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Related Music Theory Alchemy

Dead Flowers by The Rolling Stones is a classic track that exhibits some very traditional aspects of popular music and blues-based rock. The song is in D major and follows a fairly standard chord progression, using only three chords (D, A, and G), which make up four-measure phrases that are repeated throughout this part of the song.

“Heartbreaker” by The Rolling Stones is a rock song that exhibits some fundamental rock and blues progressions and chord changes. The chorus of the song is a three-chord progression [E, G, C] that repeats four times.

“Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd is a classic rock ballad from their 1975 album of the same name. The song features an introspective and expressive melody with a predominantly acoustic instrumentation. The chord progression for Verse 2 demonstrates a blend of diatonic and non-diatonic chords, with borrowed chords from parallel modes, which adds to the emotional depth of the piece.

The chord progression in the verse 2 of Beck’s “Morning” is an example of a common progression in popular music, involving the I, IV, iii, and ii chords. The harmony is mostly diatonic, staying within the key of E major. The progression features regular 4-chord phrases and a smooth, consonant flow between chords.

“Say It Ain’t So” by Weezer is an alternative rock song with a sense of melancholy in the verse and a catchy, anthemic chorus. The verse chords, which you provided, create a strong sense of movement and harmonic interest by using borrowed chords and a combination of diatonic and chromatic chord progressions.

The Rolling Stones – Dead Flowers – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

[‘D’, ‘A’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘G’, ‘D’]

Chord Progression Analysis

“`
D Major (‘I’), A Major (‘V’), G Major (‘IV’), D Major (‘I’)
“`
In the context of the key, no borrowed chords are present.

Similar Chord Progressions

A similar chord progression can be found in the following songs:
1. “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
– D (‘I’), C (‘bVII’), G (‘IV’), D (‘I’)
2. “Already Gone” by The Eagles
– G (‘I’), D (‘V’), C (‘IV’), G (‘I’)

Both these songs use very similar chord progressions, and their vibes and themes resonate with “Dead Flowers”. They also fall into the rock/country hybrid genre The Rolling Stones ventured into with this song.

Musical Analysis

In terms of music theory, “Dead Flowers” stands out for its simple yet effective chord progression. The pattern of I-V-IV-I creates a solid foundation for the melody. It’s a simple circle of progression that starts and ends on the same chord, creating a cyclical harmonic motion throughout the song. This is a hallmark of the Rolling Stones’ songwriting style: basic harmonic structures embellished by distinctive melodic and rhythmic elements, mainly driven by the lead guitar riffs and the vocals.

Overall Analysis

“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).

Style Analysis

This chord progression reflects the Stones’ propensity for Americana and country-inspired rock. The simplicity and structure of the chords embody the essence of traditional country music, while their rock sensibility emerges in the song’s instrumentation and production.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of Dead Flowers by The Rolling Stones are:

[‘D’, ‘A’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘G’, ‘D’]