"Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" - Neil Sedaka, 1962

 "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" is one of those titles that has made it's way into the subconscious lexicon of song titles, much like the opening line of Bobby Lewis's "Tossin' and Turnin'."  Prior to this analysis, I was familiar with the name, but not with the tune, though my wife belted it out with surprising accuracy on a cold ask.

The early 60's were an interesting time in music where influences from the 40' and 50's were still relevant, but waning in the rock and roll assault that was underway.  Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield's doo-wop number riffs on sounds of the past, pepped up with call and responses and longing pleas for reunited love.  The poppy hit, released a few days before July 4th, 1962, gained quick traction and shot to no.1 about a month later.  [1]  

What's most impressive is this song's massive shelf life, thanks to a different version in 1975.  The slower, jazzier reboot, with an alternate intro, reached no.8 on the Hot 100, a fairly unique accomplishment for any song.  The charm of this 1962 version is undeniable though, and brings a few common threads of no.1 hits through the decades to light.

August 11th - 18th, 1962: "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" by Neil Sedaka hits no.1 for two weeks!

This is a great example of classic pop song form.  If you exclude the intro and outro, we see AABABA, an extended version of a 32 bar form typical in jazz.  The intro and outro bookend the form with a doo-wop treatment of the verse (A).  Like many songs covered in this project, this form has a few twists, notably the extra measure at the end of the chorus (B) that leads back to the verses.  The final verse goes the opposite way and cuts a measure off to lead into the outro.  We get a full 8 bars of the outro before it quickly fades. 

When labeling this tune, a few issues came to mind.  I rehashed my inner struggle with "refrain," which is often used to describe a repeated section like the chorus, or a single line that reappears.  The refrain here is certainly "breaking up is hard to do," as it pops up in each section.  I also questioned the label of "chorus."  Usually, the chorus is a repeated section that contains the hook of the song and ends with closed harmony, resolving to the tonic.  The chorus here doesn't really feel like a chorus.  It harmonically functions like a B section (with a key change), per the simple form.  I ended up going with "chorus" only because it repeats the same lyrics and harmony each time.  

I started to research the intricacies of form and came across this paper about song form that raised some interesting questions.  Pages 3-6 offer explanations on basic terminologies with insights I haven't thought of.  It's worth checking out the first few pages. [2]    

Chord Progressions 

Keeping in step with classic song form, we get a classic chord progression in the doo-wop style.  Borrowed from jazz, this progression is found across multiple styles of music.  The intro reveals this variation:

B  G#min / E  / -%2%- /  -%2%- /  B E / B
I   vi        / IV /             /              /  I IV / I 

I expect to see the V chord leading back to I every time, but if you listen closely, it doesn't happen.  The vocal melody undoubtedly moves there, but the rhythm section doesn't follow.  I'm sure most people don't notice, but it is a cool auditory illusion, in a way.

The verse takes the above progression and varies it slightly:

B  G#min / E   /  -%2%-  / B  F#/A#  / G#min  / C#7         F#7  / B

I    vi       / IV  /               /   I  V         / vi             /II (V/V)     V    / I

The above progression is even varied further in the first verse only, giving an entire measure to both C#7 and F#7 before getting back to B in verse two.  

In a nutshell, I-vi-IV-V progressions are very common in popular music.  "Breaking Up..." takes that and gives it a slight twist by not fully getting to the V chord and adding in the ii-V-I, going to V/V instead of ii for the strong pull to V and I.

The chorus section uses more familiar progressions, transposed across a few different keys.  The 8 measure section plays out to be:

Bmin7 E7 /    -%-      / Amaj7  /     Amaj7      / Amin7  D7 /     -%-     / Gmaj7         / F#7

  ii       V  / (of bVII) /  I           / (bVII of B) /    ii         V   /  (of bVI) /  I (bVI of B) / V/B

He starts in Amaj with a series of ii-V's.  Amaj changes to Amin to set up ii-V's in G.  After getting to G, a half step resolution to F#7 brings us back home to B.  This whole progression is pulled directly from countless jazz standards and works well as a contrast to the A section, venturing to new keys while maintaining a similar character.

During the chorus, an acoustic guitar provides some Jobim-esque arpeggios that give it a nostalgic feel and smooth character.  The last two bars feature an ascending tremelo  line from the string section.  This is such a classic accompaniment I had to transcribe it:

Chorus - guitar and strings (last system)

Each time, the guitar arpeggios are slightly different, yet they maintain key intervals: minor 7 resolving to major 3rd.  There is also the 16th note figure in measures 1 and 5, mixed way back but giving the slightest rhythmic bump.  The tasteful string run at the end, moving stepwise through the changes, is the perfect punctuation to end the section.  

Melody

The intro establishes the verse harmony without completely giving away the melody.  What we get is a bouncy doo-wop figure in 3 part harmony.  Neil provides the lower melody with female backup singers harmonizing above him.

Intro/outro

 Looking at the lowest note, we see lots of roots and 3rds, as well as the hint to the F#7 chord in measures 2, 4 and 6.  We also get a little taste of the refrain, "breaking up is hard to do," which also happens to be the hook.  This refrain is actually presented several different ways throughout the tune.  Here, Neil's melodic path goes: (5) ↑ 2 ↓ 2 ↑ 4 ↑ 2 ↓ 2 ↑ 2 ↓ 2.  Keep this in mind as we encounter the same phrase in subsequent sections.

The first verse follows with a 3 beat pickup (shown below), which fits in the empty space in the last measure above.  The harmony arrangement changes considerably with Neil providing two part harmony on the lead melody as well as his part from the intro, minus the ladies.  His background vocal is the same up until measure 5, which is seen in the stem down notation:

Verse 1

The lower voice acts as the melody, blending seamlessly with the higher harmony.  We see lots of chord tones that move up and down in steps, resolving down a minor 3rd, E to C# in the second and 4th bars, fueling the fire to the phantom F#7 chord.  The descending line in measures 5 and 6 effectively shifts the melody from the lower line to the upper line.  If you were to sing only one of the lines with a guitar or piano, you reach a point where the opposite line sounds like the proper melody.      

