Know how, in a range of contexts, different songwriters construct songs
I have chosen 4 different song righters from four different genres of music to do this:
Damon Albarn - Brit pop/Pop and Chart/
Damon often wrote in co-lab with Graham Coxon
Damons Musical Styles:
Damon Albarn is a very well accomplished and world famous song righter as well as a performer. He has been involved in a lot of different genres of music and he has written music for countless other performers. His career in the music industry began when he was a young man I a band with a few of his mates. The band was sighed when he was around the age of twenty. The band was renamed to blur as a part of the record contract and his career took of from there. The genre of his music that he wrote with blur is predominantly BRIT POP. He has also been responsible for a lot of other music including the world famous group names Gorilaz. He has headlined lots of festivals with bot these acts and he has had a very successful carer.
As well as all of this Damon is also a record producer.
As well as all of this Damon is also a record producer.
How dose Damon Albarn construct his songs?
Damon Albarn constructs the vast majority of his songs in the same way, weather he is writing them for the gorillas or for blur or for any other musician. He has a few different song structure that if you study his songs you will usually be able to find one of them. The most commonly used song structure that I have found that Damon uses is a very common structure for popular music. This is the Verse - chorus - verse - chorus - bridge/outro. He also uses another song structure tat is very similar to the Verse - Chorus - Verse - Chorus - Bridge - but the only differences that he has the bridge after the second verse and before the second chorus as opposed to the other way round. I have uploaded an both of these song structure below buy putting up a YouTube video that shows.
The YouTube video above is a very good example of on of Damons very successful songs that he wrote for the Gorllaz. This song follows one of Damons more commonly used song structures that goes Verses - Chorus - Verse - bridge/interlude - Chorus
|
How dose Damon Albarn construct his songs? Both lyrically and melodically?
To begin with in Damon's song righting he was very heavily influenced by British bands around in the 1960s. The results of these influences can be seen very clearly in the early blur albums in particular the second third and fourth albums: (Modern Life Is Rubbish and Parklife and the Great Escape). HIs music has progressed and changed a lot over the years and as you can hear in the Gorilaz music that is influences have changed a lot and therefor the music that he is righting has changed a lot.
Damon Albarns lyrics - Very easy to relate to his lyrics!
He wrights his lyrics form the perspective of a normal person, this makes his lyrics they easily relatable to by normal people. Damon's lyrics are very often about very normal things in life that lots of people will have experienced. thing's that happen to normal people when they live there lives. things that one there own are not so glamorous but are very easy to relate to. One example of this some of the lyrics from one of Blurs more early songs called 'Parklife'. Park life a song that talks about a lot of things that are in his daily routine. Even though he is a famous rock star. One of the lyrics motions his 'morning bowl of soup'. You clearly don't have to be a rock star to eat a bowl of soup in the morning.
Anouther example of his lyrics being very easy to relate to by normal people in society can also be found in his most recent music. In his new solo album. One that I have picked up on very recently is in a song called Mr Tembo. This song is is about a man. Damons lyrical righing style automaticly makes this man very easy to relate to. He talked about the TV in Mr Tempos room and he talks about how mr Tembo needing a help in hand and needing a help in hand. Once again you will notice that these are automaticly things that people will already have a understatinging of making the automaticly more easy to relate to.
Anouther example of his lyrics being very easy to relate to by normal people in society can also be found in his most recent music. In his new solo album. One that I have picked up on very recently is in a song called Mr Tembo. This song is is about a man. Damons lyrical righing style automaticly makes this man very easy to relate to. He talked about the TV in Mr Tempos room and he talks about how mr Tembo needing a help in hand and needing a help in hand. Once again you will notice that these are automaticly things that people will already have a understatinging of making the automaticly more easy to relate to.
Eg. of Damon's lyric's being easy to relate to in Blur's - Coffee and TVThe song on the right of this paragraph is a prime example of how Damon wrights songs that appeal to a very wide audience because his lyrics involve things that people can relate to very easily because they happen in every day life. The song Coffee and Tv has a very nice message that a lot of people would find very easy to relate to. It is a song about having a long day and needing a chance to put your feet up and forget about of the worry's and all of the stress that do occur a lot in every day life.
|
|
How has Damon constructed the melody's in his music?
