John Denver – Take Me Home Country Roads – Bridge
Take Me Home Country Roads < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘D7’]
Chord Progression Analysis
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Em (iv) -> D (V) -> G (I) -> C (IV) -> G (I) -> D (V) -> Em (vi) -> F (bVII – borrowed chord) -> C (IV) -> G (I) -> D (V) -> D7 (V7)
“`
Similar Chord Progressions
Some other famous songs share a similar chord progression. They include:
“Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars: Bb (I) -> Eb (IV) -> F (V) -> Bb (I)
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Bb (I) -> Eb (IV) -> F (V) -> Bb (I)
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“Let It Be” by The Beatles: C (I) -> G (V) -> Am (vi) -> F (IV)
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C (I) -> G (V) -> Am (vi) -> F (IV)
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These songs also make use of the IV-V-I progression which is a crucial part of their recognizable sound.
Musical Analysis
The chord progression largely stays in the home key, providing a familiar and comforting sound. This is fitting for the song’s lyrics about longing for home. The progression starts off with a iv-V-I turn-around which is quite common in popular music. This movement involves a step down from Em to D to resolve on the G chord serving as tonal center.
There is also a prominent use of a IV-V-I cadence (C-G-D) which is a staple in country and folk music, emphasizing a sense of resolution and homecoming. The use of the F chord serves as a secondary dominant adding chromatic flavor and increasing the sense of tension and expectancy.
Overall Analysis
The song “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver is written in the key of G Major. The chord progression in the bridge made use of the four main chords in this key, which are G, Em, C, and D along with an interesting use of the F chord, which is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key of G minor.
Style Analysis
The chord progression in “Take Me Home, Country Roads” is comfortable and expected, fitting into the country and folk genres that John Denver is associated with. The progression nonetheless offers enough variation to keep listener interest. The prominent IV-V-I cadence aligns with the reassuring style of country music, while the use a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key adds a spicy touch that breaks the predictability and gives the song a unique character.
What are the chords in: John Denver – Take Me Home Country Roads – Bridge?
[‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘D7’]