In the first verse, the refrain moves  (3) ↓ 2 ↓ 2 ↑ 3 ↓ 2, leaving off on C#, 5th of the F#7 chord (finally!).  This is the only place in the tune we hear this arrangement as the chords move faster through the last two measures elsewhere.

The second verse is mostly the same as the first, changing rhythmically throughout the first 4 measures.  This verse feels lighter, with more space between phrases:

Verse 2

At the end, the refrain is different yet again and reflects, in my opinion, the hookiest of the hooks, resolving on the root: (3) ↓ 2 ↓ 2 ↑ 2 ↓ 2.  The lower harmony here is a little tricky, getting to the root an eighth note before the higher harmony.  The last measure above contains a great drum fill to kick in the B section, or chorus.

When the chorus comes in the first time, we hear a single line, shifting the texture from the multilayered vocals of the verse.

Chorus 1

The section kicks in with a B minor scale up to the 5th before it moves in steps over the next three chords.  Over the Amaj chord, we get a partial arpeggio (C# and E) before returning to the F# and E notes from before, now acting as 5th and 6th of the Amaj.  In similar fashion, E and D move through the chords in the next two measures.  Over the Gmaj7, we hear a B Phrygian scale (the third mode of Gmajor) that morphs to F mixolydian (B major) as the F#7 chord sounds.  This modal interchange is very cool and works perfectly with the modulating theme of the section.

The second time the chorus happens, there is a call and response between the female singers and Neil.  Melodically and harmonically it's mostly the same, varying some rhythm, like the first two verses did.  I should also mention yet another variation on the refrain.  From "breaking up is hard to do," in the key of A, we hear: (4) ↑ 2 ↑ 2 ↓ 2 ↑ 2 ↓ 2 ↑ 2 ↓ 2.  This has a very similar intervallic structure to the proper hook, but feels considerably different thanks to the starting note and harmonic variation:

Chorus 2

Also of note is the added harmony in the penultimate measure, a repeated F#, root of the chord.  It creates some close intervals, hearkening back to the opening of the verse.  

Lyrics

 

It didn't occur to me, until I read this article, part of a great series by Tom Breihan at StereoGum (he's reviewing every no.1 song on the Hot 100 ever...he started in 2018 and is just now reaching the mid 80's! [3]), that this song about heartbreak and loss is pretty darn cheerful.  

There are some emotional lines, that in a vacuum, seem like they would accompany some much darker music:

Don't take your love away from me
Don't you leave my heart in misery

I beg of you don't say goodbye
Can't we give our love another try?

All of this heavy emoting is somewhat negated by his worst-case scenario: feeling "blue."  I suppose people had less to worry about in the 60's on a broad global scale?  Feeling blue is the worst!  

Every verse, and chorus, follows the rhyme scheme of AABB.  Nothing tricky here, just straightforward rhyming in a cute little package.  

Common Threads

What musical elements do no.1 songs across decades have in common?  Over the course of these analyses, I have compiled a list of elements present in each, adding or subtracting elements as needed.  Picking up from "Tossin' and Turnin' (1961)" let's see what musical elements have endured.

Repetitive Melody -  The meat of the melody is very repetitive, built on repeated chord tones moving in steps.  

Texture Changes - For sure.  We see the intro texture of female singers with Neil.  The verse has three versions of Neil.  The chorus has one Neil and then Neil answering the background singers.  Lots of texture changes afloat, and that's just with the vocals!  

Hook that Uses Title of the Song - We haven't seen a lyrical refrain like we do here since maybe "Close To You (1970)" or even Taylor and Lady Gaga's 2020 contributions.

Strong motion of V- I - The elusive F#7 resolves to B, even when it doesn't get played!

Use of Vocal Harmony - Lots of stacked harmonies in this one with multiple groupings of singers. 

- Stepwise Motion Common in Melody - This could be counted twice for the stepwise motion in the harmony part!

(hold overs: - new material at the end -  this one repeats the intro at the end.)

Chord Count:  12 - B, G#min7, F#/A#, E, F#7, C#7, Bmin7, E7, Amaj7, Amin7, D7, Gmaj7 - for such a poppy and "light" tune, there are a lot of chords!  This is the most chords seen since I've been counting.  

Final Takeaways

I really enjoyed this one.  It has a fun vibe, despite the emotional subject matter.  Doo-Wop is a style I'm not terribly familiar with or fond of.  This one makes me curious about more doo-wop, which I bet I could enjoy in small doses.

I was particularly intrigued by the chorus section, both in function and form.  The section would be called a B section if this were a jazz lead sheet.  I have always been confused when non-jazzers try to pinpoint one part of  jazz chart as "the chorus," mainly because the entire form, AABA, would be considered a chorus.  In pop music though, these terms are common and this part is only the chorus because it repeats the same lyrics and harmony both times.  And speaking of the harmony!  A series of ii-V's moving down through foreign keys to come back to the home key is done tastefully.  The guitar accompaniment is a highlight for me and is filled with little nuances that make it feel special.  

I did briefly listen to Neil Sedaka's 1975 arrangement of this song.  I was not hooked right away.  It is also very jazzy and the hook brings with it some strong nostalgic value.  Neil Sedaka is one of those names I have heard numerous times but probably couldn't name any of his songs.....I'm not sure I can name another one aside from "Breaking Up...."  It was nice to put a sound to the name.

Up next time, continuing "on the 2's," we go back to 1972. July 29 - August 19, 1962...a 4 week run at no.1.  "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan.  Whew....now we're venturing into completely uncharted territory, pardon the pun.  The artist's name sounds somewhat familiar but I'm mostly clueless.  You never know what you're gonna get in the 70's!