The melody's in Damons music are constructed in quite a few different ways. In a lot of Damons music is not even very melodic and it often just sounds like talking or shouting as you can see in the live video I have put on the right of this paragraph of him playing a song called Kids With Guns. He dose not sing much, more like talking than singing and when he dose sing in the Corus it is not very in tune. In some ways Damon's live singing style is very similar to that of the style of the world famous Bob Dylan. Half the time when Bob Dylan sings he isn't even in tune but it is trill brilliant. The paragraph and the video below will show some of Damons more tuneful singing because he has got a great voice. You can tell for sure that he dose have a great voice when he sings in the studio on the records but he dose not always capture that when he plays live.
|
The video on the left is a video taken of blur performing one of there more famous songs called the universal at Glastonbury festival. You can hear that Damon is singing very well and you can notice more melody's in his writhing when you hear him sing the songs properly. Damon dose on have a particle high voice but despite that you can still hear all of the melody's and all of the higher notes and you can appreciate the melody's and how catch they are when you do. Damon dose have the ability to wright some seriously powerful and catchy melody's and that is why he is such a successful and accomplished song writer.
|
Now i am going to show some exsamples of Damons Lyrics and song structures
INTRO - Words in background
Hahahahahahahahaha,
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
VERSE 1
City's breaking down on a camel's back. They just have to go
'cause they don't know wack So all you fill the streets it's appealing to see
You wont get out the county, 'cos you're bad and free You've got a new
horizon It's ephemeral style. A melancholy town where we never smile.
And all I wanna hear is the message beep. My dreams, they've got to kiss, because
I don't get sleep, no.
CHORUS 1
Windmill, Windmill for the land. Turn forever hand in hand
Take it all there on your stride
It is tinking, falling down
Love forever love is free
Let's turn forever you and me
Windmill, windmill for the land
Is everybody in?
VERSE 2
Laughing gas these hazmats, fast cats,
Lining them up-a like ass cracks Lay these ponies at the
track Its my chocolate attack.
Shit, I'm stepping in the heart of this here
Care bear bumping in the heart of this here
Watch me as I gravitate.. Hahahahahahaa.
Yo, we gonna go ghost town,
This motown, With yo sound
You're in the place You gonna bite the dust
Can't fight with us With yo sound
You kill the INC. So don't stop, get it, get it
Until you're Jet Ahead.
Yo, watch the way I navigate
Hahahahahhaa
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
CHORUS 2
Windmill, Windmill for the land. Turn forever hand in hand
Take it all there on your stride
It is tinking, falling down Love forever love is free
Let's turn forever you and me
Windmill, windmill for the land
Is everybody in?
OUTRO
Don't stop, get it, get it
We are your captains in it
Steady, Watch me navigate,
Ahahahahahhaa. Don't stop,
get it, get it We are your captains in it
Steady, watch me navigate
Ahahahahahhaa.
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
Sh-shake
it, shake it, feel good
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
Sh-shake it,
shake it, feel good
Ahhhhahahahah
Hahahahahahahahaha,
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
VERSE 1
City's breaking down on a camel's back. They just have to go
'cause they don't know wack So all you fill the streets it's appealing to see
You wont get out the county, 'cos you're bad and free You've got a new
horizon It's ephemeral style. A melancholy town where we never smile.
And all I wanna hear is the message beep. My dreams, they've got to kiss, because
I don't get sleep, no.
CHORUS 1
Windmill, Windmill for the land. Turn forever hand in hand
Take it all there on your stride
It is tinking, falling down
Love forever love is free
Let's turn forever you and me
Windmill, windmill for the land
Is everybody in?
VERSE 2
Laughing gas these hazmats, fast cats,
Lining them up-a like ass cracks Lay these ponies at the
track Its my chocolate attack.
Shit, I'm stepping in the heart of this here
Care bear bumping in the heart of this here
Watch me as I gravitate.. Hahahahahahaa.
