The Beatles – Cant Buy Me Love – Chorus
Cant Buy Me Love < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘Dm11’, ‘G13’, ‘C’, ‘C(7)’]
Chord Progression Analysis
Here’s the chord progression for the chorus:
– Em (“iii”);
– Am (“vi”);
– Em (“iii”);
– Am (“vi”);
– Dm11 (“ii11”);
– G13 (“V13”);
– C (“I”);
– C(7) (“I7”).
And here are the borrowed chords used in this progression:
Em, Am, and Dm11 are borrowed chords from the parallel minor key.
“`Markdown
– Em: Borrowed from C minor (“bIII”);
– Am: Borrowed from C minor (“vi”);
– Dm11: Borrowed from C minor (“ii11”).
“`
Similar Chord Progressions
A similar chord progression can be seen in Stevie Wonder’s “I Was Made To Love Her” in the key of F#:
F#m (“iii”), Bm (“vi”), F#m (“iii”), Bm (“vi”), G#m9 (“ii9”), C#9 (“V9”), F# (“I”), F#7 (“I7”).
This follows a similar pattern of descending minor thirds and the ii-V-I progression at the end, though the ii chord is a ninth as opposed to an eleventh as seen in “Can’t Buy Me Love”.
Musical Analysis
The chorus starts on the iii chord, which is the mediant of C Major, creating a sense of modulation. Then it shifts to the vi chord, providing an instance of borrowed chord from the C minor, which adds tension and emotional weight to the section. The progression then returns to the iii and again to vi. Finally, the song shifts to the ii11-V13-I progression – Dm11 to G13 to C. This is a classic jazz progression and it provides a smooth resolution back to the tonic. Lastly the phrase concludes with a C7, a dominant 7th chord, which indicates a return to the F major in the verse.
Overall Analysis
“Cant Buy Me Love” by The Beatles, is a song in the key of C Major, but it has an interesting harmonic structure, especially in the chorus. The song features a number of borrowed and secondary dominant chords to create tension that resolves into the tonic chord. The chorus’s progression can be seen as a series of descending minor thirds, with an unexpected shift to a ii-V-I progression which is quite popular in jazz music.
Style Analysis
This song is a great example of The Beatles’ indelible mark on popular music and their creative use of harmonic structure. Despite being rooted in pop/rock music, their incorporation of complex and jazz-like progressions such as the ii-V-I show their wide musical influences and innovation.
What are the chords in: The Beatles – Cant Buy Me Love – Chorus?
[‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘Dm11’, ‘G13’, ‘C’, ‘C(7)’]