[1] https://www.songfacts.com/facts/neil-sedaka/breaking-up-is-hard-to-do

[2] http://www.gfpm-samples.de/Samples13/appenfrei.pdf

[3]https://www.stereogum.com/category/franchises/columns/the-number-ones/

"Tossin' and Turnin'" - Bobby Lewis, 1961

 When I discovered I would be analyzing 1961's "Tossin' and Turnin'" by Bobby Lewis, I drew a blank.  I searched up the YouTube video and listened to an unfamiliar rhythm and blues intro set the stage for what sounded like a classic 60's doowop concoction.  Then an infamous line busts down the door of familiarity: "I couldn't sleep at all last night."

I had indeed heard this song before, and I'm willing to bet whomever reading this has as well.  The catchy number appears in "Animal House (1978)" and "American Graffiti (1973)" and is the fourth longest running no.1 song from the entire 1960's.  Bobby Lewis, unfortunately, died this past spring (April 2020) at the age of 95. [1]

As I dug into this one, I noticed the fine craftsmanship and noted it likely influence on many songs that followed.  There is nothing harmonically groundbreaking, but you certainly find traces of core elements in other no.1 hit songs: predictable musical elements with a few twists and turns sprinkled with a personal touch of style.  Finding similar musical attributes in songs decades apart is thought provoking and the main impetus for this project!

July 10 - August 21st, 1961: "Tossin' and Turnin'" by Bobby Lewis goes on a 7 week spree at no.1!

I love older songs because many have a form not too far removed from blues and jazz.  We definitely find that here, but again, with a little twist.  The intro is a free, rubato section that lasts 4 measures.  Then, two additional measures act as pickups to the verse.  Each verse is really just a 12 bar modified blues progression.

The first bridge is essentially an 8 bar section with, once again, an extra 2 bars that act as a pickup back into the verse.  The second bridge is also an 8 bar section, but with different changes as the other vocal bridge.  The outro section is a tag of the refrain, or repeated vocal line from each verse ("tossin and turnin', turnin' and tossin', a tossin' and turnin' all night").

The whole tune plays out in a predictable way, two similar sections (A), a different part (B), then a return to the first part (A).  A bridge (C), in this case a horn soli, breaks up the return to the different part (B), followed by a repeat of the main part (A).  The extra two measures that create space are those added wrinkles that elevate this one to a special place.

Chord Progressions 

In sticking with a theme, "Tossin' and Turnin'" uses basic changes that contain a few wrinkles to make it stand out.  The intro puts us in the key of C with a rubato like section.  The last two measures of G set up the verse:

C  / Amin  /  F  / G  /  G  /  G
I  /  vi        / IV  / V  / V   / V

The 12 bar verse is a blues variation:

C  F7  /  C   /  C  F7  /  C  /  G7  /  G7  /  C  /  F7  /  C   / F7  /  C  F7  / C
I   IV  /  I    /   I   IV /  I   /  V    /   V    /  I   /  IV  /  I     / IV   /  I  IV  /  I

While these chord qualities represent the basic gist, the guitar part adds some interesting color into the mix during the verse.  Take a look at the verse changes between the guitar and bass:

Verse - guitar and bass

The guitar is adding a D# or Eb note, the #9 or minor 3rd, a common tension added to C7 in a blues setting.  We get the same tension, briefly, on a G7 to create a G7b13 sound.  Again, the chords are basically dominant 7 chords, and in many live versions, that's all you get.  These little additions on the studio recording do stand out and give it a unique vibe.

The vocal bridge (B1) includes some unison hits from the band, creating a call and response between the vocals.  The chords in this bridge play out to be:

F7  /  F7 / C  /  C  /  F7  / F7 /  D7  / G7  / G7 / G7

IV /  IV /  I   / I    /  IV  / IV /  II    / V     / V   / V

As in the intro, the last two bars of G bring us back to the verse.  I do especially like the dominant II chord, or V/V to get to the G7 chord.  The band plays a slick chromatic run to get there that adds just enough spice to keep this section from becoming too repetitious.  

The second bridge contains a horn soli and another variation on the changes:

C  / C  /  C /  C  / G7 / G7 / C F7 / C

I  / I   /   I  /   I  /  V   / V   / I  IV / C 

The outro tags the second half of the verse changes to finish out the song with a fade.  While these changes are simply and primarily built on 4 chords, they are mixed up in 4 different variations!  We have seen many songs that use the same progression with no variation.  This is a cool twist on basic changes.  

Melody

Bobby Lewis is a great singer.  This song presents a defined style that he showcases in the verses and bridges with nuanced variation, an observed quality in many songs that reach no.1.  The intro starts freely, presenting us with some melodic patterns we will see later on - leaps of 3rds, repeated notes, phrases beginning on beat 2 and "simple" quarter-eighth note syncopation: 

Intro

The verse plows in with a horn lick, followed by that familiar line.  In a vacuum, the opening line here is somewhat deceptive, indicating C major over a G7 chord.  When you're not expecting it, it somes off temporarily "wrong," until the rhythm section drops the C chord.

verse 1 - pickups and meas. 1-6

 Bobby has a style where he slurs down or up to a chord tone in his delivery.  It creates this smooth and slippery sound.  The background singers add a whole other elements as they follow the chord tones and answer Mr. Lewis in contrasting timbre.  Heading into the next 6 measures, we get the refrain, which repeats in each verse, as well as in the tagged outro.

Verse 1 - meas. 7-12

The interplay between Bobby Lewis and the background singers is rhythmically contrasting.  The ladies keep their phrases straight, using mostly quarter and half notes.  Bobby throws in some slight syncopation over the top to create a cool overlapping texture.  Once again we hear slides up and down to chord tones.

