The Beatles – Across The Universe – Verse 1
Across The Universe < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘F#m’, ‘Em7’, ‘A’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘F#m’, ‘Em7’, ‘Gm’]
Chord Progression Analysis
The chords from the first verse can be set out in the key of D major as follows:
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D Major (I), B minor (vi), F# minor (iii), E minor 7 (ii7), A Major (V), A7 (V7), D Major (I), B minor (vi), F# minor (iii), E minor 7 (ii7), G minor (iv – Borrowed from D minor)`
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Similar Chord Progressions
Here is a song by another artist that employs a similar usage of borrowed chords:
Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” contains the following progression in its chorus:
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G (I), Bm (iii), Em (vi), C (IV – borrowed from G minor), G (I), D (V), C (IV – borrowed from G minor), G (I)`
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Like “Across The Universe”, this song ends on borrowed chord from the parallel minor key. This again reiterates the mysterious and soul-stirring effect that such chord transitions can evoke.
Musical Analysis
The progression begins ordinarily enough with a tonic chord (I – D Major) before moving to a submediant (vi – B minor). Then it continues through mediants (iii – F# minor) and supertonics (ii – E minor 7), hinting at a circle-of-fifths progression, but instead moves to the dominant (V – A Major), which further extends to a dominant seventh chord (V7 – A7). The progression then returns to the tonic, and almost starts to repeat itself, but resolves instead to the G minor. This G minor chord is a borrowed iv chord from the parallel minor key (D minor), adding an unexpected twist to the progression and infusing it with a haunting quality.
Overall Analysis
“Across The Universe” by The Beatles, written mostly by John Lennon, is known for its rich and complex harmonic structures that added new dimensions to pop music. The song is predominately in the key of D major, with occasional borrowings from the parallel minor (D minor) and the closely-related key of B minor. The verse 1 progression – D, Bm, F#m, Em7, A, A7, D, Bm, F#m, Em7, Gm – creates an affectingly melancholic mood through its mix of major, minor and borrowed chords, producing a unique ambience that evokes a sense of cosmic contemplation, matching with the philosophical lyrics of the song.
Style Analysis
The Beatles were known for their eclectic style touches, and “Across The Universe” is no exception. This song can be seen as an example of their penchant for blending Eastern philosophical concepts with Western musical traditions, extending to the use of unusual, borrowed chords and modal melodies.
The progression displays characteristics typical of the Beatles’ mature style: elaborate harmonies, experimentation with chord extensions (like Em7 and A7), and key modulation. Their songwriting technique often borrowed elements from classical music such as the use of non-diatonic (borrowed) chords – in this case, the G minor borrowed from parallel minor.
What are the chords in: The Beatles – Across The Universe – Verse 1?
[‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘F#m’, ‘Em7’, ‘A’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘F#m’, ‘Em7’, ‘Gm’]
