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“Time” by Pink Floyd is a progressive rock song that features an uncommon chord progression with some unique harmonic choices. The Verse 2 progression has a strong sense of tonal ambiguity and the chords often fluctuate between major and minor tonalities. This contributes to the emotional depth and complexity of the song, which is characteristic of Pink Floyd’s music.

The given chord progression is from the verse of Pink Floyd’s “Breathe,” a song from their 1973 album, “The Dark Side of the Moon.” The progression consists of alternating Em and A7 chords throughout the entire verse. This creates a sense of movement and tension between the chords while also being relatively simple and repetitive. The harmonic back-and-forth between these two chords gives the song a dreamy and immersive quality that is a signature sound of Pink Floyd’s style.

“Penny Lane” by The Beatles is an eclectic and elegant piece of music evident in its rhythm, harmony, melody, and lyrics. It is predominantly in the key of A Major, but it has several key changes and introduces chords that are non-diatonic, giving it a progressive and unexpected feel.

“Kiss” by Prince is primarily a rock song that features pop elements. The song utilizes power chords which are common in rock music, having a stripped-down chord structure that highlights the root and the fifth notes of the chord. The defined chord progression listed for Verse 3 is: [‘A5’, ‘D5’, ‘A5’]. This progression lacks the richness of Major or Minor chords but provides a solid, driving rhythm backbone to the song, prioritizing rhythmic energy over harmonic complexity.

“Wild Horses” is a song by the rock band Rolling Stones from their 1971 album “Sticky Fingers”. It is a great example of the band’s adeptness not only at writing catchy rock songs but also at creating complex and interesting chord progressions. The song is in the key of G major. The verse progression is interesting with the use of the B minor chord (Bm), which is the iii chord in the key of G major – a chord that isn’t commonly used in popular music.

Pink Floyd – Time – Verse 3

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Chord Progression

Em7, A, Em7, A, Em7, A, Em7, A, Cmaj7, Bm7, Fmaj7, G, D7#9, D7b9, Bm

Chord Progression Analysis

Here is the chord progression with full chord names and their Roman numerals:
“`
E minor 7 (‘i7’),
A major (‘IV’),
E minor 7 (‘i7’),
A major (‘IV’),
E minor 7 (‘i7’),
A major (‘IV’),
E minor 7 (‘i7’),
A major (‘IV’),
C major 7 (‘VI7’),
B minor 7 (‘v7’),
F major 7 (‘♭II7’),
G major (‘III’),
D7#9 (‘♭V7#9’),
D7b9 (‘♭V7♭9’),
B minor (‘v’)
“`

Borrowed Chord:
“`
Fmaj7 (‘♭II7’)
— Borrowed from the E Phrygian mode
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

1. Radiohead – “Paranoid Android”:
“`
A minor (‘i’),
G minor (‘♭III’),
F major 7 (‘VI7’),
F minor/M7 (‘vi7’),
A minor (‘i’)
“`

2. The Beatles – “Strawberry Fields Forever”:
“`
E minor (‘i’),
D major (‘VII’),
G major (‘III’),
A major (‘IV’)
“`

3. Genesis – “Firth of Fifth”:
“`
A minor (‘i’),
G major (‘VII’),
F major (‘VI’),
E minor (‘v’)
“`

Musical Analysis

This chord progression starts with a pattern of alternating between the Em7 and A chords, creating a sense of uncertainty and suspense. It then moves into the Cmaj7, which functions as a pivot to the v7 chord (Bm7). Following this, the Fmaj7 (borrowed from E Phrygian mode) creates a sense of tension before leading to the G major chord, providing resolution. The progression ends with two altered dominant chords, D7#9 and D7b9, further increasing the tension before ultimately resolving to B minor.

Overall Analysis

“Time” by Pink Floyd is a progressive rock piece characterized by its reflective lyrics, syncopated rhythms, and distinctive use of chromaticism and modality. This chord progression takes place in the third verse of the song, where the harmonic structure is more complex and features borrowed chords, creating a sense of tension and resolution, reflecting the lyrics and conveying emotions of nostalgia and regret.

Style Analysis

“Time” is a prime example of Pink Floyd’s progressive rock style. The song features complex harmonies, explorations of non-diatonic chords, and unconventional chord progressions. The song also showcases the band’s penchant for using meaningful lyrics and storytelling, as well as blending rock and psychedelic elements with lush orchestration.

Chords in the Verse 3 section of Time by Pink Floyd are:

Em7, A, Em7, A, Em7, A, Em7, A, Cmaj7, Bm7, Fmaj7, G, D7#9, D7b9, Bm