Moving to verse 2, there are few variations to the melody.  The background singers repeat verbatim, but Bobby changes a few things up to keep it interesting:

Verse 2

Once again, we hear a pickup that repeats a C note, this time sounding much more natural, now that we know where it's headed.  In the fourth measure, above, he repeats a high C, a different choice from that same spot in the first verse (low C arpeggio).  In the refrain, he switches around his melody, going higher to E on "turnin' and tossin'" as opposed to "tossin' and turnin'" in the first verse.....  He will continue to add in little nuances in the third verses as well.

So far, the verse melody has been constructed with mostly repeated chord tones.  The ends of phrases usually resolve stepwise to chord tones, but there are many leaps of thirds throughout this melody, a departure from all the 2nds we have seen so far in this round.  

Instead of call and response with the background singers, the first bridge features a call and response between the band and Bobby Lewis.  The rhythm section kicks things off with a new syncopation and a series of diatonic ascending lines through the changes.

Bridge 1 - pickup and meas. 1-6

Melodically, we get more repeated chord tones with lots of leaps from C-A and even the odd leap from A - D in measures 1 and 5 over the F chord (3rd - 6th).  This continues in the last 4 measures of the 10 measure bridge.  Again, we get more repeated chord tones on the shared D.  The rhythm section takes the spotlight in the 9th measure, leading to the familiar pickup into verse 3, just like the intro:

Bridge 1 - meas.7-10 leading to verse 3

The second bridge features a horn soli, in octaves between saxophone and trumpet.  They play with 16th note triplet ornaments approaching Bb, a definitive shift to a C7 sound during this section:

Bridge 2 - Horn Soli

This part combines a few elements we have see already in the tune.  There are chord arpeggios, as heard in the verse pickup measures.  We hear repetition of 3 notes, a developed variation on the repeated notes from the verse.  We also hear ascending lines to the chords, influenced from the first bridge.  This part does its job and breaks up the vocal sections of the tune, giving the listener a breather as we go into the final stretch.  

Lyrics

 

The lyrical sensibility of the 60's is very different from today.  Though the lyrics are simple and straightforward, they have a certain charm.  Perhaps it's because they come from a genuine place and haven't been rehashed 100 times to make them feel cheesy or redundant.  

He sets up the tune perfectly with the premise: "I couldn't sleep at all last night, just a-thinking of you."  Moving on, he gets the most mileage out of the title, twisting it all around, lyrically tossing and turning with the words.

In verse 2, he paints the picture a little clearer, struggling with his pillow and blankets.  In the bridge, he finally breaks and gets out of bed, a scenario we can all relate with.  Here, he cycles through getting out of bed, turning on the light and going to the kitchen for a bite.  He then goes back to bed and turns off the light, reminding us "it was the middle of the night."  There is also a whole sequence with pulling down the shade...I'm not sure why you would pull down the shade in the middle of the night and then pull it up when you returned to bed in the middle of the night....

The third verse is a window into the past.  Still unable to sleep, he hears the clock strike four (am) as well as the milkman at the door.  How many people have a grandmother who still gets milk delivered?  What a cool detail that hearkens back to olden times.

Common Threads

     

What musical elements do no.1 songs across decades have in common?  So far in this round, "on the 1's," I have analyzed the no.1 song during the first week of August from 2011, 2001, 1991, 1981 and 1971.  Over the course of these analyses, I have compiled a list of elements present in each, adding or subtracting elements as needed.  Picking up from the Bee Gee's 1971 contribution "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart," let's see how "Tossin' and Turnin'" stacks up.

Repetitive Melody -  absolutely.  Repeated chord tones, vocal slurs to chord tones, similar syncopation and call and response between two groups dominate every vocal section of the tune.  

Texture Changes - There are a few.  The element of the background singers in the verse creates a unique texture.  The rhythm section part in the bridge also create another feel.  The horn soli in the second bridge sounds completely different than anything else in the tune.  

Hook that Uses Title of the Song - Check.  It is possible to consider "I couldn't sleep at all last night" as a sort of hook, as it is famously associated with the song.  It only happens once though.....The proper refrain happens four times.

Strong motion of V- I - Every G7 resolves to C

Use of Vocal Harmony - background singers enjoy belting this one out!

- Stepwise Motion Common in Melody - as mentioned, this song uses a lot of 3rds, 4ths and 5ths.  There are certainly 2nds present, but not as prevalent as thirds.  Off the top of my head, this has to be one of the only songs that does not rely on stepwise motion to fill out the melody.....

(- new material at the end)  

Chord Count - 5 - C, F7, G7, D7, Amin - I will count all the C variations as one chord, considering they all serve the same function and have basically the same feel.  At 5 chords, this is only two more than 2011's "Party Rock Anthem," really only one more, considering the Amin only happens in the intro.  I think the inclination is to think songs get more simple as you get more modern, but that is not really the case.  This 1961 classic is pretty simple.

Final Takeaways

This one pleasantly surprised me.  It has lots of elements I like hearing in a song: a hook that repeats often and is easy to sing along with, a fun vocal delivery, background vocals you can shout along with, an instrumental solo and a slightly quirky form.  Way to be Bobby Lewis.

It's not hard to see why this song was so popular in the 60's.  It's catchy and fun.  The lyrics are clever and relatable.  The instrumentation and general presentation are in line with pop music of the day, ideal for dancing.  The melody is nothing groundbreaking but effectively gets the point across in an approachable way.  This one is a classic in every sense of the word.

When I first heard the famous opening line, I immediately knew I knew the tune.  This is one of those songs that has permeated the collective conscious of people within a certain age range.  I'm sure I only knew it from "Animal House," but I would be willing to bet it has appeared in other movies and TV shows.  There are several cover versions, another hallmark of a fine song.  Songwriters Richie Adams and Malou Rene sure struck gold with this hit.  

