Stephen Sanchez – Until I Found You – Verse 2
Until I Found You < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘D’]
Chord Progression Analysis
The verse 2 chord progression is as follows:
G Major (‘I’)
B Minor (‘iii’)
C Major (‘IV’)
G Major (‘I’)
B Minor (‘iii’)
C Major (‘IV’)
G Major (‘I’)
B Minor (‘iii’)
C Major (‘IV’)
G Major (‘I’)
D Major (‘V’)
Similar Chord Progressions
1. David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” (after the intro) uses an almost identical progression:
C Major (‘IV’)
E minor (‘vi’)
F Major (‘IV)
C Major (‘I’)
E minor (‘vi’)
F Major (‘IV’)
C Major (‘I’)
E Minor (‘vi’)
F Major (‘IV’)
C Major (‘I’)
G Major (‘V’)
Please note the similarity is not perfect but follows a similar pattern of alternating between a first, third, fourth and then back to the first chord, resulting in the same type of progression: IV-vi-IV-I in the key of C Major.
2. The Beatles’ song “Let It Be” also uses a similar chord progression:
C Major (‘I’)
E minor (‘vi’)
F Major (‘IV)
C Major (‘I’)
E minor (‘vi’)
F Major (‘IV’)
C Major (‘I’)
G Major (‘V’)
These examples employ the same concept of a recurring three-chord phrase with a fourth chord as a transition. The difference lies in the start of the cycle where Bowie’s “Space Oddity” starts on a ‘IV’ chord whereas Sanchez and The Beatles start on the ‘I’.
Musical Analysis
The verse 2 chord progression of “Until I Found You” is quite common in pop and rock music. It begins on the tonic chord (G), moves to the relative minor (Bm), then to the subdominant (C), returning back to the tonic. This gives a sense of forward motion and lyrical build, creating a strong, melodic line over which the verse sits. The D major chord acts as a perfect cadence, resolving back to the tonic chord G major in the following progression or section.
Overall Analysis
The chord progression in verse 2 of Stephen Sanchez’s “Until I Found You” is tonal and grounded in the key of G major throughout. The progression follows a strong, clearly structured pattern with repeated use of the G, Bm, C chords and a concluding D chord used to transition to the following sections. Stephen Sanchez makes significant use of the I-iii-IV chord progression in G major (G-Bm-C), which gives the song its flowing, harmonically stable character.
Style Analysis
This progression is indicative of a major key pop/rock style. Sanchez’s songwriting leans towards melodic, diatonically structured songs, marked by a clearly defined, repeating chord structure. It’s a recurrent feature in contemporary pop music, where harmonic simplicity usually serves the melody and lyrics.
What are the chords in: Stephen Sanchez – Until I Found You – Verse 2?
[‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘D’]
