The Beatles – The Long And Winding Road – Verse 4
The Long And Winding Road < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘Bm’, ‘Gsus2/A’, ‘D’, ‘D7’, ‘G’, ‘Gmaj7’, ‘G’, ‘F#m’, ‘Bm’, ‘Em’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘D7’, ‘G’, ‘F#m’, ‘Bm’, ‘Em’, ‘A’, ‘D’]
Chord Progression Analysis
1. Bm (‘vi’)
2. Gsus2/A (‘IVsus2/V’)
3. D (‘I’)
4. D7 (‘I7’)
5. G (‘IV’)
6. Gmaj7 (‘IVmaj7’)
7. G (‘IV’)
8. F#m (‘iii’)
9. Bm (‘vi’)
10. Em (‘ii’)
11. A (‘V’)
12. D (‘I’)
13. D7 (‘I7’)
14. G (‘IV’)
15. F#m (‘iii’)
16. Bm (‘vi’)
17. Em (‘ii’)
18. A (‘V’)
19. D (‘I’)
To note: `Gsus2/A, D7, G, Gmaj7, G, F#m, Bm, Em, and A` can be considered borrowed from the corresponding D minor scale, the parallel minor, whilst retaining compatibility with the overall major context.
Similar Chord Progressions
Elton John – “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” features similar chord progression and uses similar suspended and sevenths to add complexity to a seemingly straightforward progression.
Bruce Springsteen’s “Backstreets” likewise uses major and minor chords interchangeably for effect, evocative of The Beatles.
For comparison, here’s the chord progressions (with corresponding Roman numerals) for referenced songs:
– Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me (Elton John):
1. C (‘I’)
2. G/D (‘V/II’)
3. F (‘IV’)
4. Am (‘vi’)
5. D (‘II’)
6. G (‘V’)
7. C/G (‘I/III’)
– Backstreets (Bruce Springsteen):
1. G (‘I’)
2. D/F# (‘V/II’)
3. Em (‘ii’)
4. D (‘V’)
5. C (‘IV’)
6. G/B (‘I/III’)
7. A (‘II’)
8. D (‘IV’)
Musical Analysis
The Beatles are known for their evolution from straightforward pop chord progressions to more complex structures. This song is a great example. The iv chord and the I7 (D7 in this case) create tension through a dominant-tonic pull in the direction of G. The use of the minor vi chord, Bm, and iii chord, F#m, invigorate the sequence with a melancholic touch.
Overall Analysis
“The Long And Winding Road” is in the key of D major. The chords are quite typical of pop music, however, The Beatles use of extensions and suspensions provide a unique complexity to the progression. The song dabbles in modal interchange as it borrows chords from parallel minor, a popular Beatles technique.
Style Analysis
Beatles’ songs often feature conventional chords but with clever alterations and movements that provide unexpected depth and mood, creating a individualistic, yet still popular tone. The varied use of suspended and seventh chords add texture and harmonic flavor, while the use of borrowed chords (chord members of the parallel minor while in a major key) create interesting shifts in tonality.
What are the chords in: The Beatles – The Long And Winding Road – Verse 4?
[‘Bm’, ‘Gsus2/A’, ‘D’, ‘D7’, ‘G’, ‘Gmaj7’, ‘G’, ‘F#m’, ‘Bm’, ‘Em’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘D7’, ‘G’, ‘F#m’, ‘Bm’, ‘Em’, ‘A’, ‘D’]
