tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780642520803074770.post8120747259311471431..comments2014-06-19T05:46:57.630-05:00Comments on How Do I Know What I Think Until I See What I Say?: Jay Hears A Song #7 -- The Boys of Summer by Don HenleyJay Montvillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07165174061380427178noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780642520803074770.post-56977698242181541942009-04-12T16:16:00.000-05:002009-04-12T16:16:00.000-05:00Just sos ya know, I had this song in my head all w...Just sos ya know, I had this song in my head all weekend, thanks to YOU. Don't you worry, I'll find a way to get some song into your head, you just wait . . .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4780642520803074770.post-20257406926095622002009-04-10T09:01:00.000-05:002009-04-10T09:01:00.000-05:00Tis a great song, true. I have one minor quibble w...Tis a great song, true. I have one minor quibble with your analysis and it has nothing to do with the lyrics. As you know, I'm a very musical person and I play a bunch of instruments. I'm one of those annoying people who can hear a song once or twice and then play it by ear (this skill isn't as impressive as it sounds because when you've been playing music your whole life, you can easily spot the patterns and progressions).<BR/><BR/>So, here's the deal with Boys of Summer. There is no key change in the chorus, though it might sound that way to some. The song is recorded in the key of G flat. Foks who write out music (such as tablature for guitar) always want to take the easy way out so they write it out for a key that's easier for everybody to understand but trust me, this song is in G flat. At the beginning, Henley is utilizing a minor chord progression, throwing in an E flat to give the song that haunting feel. (The synthesizer is playing E flat while the guitar is chiming G flat, F, D flat over and over.) But really, all he's doing is throwing an odd note into the G flat mix.<BR/><BR/>When the song switches to the chorus, it does not switch keys at all, it simply switches over to the major chords of G flat (it goes G flat major, D flat major, B major, if you care about such thing). I just wanted to annoy you (mission accomplished!) by pointing out that the song never actually changes keys, it just sounds different because of the change from the minor chords of the verse to the major chords of the chorus.<BR/><BR/>Key changes really stand out in songs and are often used simply to extend a song a little bit or show the singer's range. But when you an honest-to-goodness key change, you'll know it. An easy example that everybody can recognize is Chicago's "You're the Inspiration." The majority of the song is in one key. At the end, they start repeating the chorus and Peter Cetera and company suddenly switch a whole step higher (going from E flat to F major) and it's a very noticeable switch. Now, that's a key change, ha ha.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com