The Beatles – Penny Lane – Verse 5
Penny Lane < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘A’, ‘F#m’, ‘Bm’, ‘E7’, ‘A’, ‘F#m’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘E7’, ‘D’]
Chord Progression Analysis
The full chord names and their roman numeral representations are:
`A (I)`
`F#m (vi)`
`Bm (ii)`
`E7 (V7)`
`A (I)`
`F#m (vi)`
`Am (bVI)`
`F (bVI)`
`E7 (V7)`
`D (IV)`
The borrowed chords here are `Am (bVI)` and `F (bVI)` which are taken from the parallel minor key, that is A minor.
Similar Chord Progressions
One song with a similar progression is “Yesterday” by The Beatles themselves, featuring borrowed chords in a fresh, melodically rich context. The progression in “Yesterday” is F-Em7-A7-Dm-Bb-C7.
Musical Analysis
This progression is tonally centered around A Major with the secondary dominant chord E7, which creates tension and ensures a proper resolution to A Major. The borrowed chords create a flavor of modal mixture that deviates from the standard major key, adding intrigue and unexpected color. The use of minor iv in a major key is a classic Beatles move, creating a sweet and melancholic feel.
Overall Analysis
This is a rich verse chord progression where The Beatles use diatonic and borrowed chords to enrich the melody. This progression follows their signature style of pop music with strong melodious and harmonic elements.
Style Analysis
Stylistically, The Beatles were known for drawing from a broad palette of harmonic and melodic ideas, borrowing from classical, jazz, traditional pop, and contemporary pop music. They dared to step out of the classical diatonic scale, extensively utilizing modal interchange and secondary dominants. This specific progression is a reflection of their creativity, and it helps them add a unique vibe to their music, contrary to typical radio tunes of the era.
What are the chords in: The Beatles – Penny Lane – Verse 5?
[‘A’, ‘F#m’, ‘Bm’, ‘E7’, ‘A’, ‘F#m’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘E7’, ‘D’]