Yo, we gonna go ghost town,
This motown, With yo sound
You're in the place You gonna bite the dust
Can't fight with us With yo sound
You kill the INC. So don't stop, get it, get it
Until you're Jet Ahead.
Yo, watch the way I navigate
Hahahahahhaa
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
CHORUS 2
Windmill, Windmill for the land. Turn forever hand in hand
Take it all there on your stride
It is tinking, falling down Love forever love is free
Let's turn forever you and me
Windmill, windmill for the land
Is everybody in?
OUTRO
Don't stop, get it, get it
We are your captains in it
Steady, Watch me navigate,
Ahahahahahhaa. Don't stop,
get it, get it We are your captains in it
Steady, watch me navigate
Ahahahahahhaa.
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
Sh-shake
it, shake it, feel good
Sh-shake it, shake it, feel good
Sh-shake it,
shake it, feel good
Ahhhhahahahah
The songs that Damon writes sometimes have complicated chords like this:
Charmless man
A Ab F#
A Ab F#
Bm7 C#m7 D (E) A D A
A Ab Bass F# A Ab Bass F#
Bm7 C#m7 D (E)
A D A
And sometimes have very simple progressions that remain the same throughout the whole song
Song 2
G5 ---- F5---- A#5 -- C5
What is the effect his song writing has on the listeners?
The over all effect that his songwriting style has is that his songs get stuck in the listeners head and they are very memorable. This is because he uses repetitive phrases and he uses nice memorable melody.
Sir Elton John - Pop music - piano music - soulfull singing
Elton Jhons musical styles
Sir Elton John is a English singer songwriter. He has had so much success in doing this that he has been knighted by the quean. as well as being a singer song righter he is also a very accomplished pianist and a composer and a record producer and on the od accession a actor. He was worked in colabs with countless famous musicians. Elton's career has span over five decades to this date and he has sold more than 300 million records world wide. That means that he must be doing something right. I have decided to study his music and analyse his song righting because the range of music he has written is so diverse.
How dose Sir Elton John Construct his songs? |
Elton Johns songs often follow similar structures as a lot of the songs in the chars at the moment. But one thing that I have know aces that is in a lot eltons songs is that he sometimes has a chorus melody tat comes back a few times in the song but dose not repeat itsslf the total same was like a lot of songs, instead he changes it up with different lyrics. Elton johns songs alos very often hav long instumentle sectsion wher all sorts of instruments take the lead. In some songs I have knowticed he ends the song with a chorus then a long instumentle and then the chorus again.
On of the songs that I have looked at is called Daniel. It is of one of Elton's earlier albums. I this song Elton dose not change the range a lot and he dose not change the melody's a lot. But it dose not get boring because he throws in the od phrase that is a lot higher than the rest of them to make sure that the song dose not get boring . The structure of this particular song Verse - Verse - Chorus - instrumental - chorus - verse - outro
|
Daniel is traveling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye God it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes They say Spain is pretty, though I've never been Well Daniel says it's the best place that he's ever seen Oh and he should know, he's been there enough Lord I miss Daniel, oh I miss him so much Daniel my brother you are older than me Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal Your eyes have died, but you see more than I Daniel you're a star in the face of the sky Daniel is traveling tonight on a plane I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye God it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes Oh God it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes |
The next song that I have decided to look at I is a very famous song that brought him a lot of success. Its called - I guess that's why they call it the blues - This song is a very poppy song as far as Elton goes. It has a very catchy chorus and a great melody and even a harmonica solo towards the end to spice it up a bit and keep it interesting. This song has a very god structure to analyse because it is a structure they can be found in a lot od popular music these days. The structure goes - Verse 1 - Pre chorus - Chorus - verse 2 - Pre chorus - Chorus - harmonica solo (acting as a change from the singing and keeping the song fresh and not boring) pre chorus - chorus - outro.
