The Rolling Stones – You Cant Always Get What You Want – Verse
You Cant Always Get What You Want < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘G’, ‘Gadd9’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Gadd9’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Gadd9’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Gadd9’, ‘G’, ‘C’]
Chord Progression Analysis
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`G Major (I)`
`Gadd9 (I)`
`G Major (I)`
`C Major (IV)`
`G Major (I)`
`Gadd9 (I)`
`G Major (I)`
`C Major (IV)`
`G Major (I)`
`Gadd9 (I)`
`G Major (I)`
`C Major (IV)`
`G Major (I)`
`Gadd9 (I)`
`G Major (I)`
`C Major (IV)`
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Similar Chord Progressions
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(1) “Let It Be” – The Beatles:
“`
C (I)
Cmaj9 (I)
C (I)
G (IV)
C (I)
Cmaj9 (I)
C (I)
G (IV)
…
“`
(2) “Every Breath You Take” – The Police:
“`
G (I)
Gadd9 (I)
G (I)
Cadd9 (IV)
G (I)
Gadd9 (I)
G (I)
Cadd9 (IV)
…
“`
In each case above, a I-IV progression embellished with an add9 chord is used, creating a similar blend of tension and resolution within the major tonal landscape.
Musical Analysis
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The song employs a I-IV chord progression rhythmically cycled, creating an open-world feel, where the harmonic orientation is apparent, but not overly restrictive. Note the use of the Gadd9 chord, which is simply a G Major chord with an added 9th (A). In popular music, add9 chords are often deployed as subtle coloring variations of their major or minor triad counterparts and offer a slight sense of tension and resolution within the same chord, which adds to the characteristic sound of this song.
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Overall Analysis
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“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones is built around major tonality and uses direct and simple progressions. It also features what are known as additive chords (Gadd9) – chords to which notes are added beyond the common triad. The song commences in the key of G Major, indicated by the G, Gadd9, and C chords. These chords progress in an almost continual cyclical pattern across the verses. Here, the dominant chord (D) in the key of G Major is absent, which grants a tonal ambiguity to the song. Interestingly, the song takes a departure into a different key later on which will not be included in this analysis as it pertains to the Verse only.
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Style Analysis
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The Rolling Stones often brawl the contours between traditional blues rock progression styles with more avant-garde touches, and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” is a great example of this trait. The use of the Gadd9 lends a slightly jazzy inclination to the music; they provide an unexpected color to the melody and create a suspended array of simultaneously tense yet soothing emotions. This usage of chord addition was common in the progressive rock era and also in pieces influenced by jazz fusion, indicating the Stones’ inclination to break away from the typical rock chord progressions.
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What are the chords in: The Rolling Stones – You Cant Always Get What You Want – Verse?
[‘G’, ‘Gadd9’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Gadd9’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Gadd9’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Gadd9’, ‘G’, ‘C’]