What do you think of "Tossin' and Turnin'?"  Do you recognize it past the famous opening line, "I couldn't sleep at all last night?"  How do you think it stacks up to more modern no.1 hits?  Leave me a comment!

Up next time:  I am foregoing a round 4 recap due to the small number of data points, only 6 songs.  Instead, I will roll right into round 5, "on the 2's."  Starting with 1962 we will work our way up through the decades to 2012.  That will leave us with another classic....a title  recognize, belonging to a song I couldn't hum a bar to....

August 11-18, 1962, a two week run at no.1: "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" by Neil Sedaka....stay tuned!  

[1]https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/9401723/bobby-lewis-dead-tossin-turnin

"(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" - Bryan Adams, 1991

 Bryan Adams is one of those iconic 80's and 90's songwriters whose music creates instant nostalgia.  His voice, coupled with song writing sensibility, is unmistakably his.  That being said, his songs do have a tendency to blend together, all having that signature sound, which is reminiscent of others (Rod Stewart?).  A New York Times article from 1994 begins to pin down the ordinary magic of Bryan Adams, a musical quality lacking in the flashy landscape of 2020, for better or worse. [1] 

When I think Bryan Adams, I think of "Summer of 69" and today's subject, "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You."  I had pretty good recall of this one prior to the analysis and remember the video from my childhood, complete with scenes from "Robin Hood Prince of Thieves" (though that video appears to have been deleted from YouTube.  There is, however, a live video featuring the album length version).  

Bryan Adams is one of those guys that you are more familiar with than you may realize.  He has logged 25 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, 11 of which cracked the top 10 and 4 that hit no.1 . [2]  After analyzing this song, it turns out I am a fan of his song writing. He shared some insights into his process in this Songwriter Universe interview from 2006. [3]  Today's melody may be one of the more iconic entries this project has come across.  I am reminded of Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting (1989)" in style, but Adams presents an overall more developed and sophisticated presentation.

July 27th - September 7th 1991:  "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams goes 7 weeks at no.1!

This song uses classic song structure.  We hear two rounds of verse-chorus, followed by a bridge, concluded with a final chorus.  There isn't any wasted time between sections and even in the intro, we are getting teased with bite sized chunks of the melodic content to come.  

The tune is also filled with space.  The chorus melody ends more than a measure before we hear the next section, leaving the instruments to settle in on huge chords.  This also happens out of the vocal bridge (B1) and again at the end, leaving you to well up tears with a few beats of silence after the vocal climax of the tune, "I'd die for you....."

The outro is a simple statement of the hook, completing the chorus we missed a few bars earlier.  The album version actually includes additional solos and vocal musings after the single version ends.  Today we will be basing the discussion off the shorter, single version.

Chord Progressions

The opening piano intro provides us with a harmonic and melodic preview of the song to come.

Piano intro

Note the chord sequence, each preceded by a 16th note grouping that compliments the melody:

Db  / Ab/Db   /  Gb/Db   / Dbsus2

I    /  V         /   IV          / I

The verse basically uses this pattern, replacing the Dbsus2 with Ab/Db or Absus and Ab.  All of this simple movement is familiar, but gets its own flavor with the common Db.  

The chorus is broken up into two very different 4 bar phrases.  The first half ventures to Eb minor and features the bass passing through chords to give a completely different feel than the verse:

Ebmin  Db/F  / Ebmin/Gb    /   Ebmin   Db/F  /   Ebmin/Gb

ii           I        /  ii                  /  ii                I       /  ii

The second time we hear the chorus, there is this additional guitar arpeggio that adds another subtle flavor.  This crunchyness foreshadows a few heights the guitar reaches towards the end.

Chorus 2 guitar riff

The final 4 measures play out closer to the verse, once again sticking to I and V in the key, with some added inversion:

Db/Ab   / Ab   /  Db   /  Db

I           /  V     /  I      /  I

The bridge, also divided in two sections, starts with a temporary modulation down a whole step:

B          /   E       / B   / Gb

(bVII) / IV/B   /  I    / V/B (IV/Db) 

The Gb chord pivots us back into Db for the final five measures B1:

Db  /  Ab   / Eb   /  Ab   /  Ab

I    /  V      /V/V  / V      / V

The extra measure of Ab provides a breath before the guitar solo in the second half of the bridge.  Here, the changes are simpler, alternating between 2 bars of Gb and 2 bars of Db, IV - I.

The master of subtle nuance, Adams isn't done yet.  The last chorus keeps the Ebmin chord, but ditches the passing tones in the bass and introduces a syncopated guitar/keys riff with Absus resolving Ab.  The climax shifts some chords around and brings us to the Beatlesesque Gbmin, or iv.

As if that wasn't enough, the final measures feature a new harmonic variation on the hook:

Db/Ab   / Ab   /  Gb  Ebmin  /Db

I           /  V     / IV    ii         / I

Melody

As I mentioned, this melody is well crafted and iconic.  I like how it doesn't waste time getting to the point and uses space to its advantage.  Verse one comes in after the 4 measure intro and melodically  answers the piano flourishes established in the intro, continuing throughout the verses.

Verse 1

This 8 bar segment is comprised of two sets of like phrases.  The first begins on beat 2, covering 3rd and root.  A similar phrases follows on the next beat 2, covering 5th and root of Ab.  Then we get an ascending phrase starting on the 3rd of Gb and working up to Eb, the 5th of Ab.  So far, lots of chord tones.

The second half of the verse covers the same melodic ground, but flips the rhythm on its head.  This time, the phrases start on beat 4 of the preceding measure.  The ascending line in measures 7 and 8 is similar, but is slower getting to the ornament over the Ab chord.  The use of chord tones, diatonic steps, ornaments and subtle rhythmic displacement make this verse melody an integral part of the song and not just a forgettable verse that comes before the chorus.

