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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.

“Penny Lane,” written by the Beatles, utilizes key changes and borrowed chords to create an interesting and complex tonal palette. The song is best understood to primarily be in the key of A Major; however, it frequently borrows chords from the parallel minor key, uses unexpected dominant chords, and briefly modulates to other key areas for color and variety. This is characteristic of several Beatles songs, and it’s one of the ways they added complexity to their music while still remaining accessible.

The piece “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars showcases a common pop ballad structure that follows a typical 4-chord progression with common tone substitution as well as some chords borrowed from the relative minor. Its simplicity is one of its strengths as it allows the focus to fall on Bruno’s vocals and the lyrics, which matches the direct, emotional content of the song effectively.

The verse 2 chord progression in Tyler, The Creator’s “Earfquake” is a mixture of diatonic and non-diatonic chords. The progression mainly features chords from the Bb Major key, with the D7 acting as a secondary dominant chord (V7/III). The progression has a smooth, jazzy feel that is typical of Tyler’s signature style.

The chord progression in MGMT’s “Congratulations” contains a mix of diatonic and non-diatonic chords, which provide a combination of stability and tension throughout the progression. The harmonic rhythm is slow, and the progression is mostly driven by bass line movement and voice leading. The mixture of borrowed chords, inversions, and suspended chords contributes to the overall unique character of the piece.

The Beatles – Strawberry Fields Forever – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

[‘E’, ‘Emaj7’, ‘E7’, ‘F#m’, ‘E’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘E’, ‘A’, ‘F#m’, ‘D’, ‘E’, ‘D’, ‘A’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Following is your requested structure with chords from Verse 2:

“`
E (I)
Emaj7 (I maj7)
E7 (I7)
F#m (ii)
E (I)
D (bVII)
D (bVII)
E (I)
A (IV)
F#m (ii)
D (bVII)
E (I)
D (bVII)
A (IV)
“`
Here E7 is a dominant function to lead to A. D is a borrowed chord from E mixolydian mode.

Similar Chord Progressions

“Something” by The Beatles also employs a similar pattern using borrowed chords, though in a different key. Its progression amounts to:

“`
C (I)
Cmaj7 (I maj7)
C7 (I7)
F (IV)
D (bVI)
G (V)
G (V)
A (VI)
“`

Musical Analysis

In Verse 2, the progression initially alternates between the E (I) chord with variations, including the altercations to Emaj7 and E7, and the F#m (ii) chord assisting in the mood. Interestingly, the introduction of borrowed chord D (bVII) from the mixolydian mode and subsequent alternation between E and D creates a unique ambiguous tonality. This progression then resolves to A (IV) creating a sense of stability, only to start the cycle anew.

Overall Analysis

“Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles is one of the excellent examples of the unique and complex style popular in the late 1960’s. It is in the key of E and further progresses to F# minor. The progression utilizes modal interchange, chromaticism, and unusual chord progressions to create a dreamlike and psychedelic landscape that perfectly suits the lyrical theme of the song.

Style Analysis

The Beatles had a unique way of fusing both traditional and unconventional harmonic concepts. This piece follows the same. The base key doesn’t remain stable and shifts from major key to its relative minor. Also, this song exhibits a modal interchange, with a switch to Mixolydian mode with the borrowed chord D (bVII) giving a different sonic flavor.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles are:

[‘E’, ‘Emaj7’, ‘E7’, ‘F#m’, ‘E’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘E’, ‘A’, ‘F#m’, ‘D’, ‘E’, ‘D’, ‘A’]