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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.

“Love of My Life” by Queen exhibits a very romantic and classical style, resonant of popular ballads primarily from the classical and romantic periods. The song beautifully plays with complex harmonies, frequent key changes and borrowings from parallel keys (modal mixture), which together yield a dramatic and emotional expression. Many of the chords used, including diminished chords, fully diminished seventh, major-minor seventh chords, and usage of secondary dominants are reminiscent of 19th-century Romantic music.

“Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word” is in the key of E minor and shifts to the relative major (G major) at various points, it demonstrates Elton John’s mastery of the line between major and minor keys. It’s a melancholic song with a moderate tempo. The use of both minor and major chords in Elton John’s progression signifies the tension and release in the song’s melody and lyrics.

“Comfortably Numb” is a song by Pink Floyd from their 1979 album, The Wall. It is written in the key of D major and has a slow, dreamy tempo. The second verse of the song features a chord progression that is a blend of major and minor chords, giving the song a sense of melancholy mixed with a calming atmosphere. It also deviates from the typical pop/rock chord progressions, signifying Pink Floyd’s distinct sound and innovative use of harmony.

“Creep” by Radiohead is a song in the key of G major that features a four-chord progression in its verse 2, which is distinctive for its use of a borrowed chord from the parallel minor (G minor). Although the song’s simple harmonic structure is quite common in pop music, its use of a borrowed chord adds an element of surprise and emotional depth, establishing Radiohead’s unique sound.

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’]