• +Strong motion of I - V - this is a potential late addition to common threads.  So far "on the 1's," Bryan Adams (1991) qualifies, while Destiny's Child (2001) and LMFAO (2011) do not.  This may be something worth keeping track of and is a common thread I have encountered before.  

- New Material at the End - there isn't a new section at the end, or even a new melody.  There is an ending that has a new take on the chords, plus the quick overlapping vocal in the end...but in comparison to other songs, not quite enough to qualify.

Chord Count:  10 - D5, G5, A5, B5/Bmin, A/B, D/G, A/G, F#, G#min, F#/G# - There are more chords than you would think when you factor in the chords in bridge 1, modulation chords in bridge 2 and the chords that happen in the chorus.  10 chords here edges out Bryan Adams for most chords in the round, so far!

"Jessie's Girl" easily slides into 4 of the established common threads.  I'm not surprised, as this is truly a classic.  The next time you see a rock cover band and they play this, notice the crowd reaction and audience participation.  For a 40 year old song, it has aged pretty well.  

Final Takeaways

The actual version of this song is very different from the bastardized version I grew up on.  As overplayed as this song is in the cover band and general Rick Springfield scenes, I say it holds up.  There are so many little nuances that keep it feeling fresh.  Verbatim repetition of each chorus would get old fast and avoiding that pitfall elevates the tune to that special level.

The vocal melodies present an interesting contrast between high and low.  The verses are low in register, representing a brooding Rick Springfield.  He gets higher and more agitated in the prechoruses and then goes full on wail is his highest register during the chorus.  He really wishes he had Jessie's girl! 

The video of the tune features the band playing in a few different settings.  I like the stripped down nature of just the power trio, even if Rick Springfield's pantomimes aren't the smoothest.  The bass player belting out the high harmony reminds me of me, and he's playing a Music Man bass (my choice for a bass ax)! There is, once again, a dichotomy of pop goodness with a dark undertone, which musically, sums up the entire song.

What do you think of "Jessie's Girl?"  Did the subtle nuances pass you by on the first 948 listens, or have you always been aware of the herky-jerky-quirkiness of the song?  Leave me a comment!

 We continue to dive into the hits, backwards down the decades "on the 1's."  Next stop, 1971.  A 4 week run at no.1 from August 7th - August 28 - "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" by the Bee Gees!  It's moments like this I continue to work on this project.  I am pretty sure I don't know this tune.  I know the Bee Gee's, but really only a few tunes and their aura of disco era superheroes.  1971 is early disco, so I'm not sure what to expect with this song.  Either way, stay tuned for more analysis of no.1 hit songs, through the decades!

[1]https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-stories-behind-the-songs-rick-springfield-jessie-s-girl

"Right Here Waiting" - Richard Marx, 1989

If I say "repeat offender," what are some word associations that come to mind?  Two words that do not come to my mind are 'Richard" and "Marx."  "Repeat Offender" was the second album from Richard Marx, which featured two no.1 hit singles.  In fact, Richard Marx is the only male artist whose first seven singles cracked the top 5 on the Hot 100 chart.  This impressive feat is topped by his achievement of producing a no.1 hit in each of the last 4 decades.  He also continues to write and perform, collaborating with some big names like Josh Groban and Keith Urban. [1]

When I think Richard Marx, I generally think of 80's light rock, which is exactly where "Right Here Waiting" lands.  This song, however, offers precisely the kind of intrigue I am seeking with this analysis project.  I feel this song features subtle nuances and techniques that evolve into musical styling I have seen in analyses in subsequent years.  Don't sleep on Richard Marx.

August 12 - 26, 1989:  "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx lasts 3 weeks at no.1!

There are a few things that stick out in the data.  First and foremost, there are NO DRUMS in this tune.  Yes, this song is a ballad, but even "Three Times A Lady" kept moving with a drum beat.  The only percussive element is a lone shaker, fairly far back in the mix.  The thick layers of synth, strings and surprisingly active bass line keep thing moving despite this glaring omission.

Notice the frequency of the chorus, or A section.  In all, we here this section 6 times throughout, sometimes with vocals, sometimes instrumentally.  In the above "form," C' designates an instrumental statement of the melody while C indicates vocals.  I think the Black Eyed Peas borrowed this strategy, repeatedly returning the chorus in "I Gotta Feeling."

