Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy” by Queen exhibits rich harmonic complexity that falls within the signature rock style of the band. This is evident in the fluctuation between major and minor chord quality, frequent use of 7th chords as well as borrowed chords from the parallel minor. The progression moves fluidly between the tonics, subdominants, and dominants, with a strong cadential movement towards the end that resolves the tension built upon earlier in the piece.

“Someone to Love” by Queen is a rock song infused with gospel and blues influences. It’s written in the key of Ab major but the second verse you have provided seems to be in G major.

The chord progression of the chorus of California Kids by Weezer displays a mixture of diatonic and borrowed chords in the key of F Major. The progression has a common pop-rock feel with some chromatic harmonic elements, bringing a more interesting and engaging effect to the listener.

The chord progression in the chorus of “Give Me The Night” by George Benson demonstrates the use of extended and borrowed chords. The progression consists of a mix of diatonic chords and chords borrowed from the parallel minor, which is a characteristic of jazz and R&B music. The use of the Db/Eb also adds a layer of harmonic ambiguity that creates tension, enriching the overall sound of the piece.

“Here Comes The Sun” is written by George Harrison from The Beatles and it is a key example of the band’s flirtation with what is commonly referred to as Mixolydian mode. The piece showcases their skillful blending of folk idioms with contemporary pop sensibilities.

Queen – Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy – Chorus 3

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

Chord Progression

[‘C’, ‘G7/B’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘G7/B’, ‘Am’, ‘E7/G#’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm7’, ‘Fm’, ‘G7’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’]

Chord Progression Analysis

“`
C (I),
G7/B (V7/iii),
Am (vi),
Em (iii),
F (IV),
C (I),
G7/B (V7/iii),
Am (vi),
E7/G# (V7/vi),
Am (vi),
Em (iii),
Am (vi),
Em (iii),
Dm7 (ii7),
Fm (iv- Borrowed from C minor),
G7 (V7),
C (I),
G (V),
C (I)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

While this exact chord progression might not appear in many songs due to its complexity, certain movements such as IV – I, I – vi, and V7 – I are very common in popular music. The use of chromatic mediants, secondary dominants and borrowed chords are also seen in many compositions by The Beatles, particularly in songs like “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever.”
Chord progression for “Penny Lane”:
“`
B (I),
E/F# (V/I),
G#m (iii),
F# (V),
B (I),
F#7/A# (V7/IV),
B/D# (I),
F# (V),
B (I)
“`

Musical Analysis

The progression starts brightly with the tonic C major chord (I), then moves to G7/B (V7/iii), functioning as a secondary dominant to set up the following Am chord (vi). Em is the mediant (iii), followed by a plagal cadence from F (IV) back to C (I). The Fm that appears is a borrowed chord from the C minor key, adding a touch of melancholy into the progression.

Overall Analysis

This chord progression is from the song, “Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy” by Queen, which is known for its complex and intricate progressions. The song is set in the key of C major, and it features a mixture of triadic major and minor chords, dominant sevenths and the common use of borrowed and secondary dominant chords to create tension. This creates a lot of harmonic interest.

Style Analysis

Queen is noted for their unique blend of rock, pop and classical influences, and “Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy” exemplifies this with its mix of tonally stable and less predictable harmonic movements. It uses both diatonic and non-diatonic chords regularly, which is a characteristic trait of Queen’s harmonic language especially in their ballads and slower songs.

Chords in the Chorus 3 section of Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen are:

[‘C’, ‘G7/B’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘G7/B’, ‘Am’, ‘E7/G#’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm7’, ‘Fm’, ‘G7’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’]