The chorus uses less space with a more deliberate pacing than the verse.  Combined with the Eb minor chord, this part sounds completely new and fresh when it arrives.  We quickly return to familiarity with a return to verse harmonic and melodic conventions:

Chorus 1 and 2

The hook, using faster notes with lots of space, is very effective at getting stuck in your head.  There are more chord tones with repeated leanings on Gb before resolving to chord tones.  The big of space after the vocals let the chord ring out and settle in your feels.

Verse 2 and chorus 2 are similar the previous statements.  Things take a surprise turn in the first bridge:

Bridge 1

The rhythmic motives are very different from the verse.  Phrases start on beat 4 and finish around beat 2.  The last two phrases are longer with basic 8th note syncopation.

The entire melody here gradually gets higher with each phrase.  The added harmony starts lower than Bryan for 4 measures and then goes above him for the last 4, really highlighting this arc.  Note the melody continues to utilize chord tones that flow stepwise through the chords.  Following the last measure above, we get more silence, interrupted by 3 piano notes to lead in the guitar solo:  

Bridge 2 - Guitar Solo

This guitar solo immediately sticks out as something different with many alternate note choices.  We hear an F over the Gb, the major 4th.  The briefly resolves to the 5th, Db, before sustaining an Eb, now the 9th of the Db chord.  From there, we get several chord tones and then a sudden jump to Bb, the 3rd of the Gb chord.  It finishes with a quick pentatonic line and some bluesy bends to bring it home for the last chorus.

In the last chorus, we get the most dramatic moment of the song.  4 measures of something familiar are interrupted with the emotional and desperate pleas from Adams, reflected in the music.

chorus 3

The section starts higher than before, moving from Ab to Gb and then down to Eb, once again, primarily chord tones (also note the syncopated Absus - Ab line notated above).

The last 4 measures turn the harmony back on and give us three like phrases that devolve to the climax.  A slight ritard add to the drama as does, surprise, surprise - silence.  

The last statement of the hook finishes out the song, slightly varied from before:

outro

Wow, what a melody.

Lyrics

The lyrics are uber sentimental, walking a line between undying devotion and 90's cheese.  

Search your heart, search your soul
And when you find me there, you'll search no more

The bridge jumps over the line and falls into cheese:

There's no love like your love

And no other could give more love

There's nowhere unless you're there

All the time, all the way, yeah

The last chorus throws out repeated "you's" and an out of date phrase in "walk the wire:"

Yeah, I would fight for you

I'd lie for you 

Walk the wire for you

Yeah, I'd die for you

The verses follow an AABB rhyme scheme with the chorus doing the same.  Other than that, the unrelenting emotional sentiment is what it is.  Luckily for Bryan, the music does a great job of enhancing this sentiment, even taking a little attention off of it.  

 

I always remember the video enhancing these lyrics.....I wish the Robin Hood video was still available because I remember making a connection with the characters at the peak moments.  Perhaps these feelings are not so common in everyday life and transferring them onto others, even movie characters, helps to make the story slightly more personal.  I wonder if Bryan channeled the movie when writing the lyrics or it was based on personal events?  The New York Times article may have predicted the answer.....[1]

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 "Bootylicious (2001)" left off, what common threads does this Bryan Adams classic add or subtract from the equation?

• Repetitive Melody -  Both the verse and chorus melodies play off the theme set up in the piano intro. 
• Stepwise Motion Common in Melody - There is a lot of stepwise motion in the song.  It frequently covers the 4th, so I omitted "pentatonic" in this common thread.   
• Texture Changes - The frequent silence and rhythm section tacets qualify this category.  The guitar solo and slow outro also help the song get out of the same sonic landscape.  
• New Material at the End - On two fronts, we hear new material at the end of the song.  The last 4 bars of the closing chorus have a new melody and the final statement features a slight melodic variation and an added chord.  
• Hook that Uses Title of the Song - No parentheses needed for this one. 

(- pentaonic motion common in melody)

Chord Count - 9 - Db, Gb, Gbmin Ab, Absus, Ebmin, Eb, B, E - the only slash chord that feels worthy of it's own chord would be Absus, which is more than an inversion.  

I am surprised as to how easy this song checked the common threads boxes.  This is my 28th analysis and I'm wondering if I have truly found relevant commonalities or I am reaching a little bit too much to fit these songs into my preconceived slots.  The other explanation is that these are valid connections no.1 songs share.  Some of these songs fit easier than others and so far in this round, there are many commonalities among musical devices.  

Final Takeaways

Despite the cheesy lyrics, I like this song.  It is built on simple musical premises that are slightly tweaked to make it seem special and unique.  The arrangement enhances the melody, with the call and answer between piano and vocal, and the use of silence builds drama every time it appears.  There is no wasted section and the structure does exactly what it needs to: produce an emotional rock ballad in about 4 minutes.

While the rhythm section, on the surface, does that typical 90's soft rock thing, there are some shining moments.  The bass, which mostly plays a dotted quarter-eighth feel, accentuates the changes with passing tones to create inversions and rhythmic fills.  The drums keep a basic 4/4 beat but shift the texture from rim shots to snare, building intensity.  The cymbals also float between 8th and 16th notes, providing just enough rhythmic stability when it's necessary.  

I feel this song is somewhat important to the project, thus far.  "I Do It For You" may be in the top tier of quality songs, not just because I am most familiar with it, but because it clearly and creatively manipulates base, simple source material into something much more.  Bryan Adams sold lots of copies, which is not an easy accomplishment in any decade.  Hopefully, as we get deeper into this round, "on the 1's," I can realize why this song holds a special place in my heart.

What do you think of "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You?"  Does the nostalgia value keep it in high regard or does it stay well regarded because it's good?  Leave me a comment!

