Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Dead Flowers” by The Rolling Stones, from their album “Sticky Fingers” (1971), features a fairly straightforward repetitive chord progression of D, A, G, D in the verse. The key here is D Major. This common progression falls into a I-V-IV-I pattern known as a “plagal cadence”. It’s a progression which consists of a major key followed by its dominant (V), then its subdominant (IV), taking us back to the tonic (I).

“Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones is a rock ballad with a minor tonality and is composed in the key of G major. The song incorporates the use of modal interchange, more commonly referred to as borrowed chords, from the parallel minor. This common technique in rock music contributes to the melancholic and emotionally resonant feeling of the song.

The pre-chorus of Weezer’s “If You’re Wondering If I Want You To (I Want You To)” features a simple yet effective chord progression primarily centered around the D major chord. The piece overall follows a pop-rock, alternative musical style consistent with the typical sound of Weezer.

**

“When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars is in the key of C major. The song relies heavily on diatonic chords and uses a structure that is common in popular music, especially ballads. It follows conventional diatonic chord progressions and also incorporates non-diatonic chords for added tension and resolution.

**

“Closer” by Nine Inch Nails, released in 1994, is a well-known song distinguished by its catchy synth lines, explosive percussion, and provocative lyricism. Hinged on a distinct, repeating synth bassline, the song employs a fundamental chord progression epitomizing the alternative rock and industrial genres. Its tonal centre revolves around the key of C# minor.

The Rolling Stones – Dead Flowers – Pre-chorus

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

< All Analyses

Chord Progression

[‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The pre-chorus of “Dead Flowers” goes: ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’. This would translate as the following in a diatonic key of D major:

A Major (V),
D Major (I),
A Major (V),
D Major (I)

There are no borrowed chords in this progression.

Similar Chord Progressions

An identical chord progression (V-I) is found in “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd with the chords D-C-G (I-bVII-IV in G Major) and “Let It Be” by The Beatles with the chords C-G-Am-F (I-V-vi-IV in C Major), both of which show a similar simple and melodic approach to songwriting.

The progression in “Dead Flowers” and “Sweet Home Alabama”:
– ‘D’, ‘C’, ‘G’
– D Major (I’),
C Major (bVII’),
G Major (IV’)

The progression in “Dead Flowers” and “Let It Be”:
– ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘F’
– C Major (I’),
G Major (V’),
A minor (vi’),
F Major (IV’)

Musical Analysis

This chord progression is straightforward and falls into the convention of numerous rock and pop songs. The A acts as the dominant fifth, which resolves to the tonic D providing the typical tension and resolution characteristic of so much popular music. This is an example of a basic V-I chord progression.

Overall Analysis

The song “Dead Flowers” by The Rolling Stones is a classic rock tune that is characterized by its simple yet effective chord progressions. The key of this song is D Major. This song utilizes mostly major chords (D, A, and G), and it has a strong emphasis on the I-IV-V chord progression, a staple in many rock, blues, and pop music.

Style Analysis

“Dead Flowers” falls into the genre of Rock and has heavy country influences. The use of a simple and repeated chord progression is a key feature in both rock and country music. The chord progression of ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’ is simple and easy to follow, making the song catchy and memorable, typical characteristics of the Rolling Stones’ style.

Chords in the Pre-chorus section of Dead Flowers by The Rolling Stones are:

[‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’]