The Beatles – Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds – Verse 2
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘A’, ‘A/G’, ‘A/F#’, ‘A/F’, ‘A’, ‘A/G’, ‘A/F#’, ‘A/F’, ‘A’, ‘A/G’, ‘A/F#’, ‘A/F’, ‘A’, ‘A/G’, ‘F#m’, ‘Dm’, ‘Dm/C’, ‘Bb’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘Bb’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘D’]
Chord Progression Analysis
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A (I)
A/G (‘I’ with ‘♭VII’ in bass)
A/F# (‘I’ with ‘VI’ in bass)
A/F (‘I’ with ‘♭VI’ in bass)
A (I)
A/G (‘I’ with ‘♭VII’ in bass)
A/F# (‘I’ with ‘VI’ in bass)
A/F (‘I’ with ‘♭VI’ in bass)
A (I)
A/G (‘I’ with ‘♭VII’ in bass)
A/F# (‘I’ with ‘VI’ in bass)
A/F (‘I’ with ‘♭VI’ in bass)
A (I)
A/G (‘I’ with ‘♭VII’ in bass)
F#m (‘vi’)
Dm (‘iv’ – borrowed from parallel minor)
Dm/C (‘iv/♭VII’ – first inversion, borrowed from parallel minor)
Bb (‘♭II’ – borrowed from parallel minor)
C (‘III’)
F (‘VI’)
Bb (‘♭II’ – borrowed from parallel minor)
C (‘III’)
G (‘♭VII’ – borrowed from mixolydian mode)
D (‘IV’)
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Similar Chord Progressions
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– “Karma Police” by Radiohead, which employs a similar chromatic descending bass line, and also uses borrowed chords for an unusual harmonic shift.
– “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin, which also uses a similar descending bass line and unexpected shifts in modal harmonies.
– “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by The Beatles also uses borrowed chords and chromatic movement.
Please note that it’s quite rare to find songs with the exact same chord progression as the Beatles’ “Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds” because of its complexity and unusual nature. This is part of what made The Beatles such unique and innovative songwriters. The examples provided have similar elements but do not match exactly.
Musical Analysis
** The Beatles use a descending chromatic bass line with pedal point on A which is a rather sophisticated musical device for a popular music genre. This utilizes inversions of the A Major chord in its descent, making way for an engaging harmonic progression. There is a modulation to the key of F Major via Dm, a pivot chord common to both keys of A Major and F Major. However, this doesn’t last long as it is diverted to Bb Major, creating an unexpected twist. This use of borrowed chords and modulations make for a pop song with an unusually complex harmonic structure.
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Overall Analysis
** The Beatles are well known for their creative and unusual use of chords and harmonies. In “Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds”, there is a clear example of their innovative harmonic vocabulary. They employ a variety of common, borrowed, and chromatic mediant chords to create a remarkable soundscape that complements the psychedelic theme of the song.
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Style Analysis
** The Beatles often combined elements of different musical genres and this is evident in “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”. The song’s chord progression has elements of baroque pop due to its methodical descending bass line. The psychedelic rock influence is manifest in the dreamy, complex harmonic texture, while the folk rock element is evident in the usage of simple root-position triads.
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What are the chords in: The Beatles – Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds – Verse 2?
[‘A’, ‘A/G’, ‘A/F#’, ‘A/F’, ‘A’, ‘A/G’, ‘A/F#’, ‘A/F’, ‘A’, ‘A/G’, ‘A/F#’, ‘A/F’, ‘A’, ‘A/G’, ‘F#m’, ‘Dm’, ‘Dm/C’, ‘Bb’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘Bb’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘D’]
