The Beatles – Rocky Raccoon – Verse 4
Rocky Raccoon < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘Am7’, ‘D7sus4’, ‘D7’, ‘G7’, ‘C’, ‘C/B’, ‘Am7’, ‘D7sus4’, ‘D7’, ‘G7’, ‘C’, ‘C/B’]
Chord Progression Analysis
Am7 (ii7), D7sus4 (V7sus4), D7 (V7), G7 (I7), C (IV), C/B (IV/iii), Am7 (ii7), D7sus4 (V7sus4), D7 (V7), G7 (I7), C (IV), C/B (IV/iii)
The full chords are:
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Am7 – A-minor 7th
D7sus4 – D major dominant 7th (suspended 4th)
D7 – D major dominant 7th
G7 – G major dominant 7th
C – C major
C/B – C major / B (inversion)
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There are no outright borrowed chords, as each chord belongs in the key of G major, but there are two chord alterations. The D7sus4 (suspended 4th) that resolves to D7 introduces tension, and the G7 is a dominant 7th in the root position, rather than the typical tonal resolution from a V7 or V7sus4 chord to a I chord.
Similar Chord Progressions
The ii-V-I progression is one of the most common progressions in jazz and pops up a lot in popular music as well. Songs like “Creep” by Radiohead (G – B – C – Cm) and “Run Away with Me” by Carly Rae Jepsen (G – B – Am – G – B) contain similar elements to the ii-V-I progression found in “Rocky Raccoon”, though they are in different keys.
For “Creep”:
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G (I), B (III), C (IV), Cm (iv)
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For “Run Away with Me”:
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G (I), B (III), Am (ii), G (I), B (III)
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Musical Analysis
In the chord progression, you can see a clear ii-V-I progression (Am7-D7-G7) that is very popular in jazz, making the music trickier than the typical pop I-IV-V or ii-V-I progression. The C/B chord is an inversion of the C chord that creates a descending bass line from C to B to Am7, offering a sense of forward motion and driving the progression back to the beginning of the cycle.
Overall Analysis
“Rocky Raccoon” by The Beatles is noted for its eclectic blend of folk, country, and popular music styles. The song is written in G major and follows a fairly straightforward progression but with a couple of important twists.
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Style Analysis
“Rocky Raccoon” by The Beatles reflects their talent for seamlessly mixing different musical influences. The verse chord progression has a folk or country flavor, emphasized by the G7 and C/B chords, with some jazz influences in the ii-V-I progression.
What are the chords in: The Beatles – Rocky Raccoon – Verse 4?
[‘Am7’, ‘D7sus4’, ‘D7’, ‘G7’, ‘C’, ‘C/B’, ‘Am7’, ‘D7sus4’, ‘D7’, ‘G7’, ‘C’, ‘C/B’]
