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“Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane uses a handful of straightforward major and minor chords which contribute to a pop, atmospheric, and emotive sound indicative of the band’s alternative rock aesthetic. The chord progression of the pre-chorus is fairly common and creates a cyclical and slightly unsettled feel that fits well with the song’s lyrical themes of uncertainty and longing for return.

“Somewhere Only We Know” composed by Keane, is a pop-ballad that is based in the key of A Minor. It makes use of both diatonic and borrowed chords in a modern pop style progression that creates an oscillating feel, with repetition for familiarity and simple melody drawn from the underlying chords.

The Rolling Stones’ “As Tears Go By” is primarily in the key of G major and follows a Verse-Verse-Verse-Outro structure. The harmony is relatively simple, incorporating primarily diatonic chords from the G major scale as well as a few borrowed chords and inversions.

Chord Progression Analysis (Outro):
G Major (I) – A Major (V/vi, borrowed from E minor) – C Major (IV) – D Major (V) – G Major (I)

The chord progression “[‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘D’]” from the outro of Weezer’s “The Good Life” is a simple, yet effective progression in the key of E minor. It demonstrates a melancholic feel common to alternative rock and power-pop music genres of the 1990s. The chords in this progression are borrowed from the E natural minor scale.

The outro of Beck’s song “Morning” features a beautiful and interesting chord progression in the key of E major. This progression has a mix of diatonic and borrowed chords that creates an evocative sonority and dreamy atmosphere, fitting seamlessly with the rest of the song.

Keane – Somewhere Only We Know – Outro

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Chord Progression

[‘Dm’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Dm’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘Dm’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm’, ‘C’]

Chord Progression Analysis

`Dm – C – G – Dm – Em – C – Dm – Em – Dm – Em – Dm – C`

`D minor (ii) – C Major (I) – G Major (V) – D minor (ii) – E minor (iii) – C Major (I) – D minor (ii) – E minor (iii) – D minor (ii) – E minor (iii) – D minor (ii) – C Major (I)`

As far as borrowed chords are concerned, there are none in this progression; all chords belong to the key of C Major.

Similar Chord Progressions

1. Beatles – “Let It Be”:
`C Major (I) – G Major (V) – A minor (vi) – F Major (IV) – C Major (I) – G Major (V) – F Major (IV) – C Major (I)`
2. Elton John – “Your Song”:
`E flat Major (I) – B flat Major (V) – A flat Major (IV) – E flat Major (I) – F minor (ii) – G minor (iii) – A flat Major (IV) – E flat Major (I)`
3. Oasis – “Wonderwall”:
`C Major (I) – E minor (vi) – G Major (V) – D Major (II) – C Major (I) – E minor (vi) – G Major (V) – D Major (II)`

These songs share a similar style of focusing the melody and structure around simple chord progressions, giving room for the lyrics and melody to breathe and take the spotlight. They also have slightly unconventional sequences, giving each song its own unique character.

Musical Analysis

The chord progression is cyclic in nature and provides an interesting harmonic bedrock. The repetitive alternation between ii-I/V chords lends an emotional tinge to the song. The song also uses the iii chord (Em), adding a different color to the otherwise familiar pattern and giving the song a bit of tension that is released when the chord progression moves back to the I chord (C Major).

Overall Analysis

“Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane is a softly and tenderly written song that rests primarily on the key of C Major. However, it uses a fair amount of borrowed chords from the parallel minor key, giving it a warm, melancholic tone, which is typical of many pop ballads.

Style Analysis

The band Keane is known for their piano-driven pop/rock sound, and “Somewhere Only We Know” is a clear exemplification of that. In its chord progression, the song employs a brand of simplicity, repetitive cycling, and a sprinkle of unconventional chord usage (iii = Em) that make up their distinctive style of modern rock/pop music.

Chords in the Outro section of Somewhere Only We Know by Keane are:

[‘Dm’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Dm’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘Dm’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm’, ‘C’]