Don't wish it away Don't look at it like it's forever Between you and me I could honestly say That things can only get better I guess that's why they call it the blues Don't wish it away Don't look at it like it's forever Between you and me I could honestly say That things can only get better And while I'm away Dust out the demons inside And it won't be long Before you and me run To the place in our hearts Where we hide And I guess that's why They call it the blues Time on my hands Could be time spent with you Laughing like children Living like lovers Rolling like thunder under the covers And I guess that's why They call it the blues Just stare into space Picture my face in your hands Live for each second Without hesitation And never forget I'm your man Without me girl Cry in the night if it helps But more than ever I simply love you More than I love life itself And I guess that's why They call it the blues Time on my hands Could be time spent with you Laughing like children Living like lovers Rolling like thunder under the covers And I guess that's why They call it the blues Wait on me girl Cry in the night if it helps But more than ever I simply love you More than I love life itself And I guess that's why They call it the blues Time on my hands Could be time spent with you Laughing like children Living like lovers Rolling like thunder under the covers And I guess that's why They call it the blues If you look at the lyrics that Elton John wrote, you will see, much like all the lyrics above that they are very easy to relate to. |
To the left of this short paragraph you can see that I have written te lyrics to one of the Elton john songs that I analysed. This song is called - I guess that's why they call it the blues.
Sir Elton John use of melody in I guess that's why they call it the bluesThe song starts of sounding very sad and minor and then the vocals come in and they sound sad and they are in a quite low range. The pre chorus creates tension and sounds sad. Then the chorus goes into a major key and it get a lot more powerful and the range of the vocals expands and goes a bit higher. This is a great example of tension in the music then being released in the chorus.
I then goes back to the verse again when it is manor the same as the first verse and it changes slightly with the od phrase that goes higher than it did in the first verse. In the pre chorus on the second time round the vocals have more harmony's in to create more tension to the second chorus. The second chorus is more of less the same as the first chorus. it then goes to a very tense and vibrant solo on the harmonica into another pre chorus. The last chorus is the biggest chorus of all with a lot of instrumentation and a lot of instruments backing up the vocals to give it more of a powerful feeling. there is then a outro and Elton singing a high phrase with held notes that says - I guess that's why they call it the blues. |
Cold Play - Chris Martin
Clocks
The lights go out and I can't be saved Tides that I tried to swim against Have brought me down upon my knees Oh I beg, I beg and plead, singing Come out of things unsaid Shoot an apple off my head and a Trouble that can't be named A tiger's waiting to be tamed, singing You are You are Confusion never stops Closing walls and ticking clocks Gonna come back and take you home I could not stop that you now know, singing Come out upon my seas Cursed missed opportunities Am I a part of the cure? Or am I part of the disease? Singing You are, you are, you are You are, you are, you are And nothing else compares Oh nothing else compares And nothing else compares You are You are Home, home where I wanted to go Home, home where I wanted to go Home, home where I wanted to go Home, home where I wanted to go |
Chord progression / structureI have attatched a picture of first sheet of clocks. As you can see in the picture a D - Am - Em7 progression.
I have written out the progressions below: Intro - D - Am - Em7 Verse - D - Am Em7 Verse 2 D - Am - Em7 Bridge - Fmaj7 - C - G Outro D - Am - Em7 |
Fix you
"Fix You"
When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I...
Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I...
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I...
Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I...
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
explain and describe his songwriting technique
Chris martin song writing techneeques have changed over the years and throughout the corse of his career. Generly almost all of his songs have very standerd structures. Structures like Verses Chorus Verse Chorus sometimes bridge chorus on the end.
Kurt Cobain
Who was Kurt Cobain?
Kurt was the songwriter for the band nirvana. Ever since a
young age He has changed the music industry with the songs that he has written.
He has inspired generations after him and he played a huge part in the beginning
of the grunge movement. As well as inspiring lots and lots of people and speaking
o people with his music he was also inspired by artists before him. Such as:
The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Queen, AC/DC, Black Sabbath ect.
The songwriter for:
What makes Kurt Cabain a Iconic songriter?