Chord Progressions  

"Right Here Waiting" uses common chord progressions in the key of C with some colorful variations.  The chorus harmony is primarily:

C / G / Amin / F  G or I / V / vi / IV  V   in the key of C.

This 4 bar segment repeats, each time with a slight rhythmic variation on the 4th bar.  In the first two statements of the chorus section, there is a 2 bar extension of an Amin9 (vi) chord.  This buffer provides space and lets the chorus sink in before heading into the verse.

The verse combines the familiar C major tonality of the chorus, with added color.

verse accompaniment 

The core progression is I / IV / ii / V, but the repeated piano figure with sustained D and G offers a nice variation on the chords.  Melodically, the vocals don't accentuate any of these variations, pushing them to the background, enhancing the romantic ballad hue.

The G/B functions as the transition chord to the prechorus, giving a deceptive cadence to Amin9, a chord we sampled during the chorus extension.  The 4 bar prechorus is:

Amin9 / Dmin7 / Amin9 / Dmin7 Dmin7/G   or vi / ii / vi / ii  V

The Dmin7/G functions as the V, leading directly back to C in the chorus.  This part does a nice job to break up the dominant major tonality and provides some tension before the payoff with the chorus hook.

There is a bridge and we get a preview of it in the intro:

Intro

Starting on Dmin7 and moving to an inverted I chord, played rubato, sets a dramatic tone right at the open.  The Fmajor chord, which in the full bridge, gets a major9#11 feel with a sustained B and G, is a another great variation on the IV chord.  The full bridge progression, borrowed from this intro, looks like:

Dmin7 / C/E  / Fmaj9#11 / (F) /  Dmin7 / C/E  / Fmaj9#11 / G7

Again, this break from C major builds the drama before we head back to the hook.  While all of these changes are not as exotic as "Three Times A Lady," these little nuances set it apart and enhance the overall mood.

Melody  

Let's start with the chorus melody, presented both instrumentally and vocally.  Here is the opening piano statement:

opening piano chorus 

 This melody is performed down an octave after the first ending, lowering the intensity before the verse vocal entrance.  Instrumentally, we get this on the piano to open and close the song, and on classical guitar in the middle.  In each of those statements, there is some very subtle variation:

instrumental Chorus variations

These small differences make me curious about the writing process.  Were the musicians using sheet music or playing by ear?  If they were playing by ear, I would imagine the melody evolved naturally and changed as you played it more and more.  In any case, these were some exciting Easter eggs to discover.

  When Richard sings the chorus the first time, it looks like this:

first vocal chorus

The character of this vocal melody is strong.  Phrases start somewhere near beat 2 and include syncopation on the upbeats.  There is a clear descending, ascending, ascending, descending contour to the 4 measure phrase.  The phrases end differently, going down to G in bar 4 and resolving B to C in the 8th measure.  Strong scalar motion with leaps only to chord tones are very satisfying to any ear, which may account for the global popularity of this song.

Like the instrumental statements of the chorus melody, there is slight variation in the vocal delivery:

Vocal Chorus variations

Most are a slight melisma up or down to the next chord tone(s).  The largest departure would be in the 3rd and 4th vocal choruses where Richard sings E B C, instead of C B C, as we heard in previous sections.  Again, I wonder if these nuances were written down or just natural a evolution of singing this great melody several times.  Either way, it keeps it fresh and caught me off guard.

The verse melody is similar to the chorus melody, but more subdued, utilizing the lower notes of the key.  Again, the 4 bar phrases start on or around beat 2 and there is syncopation on the upbeats.

verse 1 and prechorus 1 melody

The melodic contour is similar here, with a steady ascending and descending flow.  We also see several ornaments added to the ends of the phrases, passing through chord tones.  All of these characteristics continue through the prechorus, which in fact, is the same as the open of the verse melody, only getting the the F, instead of the E, a passage we hear at the end of the chorus.

The bridge melody also calls upon the verse melody, this time rhythmically transposing it by a beat and setting it against a 3rd set of chord changes (chorus, verse bridge).