Next time, we continue backtracking "on the 1's" to 1981....2 weeks at no.1, August 1st - August 8th, another nostalgic classic: "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield.  Get ready for some fun!

[1]https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/08/arts/review-pop-bryan-adams-more-mr-nice-guy.html

[2]https://www.billboard.com/music/bryan-adams/chart-history

[3]http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/bryanadams.htm

"Bootylicious" - Destiny's Child, 2001

What do you get when you mix the word "booty" with "delicious?"  Bootylicious of course, first dropped on our collective conscious by Snoop Dogg in 1993 on the Dr. Dre track "Fuck Wit Dre Day."  In Destiny's Child 2001 smash hit, the term is used as a symbol of female empowerment. [1]  Whatever the context, it caught on and in 2004 was added to the Oxford English Dictionary. [2] 

Etymology aside, there are some points worth discussing about the music.  After listening and transcribing this song, there are a few curiosities in play.  There are also many redeemable qualities one would expect from a no.1 hit, they just get there by a less traveled path.

August 4th - 11th, 2001: "Bootylicious" by Destiny's Child takes the no.1 position for 2 weeks!

The song begins with a one measure sample that runs throughout.  The sampled guitar riff comes from Stevie Nick's "Edge of Seventeen," which sounds remarkably like "Eye of the Tiger," coincidentally by the band Survivor and the name of the Destiny's Child third record.

The intro builds the sample to include bass, drums and some spoken intros, which return later in the post chorus (PC).  

The verses go through an interesting arc with verse 1 lasting 16 measures, split by Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé Knowles.  The next verse, taken again by Kelly, is only 8 measures.  The third verse, sang by Destiny's third child, Michelle Williams, is only 4 measures and blends into an 8 measure bridge.  This shorter verse shares melodic similarities with Beyoncé's half of verse 1.

The tune ends with 3 repeats of the chorus.  I don't believe we have seen that kind of repetition since 2009's "I Gotta Feeling."  The final and extra measure features a melismatic take on the hook "my body's bootylicious..."

Chord Progressions

"Bootylicious" is in the key of Eb minor, though the original guitar sample was in E minor.  The sample is one note, Eb, played as 16th notes:

Guitar

The bass sheds more light on an actual key by providing this ostinato, more or less throughout the entire song.  The use of Gb (minor 3rd) and Db (minor 7th) provide a minor feel:

Bass

The strange thing about the tune is there aren't really any chords.  We get the Eb minor feel from the bass line and vocal melody, but there is no sounding of the full Eb minor chord you would expect.  In the chorus, there is a synth line that adds to the harmonic puzzle:

Synth - Chorus

The part syncopates a Db (minor 7th) throughout and works through F-Gb-Ab-Gb in a lower voice (2nd, minor 3rd, 4th, minor 3rd).  With the other elements, it clearly stays in the minor home key.

There is one moment during the bridge when the bass goes into sub range and gets so quiet that I missed it on the first few listens.  It plays Eb (root) / A (b5) / B (b6) / Db (min 7th)  A (b5) before throwing in some very low percussive tones.  All of that continues over the Eb guitar riff.  It's a cool moment of production that goes by too quickly.

Speaking of production, there are lots of percussive elements floating throughout the song. "Uhs" and "oohs" that blend with the drums, as well as some DJ scratching.  The drums, which according the AllMusic liner notes appear to be programmed, lay down a funky groove that feels live tracked.  In the verses, the beat ends up falling into some version of this:

Drum Groove

It is surprising to me that "Bootylicious" is built over a single chord (Ebmin7) and there is never a traditional chordal instrument playing it.  The fact that it hit no.1 tells me there must be something special happening in the melody....

Melody

Verse 1 starts with Kelly and introduces rhythmic and melodic motifs that will be used throughout the verses:

Verse 1 - m.1-8

Each phrase starts on the (1)+ of the measure and follows with fairly close syncopation.  Pitches mimic the bass line, moving from Eb to Ab and Gb in the first measure and Eb and Db in the 2nd measure, following suit as the phrases develop.  

The melody establishes an easy to follow pattern in the first 4 measure that gets flipped in measure 5. The motif starts to break up and get higher in the range.  We also start to see further use of 16th-8th-16th syncopation introduced back in measure 4.  In measures 7 and 8, we return to a similar patterns.

When Beyoncé comes in with the next 8 measures, things change significantly.  The phrases now start somewhere near beat 4 of the preceding measure.  She starts with two phrases that come in on Bb (5th), working down to Ab (4th) and land with the Eb to Db riff (Root/minor7).  That is followed by repeated Ab's (4th) that eventually get down to Eb.

Verse 1 - m.9-16

    

In general, Beyoncé is more rhythmic than Kelly and favors phrases that play on 16th note upbeats.  The last 2 measures are especially forceful when she sticks to more "on beat" rhythms.  The last note above leads directly into the chorus:

Chorus

This chorus is infectious.  The hook of "I don't think you're ready for this jelly" gets stuck in my heard frequently.  Rhythmically, it has syncopation as well as on beat rhythms that use words that are pleasant to speak in succession, albeit ridiculous.  The pitches cover, essentially, 3 notes, Eb, F and Gb, root, second and minor third of the key.  It also gets repeated a few times to drive the point home.

The secondary hook, "and my body's too bootylicious for ya babe," is another ear worm.  Similar factors of rhythmic variance and words that sound good together may to be blame, as could be the pitches, Ab, Bb, Gb (4th, 5th and minor 3rd) leading to the familiar Eb and Db.  

The four bar phrase repeats with added harmony.  The harmony, up a 3rd, adds a great texture and helps to immediately identify the sound of Destiny's Child.  When the harmony goes away, it helps to bring out the character and power of the solo statement of that secondary hook. The bulk of the melody sits in Eb minor pentatonic, a familiar sound to Western ears.  