Here are some of the main reasons below:
Kurt is definitely an iconic songwriter because he has
changed the music industry hugely with the songs that he wrote. The songs that
he wrote were so different, nothing like them had ever been heard. He combined
lots of elements of the music that he had listened to and the music that had
inspired him when he was growing up. What Curt did so well was speak to the
younger generation with his lyrics. They felt like they were hearing things
that were speaking directly to them. One of the best examples of this was one
of the lyrics that the younger generations latched onto from there song –
Smells like Teen Spirit – the lyric is as follows: Oh well, Whatever, Never
mind. Kurt will not have realises how massive of an impact these lyrics would
have had on the younger generations, but they did.
One of the main reasons that makes him a truly iconic songwriter is the fact that KURT IS DEAD. As devastating as it was, the tragedy of losing Kurt at the young age of 27. It has moment that there is no argument opposing the fact that he is an iconic songwriter. It has been seen in a lot of other cases when the musician dies they are appreciated more for what they have done and they begin being seen as iconic. Here are some other examples of this. MJ, Jimmi Hendrix, Bob Dylan.
Curt was named “the voice of a Generation”. The point I made earlier links directly to this. They named him this because they felt that the messages in his songs were saying what they wanted to say. The young generations felt that he was speaking there feeling in his music.
One of the main reasons that makes him a truly iconic songwriter is the fact that KURT IS DEAD. As devastating as it was, the tragedy of losing Kurt at the young age of 27. It has moment that there is no argument opposing the fact that he is an iconic songwriter. It has been seen in a lot of other cases when the musician dies they are appreciated more for what they have done and they begin being seen as iconic. Here are some other examples of this. MJ, Jimmi Hendrix, Bob Dylan.
Curt was named “the voice of a Generation”. The point I made earlier links directly to this. They named him this because they felt that the messages in his songs were saying what they wanted to say. The young generations felt that he was speaking there feeling in his music.
Another thing that makes him iconic is that he played a huge roll in the grunge movement.
GRUNGE
Kurt played a huge roll I he grunge movement. Grunge was a new genre that people had never head of and Kurt was one of the first people to deliver this in a way that people liked it and began to listen to it and that when it really took of. Most people had never heard anything like Nirvana when it came out all of the other music in the la clubs that the similar audiences would have been listening to was just punk rock. Punk did influence Kurt hugely and you can hear it in his music and in his son writing.
The grunge movement is sometimes referred to the Seattle sound. The grunge movement began in the mid-80s in Washington (especially Seattle).
What is grunge?
The grunge sound evolved from a merging of the Punk rock sound and the alternative rock sound and a bit of the metal sound that was in Seattle in the mid-80s. When they merged together they formed an energetic and powerful almost dirty rock and roll sound that from then on was labelled with he mane grunge. Kurt was one of the leaders of his movement with nirvana generating a large following of people would loved here gunge sound.
The grunge movement is sometimes referred to the Seattle sound. The grunge movement began in the mid-80s in Washington (especially Seattle).
What is grunge?
The grunge sound evolved from a merging of the Punk rock sound and the alternative rock sound and a bit of the metal sound that was in Seattle in the mid-80s. When they merged together they formed an energetic and powerful almost dirty rock and roll sound that from then on was labelled with he mane grunge. Kurt was one of the leaders of his movement with nirvana generating a large following of people would loved here gunge sound.
Analysis songs written by Kurt
the voice of a Generation
Smells like Teen Spirit
Kurt Cobain wrote this song for Nirvana; it came together in a jam session when he played it for the band. He said: "I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off The Pixies."
About the song..
What Kurt was trying to do in the song below was to wright a pot song. He sad to he said to people what when he was writing smells like teen spirit he was trying to right a song that people could hum. So this means that basically he was trying to right a pop song with a melody that is easy to remember that would get stuck in the listeners head. This is all very well but the way that Kurt did it in smells like teen spirit had never been seen before and that why everyone loved it so much.
What Kurt was trying to do in the song below was to wright a pot song. He sad to he said to people what when he was writing smells like teen spirit he was trying to right a song that people could hum. So this means that basically he was trying to right a pop song with a melody that is easy to remember that would get stuck in the listeners head. This is all very well but the way that Kurt did it in smells like teen spirit had never been seen before and that why everyone loved it so much.
