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The key of the song “Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy” by Queen is primarily in C Major. The song employs both diatonic chords (chords that naturally occur within the major scale key) and borrowed chords (chords from a parallel mode). There is a bit of modal mixture where the song borrows from an outside key, specifically the minor key, which is often used in pop music to add color and tension. You can see this in the use of some of the chords here like Fm and Eb7. The piece also utilizes secondary dominant chords and diminished chords. In the bridge, there is modulation to different keys, namely to Fm, which is a parallel minor of F, includes Eb7 (secondary dominant) and Ab (borrowed chord), and goes through sequence of V-I pattern (G7-C).

“Dont Stop Me Now” by Queen has a key of F major. The song takes you on a journey of a unique blend of chords and progression. Freddie Mercury and the entire band are known for their diverse songwriting abilities, apparent in ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’. The chord progression in Verse 2 hints a story-telling stalwart of pop music production – the major-to-relative-minor movement (I to vi), with some interesting additions of minor seven, major seven and diminished seventh chords, giving it a more sophisticated feel.

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.

Killer Queen’ is one of Queen’s signature songs, abounding with Freddie Mercury’s flamboyant melodic invention, clever harmonies, and theatrical presentation. Its chorus in particular uses an array of chords to create a sophisticated and fluid progression. Before embarking on a note-by-note analysis, we can note that it principally operates in the key of G Major and involves a number of borrowed and secondary chords that bring intrigue and depth to the progression.

“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

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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’]