After this first chorus, we hear a 4 measure throwback to the intro, labeled "post chorus."  This leads into verse 2.

post chorus

Verse 2 is similar to the first half of verse one, replaying rhythmic and melodic motifs.  Verse 3, sang by Michelle, is much different though.  The pitches and rhythms are reminiscent of Beyoncé's first verse and the theme is repeated three times.  The end of each phrase also features the ladies on a harmonized "hoo," the third of which gets very high in their range. 

Verse 3

I love the last measure of this verse which features another contrived word, "vibealacious," led in with more harmony.  This leads directly to an 8 measure section I have dubbed the bridge.  It starts with spoken repetition, similar to the intro and post chorus.  That flows into, perhaps, the most interesting part of the song.  

Bridge

The last 4 measures here are wildly different from anything else in the song.  We hear brand new syncopation and some massive 3 part harmony.  The scat singing style also gives it a brand new feel.  Though the bass goes way out, the vocal melody keeps the ear in Eb minor but changes things around to provide a little break from the established parts, just like a good bridge should do.  

After this bridge, we hear 3 repeats of the chorus.  Each is filled with divaesque contributions from the ladies.  These range from alterations on the hook to long melismas running over the other singers.  The last statement of the song features more variation on the main hook theme:

Final Melodic Statement

Most of the melismas in the song are based on Eb minor pentatonic.  Occasionally, they lean on an F, or 2nd, but generally resolve to the root or 5th, by way of the minor 7th.  

Musical Sticking Points

 I'm still floored that here are no proper chords in the track.  The guitar riff is the basis for the entire thing and then augmented with extra stuff.  I do like how the song stays in one harmonic space the whole time and we never get bored.  The varied rhythms and use of words that are fun to say help the situation, as does a killer bridge that gives the perfect length break to push the song through to the end.  

The first minute of the tune has an interesting build.  The intro begins with the guitar and then adds in drums and bass.  The spoken intro comes in and introduces us to the singers, giving a little peak at the rhythmic nature of the song.  When Kelly comes in with verse 1, she basically riffs off the bass line and slowly creeps in more complex figures.  Beyoncé picks that ball up and runs, giving us longer phrases that are more syncopated and dense.  Then the chorus hits.  While it is filled with lots of rhythm, the melodic content is easy enough to latch onto and it repeats.  

"Bootylicious" reminds me of several other songs analyzed, specifically "I Gotta Feeling (2009)," "Genie In A Bottle (1999)," and "The Boy Is Mine (1998)."  Each of those songs features repeated chord progressions that use other elements to keep things interesting and moving forward.  Destiny's Child is able to keep things going by establishing a few different melodic pallets to draw from and their use of vocal harmony.  They mix and match these elements perfectly, making a song built on one note sound lush and full.

Lyrics

 Bootylicious - voluptuously sexy and attractive

The lyrics are supposed to symbolize female empowerment.  Here are a few that may get there:

You gotta do much better

If you're gonna dance with me tonight

Move, groove, prove you can hang with me

By the looks I got you shook up and scared of me

Buckle your seatbelt, it's time for takeoff

  Slap my thighs, swing my hair

Squint my eyes

Lookin' hot, smellin' good

Groovin' like I'm from the hood

I can't help but wonder why

My vibe's too vibealacious for you babe

While I'm not a woman, these lyrics seem to be the most empowering and help me to conjure the image of these bad ass women strutting their stuff and making their presence known.  I'm not sure I'm ready for that jelly.....

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 "Party Rock Anthem (2011)" left off, what common threads does "Bootylicious" add or subtract from the equation?

• Repetitive Melody - Yes, and on several fronts.  The verse melodies repeat phrases and borrow elements from preceding verses.  The chorus is comprised of three repeated phrases and a fourth phrase, repeated in harmony.  
• Stepwise + pentatonic Motion Common in Melody - steps are certainly common in the melody, but so are 3rds, moving through the pentatonic scale. Take a long at the interval structure of the hooks, they are solely comprised of minor pentatonic scale riffage. 
• Texture Changes - The song starts and returns to the solo guitar riff which is effective at changing the texture.  The drums also come and go with various intensity.  The bridge is an extreme example of texture change with stripped down drums keeping time, chimes, the non-diatonic bass and three part vocal harmony.
• New Material at the End - While there are no new sections that close out the song, there are new melodies that pop up as the singers diva-out during the last choruses.
• Hook that Uses Title of the Song - I think the chorus contains two hooks and one of them has the title.  

Chord Count - 1 - wow.....

So it looks like selections from 2011 and 2001 have a ton of musical elements in common.  Though the two songs are very different, it's cool to see so much musical crossover.  

Final Takeaways

I could not have picked this one out of a police lineup prior to this analysis.  I wasn't a huge fan at first, but it definitely grew on me.  The hooks are really catchy.  I firmly believe the word choice is as big a factor as the notes and rhythms.  Some words just sound good together.  When one of those words is a made up word that you can stake a claim to (sorry Snoop Dogg), it heightens the impact.  

It has been interesting to see how different female singers approach their use of melisma.  I have analyzed Christina, Lady Gaga, Fergie, Donna Summer, and Mariah, to name a few.  Each has a slightly different feel for their ornaments and Destiny's Child is no different.  

What do you think "Bootylicious?"  Was I the only one oblivious to this tune?  Have you checked out different versions and remixes?  How do those stack up??  Leave me a comment!

Up next time, continuing with round 4, "on the 1's," we head all the way back to 1991.  July 27th - September 7th 1991, an impressive 7 week run at no.1...Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do it For You!"

[1]https://ew.com/article/2016/05/20/destinys-child-bootylicious-15th-anniversary/

[2]http://www.personal.psu.edu/ejp10/blogs/thinking/2008/04/how-bootylicious-got-into-the.html