Load up on guns; bring your friends
It's fun to lose and to pretend She's over-bored and self-assured Oh no, I know a dirty word Hello, hello, hello, how low Hello, hello, hello, how low Hello, hello, hello, how low Hello, hello, hello [Chorus] With the lights out, it's less dangerous Here we are now; entertain us I feel stupid and contagious Here we are now; entertain us A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido Yeah, hey I'm worse at what I do best And for this gift I feel blessed Our little group has always been And always will until the end Hello, hello, hello, how low Hello, hello, hello, how low Hello, hello, hello, how low Hello, hello, hello [Chorus] And I forget just why I taste Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile I found it hard; it's hard to find Oh well, whatever, never mind Hello, hello, hello, how low Hello, hello, hello, how low Hello, hello, hello, how low Hello, hello, hello With the lights out, it's less dangerous Here we are now; entertain us I feel stupid and contagious Here we are now; entertain us A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial |
If you look at the lyrics o the left of this writing column then you will see the lyrics to he song- smells like teen spirit by nirvana. When reading through the lyrics i find it very easy to pull out the lyrics the younger generations would have found easy to latch on o. The lyrics that eh younger generations would have felt were saying what they wanted to say and acting as the voice in the society that they live in.
I am going to make some examples of theses below and how he young generations would have felt about them: - It's fun to lose and to pretend The young generations would like this lyric because having fun is what hey do! - Oh no, I know a dirty word This lyric is the kind of thing that the younger generations would like because its subtly talking about swearing. - Oh well, whatever, never mind This lyric is a great example of how he was the voice of a generation because that lyric sums up how the teenagers felt at the time. A very teenage vibe.. eg i don't care, i do not wana know, i don have time.. That kind of teenage feeling. These lyrics where saying what the teenagers were feeling in a cool hip way hat they had never seen before so of cores they loved it and they latched onto. |
Lithium
I'm so happy 'cause today
I've found my friends ... They're in my head I'm so ugly, but that's okay, 'cause so are you ... We've broken our mirrors [Alt: We broke our mirrors] Sunday morning is everyday for all I care ... And I'm not scared Light my candles, in a daze 'Cause I've found god Yeah, yeah, yeah [6x] I'm so lonely, but that's okay, I shaved my head ... And I'm not sad And just maybe I'm to blame for all I've heard ... But I'm not sure I'm so excited, I can't wait to meet you there ... But I don't care I'm so horny, but that's okay ... My will is good Yeah, yeah, yeah [6x] [2x] I like it - I'm not gonna crack I miss you - I'm not gonna crack I love you - I'm not gonna crack I killed you - I'm not gonna crack I'm so happy 'cause today I've found my friends ... They're in my head I'm so ugly, but that's okay, 'cause so are you ... We've broken our mirrors [Alt: We broke our mirrors] Sunday morning is everyday for all I care ... And I'm not scared Light my candles in a daze ... 'Cause I've found god Yeah, yeah, yeah [6x] [2x] I like it - I'm not gonna crack I miss you - I'm not gonna crack I love you - I'm not gonna crack I killed you - I'm not gonna crack |
This is a song called Lithium. It is of the same album as Smells like teen spirit. The come as you are album. If you look at the left of this column then you will see the lyrics to the song. Much like the last song i looked at, the words are very easy for the youth to relate to. The youth can relate easily words that talk about 'friends'. Kurt takes about friends ad finding them. This is something that everyone dose in he growing up posses That makes it very easy to relate to to everyone. Especially the youth because those toughs are fresh in there minds.
I like it - I'm not gonna crack I miss you - I'm not gonna crack I love you - I'm not gonna crack The lyrics above are very easy for the people to relate to because they are basic human feelings. there is no way around the fact that everybody has them and everyone feels them. |
What song structures dose Kurt use?
