'Hey Bulldog' (part of compound module).'Across The Universe' (part of compound module).'The Fool On The Hill' (part of compound module).Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' (palindromic keystone) 'Drive My Car' (part of compound module).'Little Child' (part of compound module).In fact, only 15 (22.7%) of the 66 tracks listed above use the chorus in one way only: In 'Golden Slumbers', however, the reprise of the refrain found in the verses makes that distinction.Ĭareful readers might notice that, unlike other Formal Level sections, choruses are typically used in more ways than one within a single song. A refrain typically cannot appear in a chorus because there's no way to discern the "chorus proper" from the refrain. 'Slumbers' is also the only Beatles song to use a "chorus + refrain". While other Beatles tracks are palindromic (see 'I'll Be Back' and 'Don't Let Me Down'), in no other does a chorus function as the keystone of the palindrome. The structure of 'Pepper' is palindromic - it's the same forwards as it is backwards. Lastly, 6 (9.1%) Beatles songs use the chorus in unique ways, and will therefore be considered individually. ![]() 'She Came In Through The Bathroom Window'.Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)'Īlmost all (52 - 78.8%) Beatles songs to use choruses use them as part of a compound module, meaning that the chorus combines with another section (almost always a verse) to create a module that is then repeated (sometimes partially, though usually in full) throughout the song. This is often a repetition of the final phrase (such as "And with a love that like, you know you should be glad" in 'She Loves You'), or a fade out (example: 'I'm Down'), or occasionally a combination of the two (see 'Little Child'). 33 (50.0%) of songs use a concluding chorus: Concluding choruses are iterations of the chorus, but are somehow altered to propel the song to its conclusion. Similarly, though more ambiguously, choruses can also be used at the ends of songs. 'The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill'.Choruses, being high-energy and catchy by nature, often make ideal introductions because they quickly hook a listener's attention. 19 (27.8%) Beatles songs use an introductory chorus: Anything prior to that first verse can be thought of as introductory. These are called "deceptive AABA" structures.Ī song's structure typically begins with the first verse. And several songs, though literally AABAs, don't function as such because the B section is a chorus instead of a bridge. For those not already familiar with AABA structure, the BEATLES MINUTE video below explains it, using 'Please Please Me' as an example.īut AABA designs require a bridge. The Beatles looooved AABA form, using it in 57% of their songs. Nevertheless, the band chose to retain those choices in their cover recordings.ġ4 (21.2%) of Beatles choruses are " faulty bridges" (John Covach's words, not mine) in deceptive AABA forms. Notice that all in this list but 'I'm Down' are covers, meaning the decisions to use a chorus and to base it on the verse were not The Beatles' choices. And those 66 songs use their choruses in a number of different ways.Ĥ (6.1%) of those 66 are based on the verse, meaning the verse and chorus are strongly related (same pacing, same harmonies) even though the choruses are clearly distinct from the verses. With those factors in mind, 66 (31.3%) of The Beatles' 211 tracks use at least one chorus. In other words, you can't have a refrain all by itself but it's common to find a chorus all by its lonesome For more consideration on the sometimes difficult decision, see my blog Ambiguity in 'The Fool on the Hill'. But refrains are dependent on the verse, whereas choruses are independent of the verse. Of course, there is some ambiguity when it comes to distinguishing choruses from refrains, which also employ the same lyrics on each iteration. Those three factors are the primary distinguishing factors when interpreting any given section as a chorus. This helps provide the "thicker texture" characteristic of choruses. Ringo sings the verses by himself, but he's joined by many more voices in each of the choruses. And that distinction is easily discernible listening to 'Yellow Submarine'. That's not to say that verses are - or have to be - low in energy, but typically they are low er in energy. The choruses, in comparison to the verses, elevate the energy levels. Verse 3: "And our friends are all aboard."īut the choruses feature both the same music and the same lyrics:Ĭhoruses 1, 2, and 3: "We all live in a yellow submarine." These three factors all contrast verses, which typically use different lyrics with each iteration, are comparatively less energetic, and usually feature a thinner texture.Įach of the four verses of 'Submarine' implement the same music but different lyrics. ![]() Choruses are defined by three primary elements: 1) repeated lyrics, 2) high energy, and 3) thick texture.
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