Bridge

The bridge also features the climax of the song, a sustained G and highest sang note.  The sustained proclamation of love leads beautifully into the guitar solo, yet another statement of the chorus melody.

Musical Sticking Points

The entire melody is expertly crafted.  There are little nuances that go largely unnoticed, but absolutely add to the character of this love song.  I love how each section's melody contains pieces of the chorus, yet they feel different.  I remember feeling a similar vibe in "Old Town Road" as each section built upon a melodic idea introduced in a previous part.

The bass line is well crafted and keeps the song moving forward without aid from the drums.  I looked at several digital copies of the liner notes, and as best as I can tell, there is no bass player credited on the track.  It could be a keyboard bass, but it sounds to me like a 5 string fretless bass, or something detuned to grab the low D, in the least.  The bass line very tastefully grabs the chord roots and appropriately walks between them. The strongest of these walks occurs in the bridge, with 8th notes building on a G and the walk up A B C, back to the I chord for the guitar solo.

This tune also reminds me of "I Gotta Feeling," mostly due to the repetition of the chorus.  I find "Right Here Waiting" far more interesting though, mainly because there is more harmonic content to latch onto.  There are also more lyrics to process, which helps to hold my attention.


Lyrics  
Richard Marx wrote this song for his wife, actress Cynthia Rhodes.  He was unable to see her for a few months while she was filming in South Africa.  He wrote this song as a musical postcard, if you will. [2]

The verse rhyme scheme sticks to ABCB and the chorus uses ABB CCB.

There are a few cringe worthy rhymes with "insane" and "pain" as well as "baby" with "crazy."  All in all though, its sentiment is sweet and he gets his message across in a way that anyone can understand.  What a loyal dude. 

Common Threads

I think "Right Here Waiting" has a few common musical elements with the other songs analyzed "on the 9's."

• Hook that  uses the title of the song
• Repeated melodic themes
• Texture changes through instrumental addition and subtraction

 From previous lists, there were two elements that needed to be removed.  The most glaring subtraction was "singular repeated chord progression."  No.1 songs from 2019, 2009 and 1999 all used one chord progression looped throughout the song.  "Right Here Waiting" has a few sections with different harmony, a pleasant departure in this round.

I also removed "Chorus and Refrain Sections."  This song thrives on the repeat of the chorus.  It is a one trick pony, in terms of melodic hooks, which isn't a bad thing!

The last point of "texture changes through instrumental addition and subtraction" is extremely relevant here.  "Right Here Waiting" has layers that build throughout the tune.   By the end, there is a distortion guitar line outlining the chords (last vocal chorus).  The melodic line itself evolves with melodic changes and even a lower harmony added to the guitar solo.

This list of common threads seems much smaller than the last round of analyses, but I feel this list is more potent.  I am looking forward to breaking down round one vs. round two, hopefully yielding some pop music revelations.

Final Takeaways

After a first listen, I was not enthused about transcribing this song.  I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find nuance after nuance and a vocal melody that got stuck in not only my head, but my poor wife's brain as well.  It's one of those melodies that seems like it was always there and just needed to be plucked out of the collective unconsciousness and written down.  Thanks, Richard Marx, for doing just that.

I am actually curious to hear more Richard Marx songs.  After reading his impressive bio and enjoying this song, I'm wondering what other gems his catalog may hold.  I still associate him with 80's soft rock and I'm still not sure for what act he is a repeat offender of (perhaps good song writing?).  Let's hope it's nothing more nefarious than that.

What is your experience with Richard Marx?  Are any of your preconceived notions squashed as a result of this song, or maybe they are enhanced even more?  Leave me a comment!

Next time:  July 14 - August 11, 1979, enjoying a 5 week run to accompany another no.1 hit single, Donna Summer's "Bad Girls" goes on a 5 week run at no.1, cementing her legacy as the "Queen of Disco."

(Full disclosure, this is my favorite part of the entire process.  I review the charts and discover the next song I will live with for a few days.  It's very exciting.)  I am sure I know this tune, but can't really place it.  I am assuming it has a bad ass bass line!  Stay tuned to find out!

[1] http://richardmarx.com/bio/
[2]https://www.songfacts.com/facts/richard-marx/right-here-waiting