The Beatles – Strawberry Fields Forever – Chorus 2
Strawberry Fields Forever < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘A’, ‘Em7’, ‘Em7’, ‘F#7’, ‘D’, ‘F#7’, ‘Dmaj7’, ‘A’]
Chord Progression Analysis
Here is the analysis of the chorus:
“`
A: A Major (‘I’)
Em7: E minor 7 (‘ii7’)
Em7: E minor 7 (‘ii7’)
F#7: F# Dominant 7 (‘III7’) – borrowed chord
D: D Major (‘IV’)
F#7: F# Dominant 7 (‘III7’) – borrowed chord
Dmaj7: D Major 7 (‘IVmaj7’)
A: A Major (‘I’)
“`
Similar Chord Progressions
1) “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys
“`
A: A Major (‘I’)
Bmin7: B minor 7 (‘ii7’)
Gmaj7: G Major 7 (‘bVII’)
F#7: F# Dominant 7 (‘III7’) – borrowed chord
D: D Major (‘IV’)
“`
2) “Something” by The Beatles
“`
C: C Major (‘I’)
Em7: E minor 7 (‘ii7’)
A7: A Dominant 7 (‘VI7’) – borrowed chord
D: D Major (‘II’)
F#7: F# Dominant 7 (‘III7’) – borrowed chord
A: A Major (‘VI’)
“`
As can be seen, the use of the III7 chord as a borrowed chord to create tension is a common feature in these chord progressions. This technique was popular amongst bands during the sixties as they searched for ways to express more complex emotions and narratives in their music.
Musical Analysis
The A Major and D Major chords follow the straightforward I-IV progression found commonly in pop and rock music. The Em7 falling at ‘ii7’ functions as a subdominant chord pointing towards the dominant, eliciting a sense of tension that resolves back to D Major. What makes this progression interesting is the use of F#7, a dominant 7th chord on the third scale degree, which is not diatonic to the key of A Major. This is a secondary dominant that creates a temporary cadence to the D Major chord, amplifying the sense of resolution and providing a touch of blues inflection common in Beatles’ music.
Overall Analysis
The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” is composed in the key of A Major, but utilizes a number of chord extensions and non-diatonic chords to create a dreamy, nostalgic soundscape fitting the song’s theme of reminiscing about childhood.
Style Analysis
“Strawberry Fields Forever” is a psychadelic pop song, characterized by its experimental studio techniques, unconventional song structure, and lush, dream-like soundscape. The Beatles often employed secondary dominants and seventh chords to add harmonic color and interest, contributing to the song’s semi-psychedelic character. The chromatic progression and ambiguous tonality add to the disorientating, surrealistic atmosphere evoked in the song.
What are the chords in: The Beatles – Strawberry Fields Forever – Chorus 2?
[‘A’, ‘Em7’, ‘Em7’, ‘F#7’, ‘D’, ‘F#7’, ‘Dmaj7’, ‘A’]