Kurt writs in a lot very regular structures. I have been looking at his songs and the vast majority of them follow the same V-C-V-C-B-C structure. I have put some examples of this that I have found on the internet below so that you can see clearly the structures that Kurt used to write songs.
Lithium has a very interesting structure if you look at it the way i have laid it out below then it is very easy to see this.
The structure is as follows:
Intro - verse 1 - chorus - verse 2 - chorus - bridge - verse 1 - chorus - outro
The structure is as follows:
Intro - verse 1 - chorus - verse 2 - chorus - bridge - verse 1 - chorus - outro
"Lithium"
I'm so happy 'cause today I've found my friends ... They're in my head I'm so ugly, but that's okay, 'cause so are you ... We've broken our mirrors [Alt: We broke our mirrors] Sunday morning is everyday for all I care ... And I'm not scared Light my candles, in a daze 'Cause I've found god Yeah, yeah, yeah [6x] I'm so lonely, but that's okay, I shaved my head ... And I'm not sad And just maybe I'm to blame for all I've heard ... But I'm not sure I'm so excited, I can't wait to meet you there ... But I don't care I'm so horny, but that's okay ... My will is good Yeah, yeah, yeah [6x] [2x] I like it - I'm not gonna crack I miss you - I'm not gonna crack I love you - I'm not gonna crack I killed you - I'm not gonna crack I'm so happy 'cause today I've found my friends ... They're in my head I'm so ugly, but that's okay, 'cause so are you ... We've broken our mirrors [Alt: We broke our mirrors] Sunday morning is everyday for all I care ... And I'm not scared Light my candles in a daze ... 'Cause I've found god Yeah, yeah, yeah [6x] [2x] I like it - I'm not gonna crack I miss you - I'm not gonna crack I love you - I'm not gonna crack I killed you - I'm not gonna crack |
intro
Verse Chorus verse chorus bridge verse 1 chorus outro |
Musicality of Kurt's songwriting
F#m E F#m E F#m Come as you are, As you were, As I want you to be E F#m E F#m As a friend, As a friend, As an old enemy E F#m E F#m Take your time, Hurry up. The choice is yours - don't be late E F#m E F#m A Take a rest, as a friend, as an old memoria F#m A F#m A F#m A Memoria Memoria Memoria F#m E F#m E F#m Come dowsed in mud, Soaked in bleach, As I want you to be E F#m E F#m A As a trend, As a friend, As an old memoria F#m A F#m A F#m A Memoria Memoria Memoria B D B D And I swear that I don't have a gun B D B D No I don't have a gun - No I don't have a gun Solo - play intro/verse chords F#m A F#m A F#m A Memoria Memoria Memoria B D B D And I swear that I don't have a gun B D B D No I don't have a gun - No I don't have a gun B D B D No I don't have a gun - No I don't have a gun |
If you are to look at the chord structures in his songs you will see that he dose not use complicated chores. No add 7 chords no add 9 chords. Juts basic major and minor chords.
|
Who inspired him?
I have made a long list of the artist hat inspired Kurt below:
AC/DC • Aerosmith • Bad Brains • Beat Happening
• The Beatles • Bikini Kill • Black Flag • Black Sabbath • Butthole Surfers • Buzzcocks • Cheap Trick • Chokebore • Creedence Clearwater Revival • Daniel Johnston • David Bowie • Devo • Dinosaur Jr. • Earth • Flipper • The Germs • Half Japanese • Jesus Lizard • Joy Division • Killing Joke • Kiss • The Knack • Leadbelly • Led Zeppelin • Meat Puppets • Melvins • Mudhoney • Neil Young • Pixies • Queen • The Raincoats • R.E.M. • Scratch Acid • Sex Pistols • The Shaggs • Shocking Blue • Shonen Knife • The Slits • Sonic Youth • The Stooges • Swans • Terry Jacks • The Velvet Underground • Vaselines • Wipers • Young Marble Giants |
Who did he inspire?
Kurt has inspired so man musicians. I have chosen a few that you can he his influence very clearly in.
If you have a quick listen to the song below then it is so easy to hear kurts influence on the band on bot the instrumentation, the vocals and the lyrics.