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“Love Of My Life” by Queen, especially Verse 3, showcases a mix of simple and complex harmony, with many secondary dominants, borrowed chords, and diminished chords contributing to varying and shifting tonal centres. This makes for an emotional and contextually appropriate progression that fits well with the song’s lyrical content.

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).

“Lost Cause” by Beck from the album “Sea Change” showcases a melancholic and heartfelt mood with a slow tempo, exuding a sense of introspection and vulnerability. The song can be described as a folk-rock ballad with subtle touches of country and indie rock.

“Paint It Black” plays with minor tonality, which isn’t extremely common in rock and roll music of the era. The song is in the key of E minor and uses the chords Em, B, D, G, and A. The verse has an interesting use of harmonies, incorporating the minor i, major V, minor iv, major bIII, and major IV chords.

The verse 2 chord progression from Muse’s “New Born” reflects their signature harmonic daring and interesting relationships, which provides this piece with a fresh and captivating sound. The progression features a blend of diatonic and non-diatonic chords, as well as key shifts and chromaticism. It utilizes major-minor modal interchange and emphasizes the Em – B relationship throughout.

Queen – Love Of My Life – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

[‘A’, ‘F#m’, ‘Bm’, ‘E’, ‘E7’, ‘A’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘F#m’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘Em’, ‘A’, ‘D’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Below are the full chord names and their corresponding Roman numerals.

“`
A [I]
F#m [vi]
Bm [ii]
E [V]
E7 [V7]
A [I]
A7 [I7]
D [IV]
Bm [ii]
F#m [vi]
G [bVII] (Borrowed Chord)
D [IV]
G [bVII] (Borrowed Chord)
D [IV]
Bm [ii]
Em [v]
A [I]
D [IV]
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

The Beatles’ “Let It Be” has a similar progression in its verse:

“`
C [I]
G [V]
Amin [vi]
F [IV]
“`

John Lennon’s “Imagine” uses a similar kind of complex chord progression:

“`
Cmaj7 [I]
Cmaj [I]
Fmaj [IV]
Cmaj/E [I]
Fmaj [IV]
Fmaj/E [IV]
Dm [ii]
Dm/C [ii]
Fmaj [IV]
G11 [V11]
G7 [V7]
“`

Once again, like Queen, the Beatles and John Lennon were known to mix common and uncommon chord progressions quite creatively. As a result, their songs create a unique emotional landscape within the listener’s mind.

Musical Analysis

The second verse of “Love of My Life” starts with an ascending sequence of fifth relationship from A (I) chord to D (IV) chord. E7, which is the V7 of A, acts as the dominant chord to return to A maj. The F#m (vi) chord then modulates to Bm (ii), followed by a resolution back to A (I).

The G chord is the interesting chord in this sequence as it’s a borrowed chord from A Mixolydian mode, and is a common technique for creating contrast within the progression. The song also uses plenty of seventh chords, indicative of Queen’s operatic style.

Overall Analysis

“Love of My Life” is a stunning ballad written by Freddie Mercury of Queen. The song is written in the key of A major and is primarily played on piano. It features a sophisticated and somewhat unconventional chord progression that serves as the foundation for Mercury’s versatile vocal performance. It’s arguably one of Queen’s more classical-influenced pieces and makes use of borrowed chord techniques frequently, which are commonly associated with the band’s flirtation with different musical styles, including rock, classical, and opera.

Style Analysis

The chord progression clearly illustrates Queen’s unique blending of rock, opera, and classical music, capturing the theatrical grandiosity that the band is known for. These chords give each verse a cycle of significant emotional shifts, apt to the song’s theme of love and loss.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of Love Of My Life by Queen are:

[‘A’, ‘F#m’, ‘Bm’, ‘E’, ‘E7’, ‘A’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘F#m’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘Em’, ‘A’, ‘D’]