The Rolling Stones – Start Me Up – Verse 3
Start Me Up < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘G’]
Chord Progression Analysis
The progression for the third verse looks like: D, G, D, G, A, D, A, D, A, D, A, D, G. Here are the full chord names and their Roman numerals.
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D Major (‘I’)
G Major (‘IV’)
D Major (‘I’)
G Major (‘IV’)
A Major (‘V’)
D Major (‘I’)
A Major (‘V’)
D Major (‘I’)
A Major (‘V’)
D Major (‘I’)
A Major (‘V’)
D Major (‘I’)
G Major (‘IV’)
“`
Based on this progression, it is observed that there are no borrowed chords in this case.
Similar Chord Progressions
The I-IV-V progression is widely used in rock music. Here are some examples:
Proud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival:
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D Major (‘I’)
A Major (‘V’)
B Minor (‘VIm’)
G Major (‘IV’)
A Major (‘V’)
“`
Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker:
“`
G Major (‘I’)
D Major (‘V’)
E Minor (‘VI’)
C Major (‘IV’)
“`
While both Proud Mary and Wagon Wheel have slight variations, they also strike a balance between stark contrast and harmonic resolution, much like “Start Me Up.”
Musical Analysis
The song’s driving, upbeat tempo gives it a quintessential rock ‘n’ roll feel. Its I-IV-V progression makes it sound resolute and straight-forward – typical traits of The Rolling Stones’ style. The back and forth play within D Major to G Major and then to A Major gives the song a predictable but satisfying harmonic movement common in many rock songs.
Overall Analysis
“Start Me Up” by The Rolling Stones is structured in a key of D Major, and the song largely follows a I-IV-V chord progression, which is a staple in many genres, especially in blues and rock music. The progression is known for its simple, catchy, and resolved sounds.
Style Analysis
The Rolling Stones are celebrated for their blues-influenced rock music, and “Start Me Up” is an exemplar of this style. The I-IV-V progression is a fundamental feature found in foundational blues progressions, translated here into a rock context. The contrasting major chords work to create a progression that feels both striking and cohesive, capturing The Rolling Stones’ signature style.
What are the chords in: The Rolling Stones – Start Me Up – Verse 3?
[‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘G’]
