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“Say It Ain’t So” by Weezer is an alternative rock song with a sense of melancholy in the verse and a catchy, anthemic chorus. The verse chords, which you provided, create a strong sense of movement and harmonic interest by using borrowed chords and a combination of diatonic and chromatic chord progressions.

The interlude of Weezer’s “Island in the Sun” is in the key of G Major, and features a four-chord progression that repeats itself twice (Em-Am-D-G). The sequence follows a vi-ii-V-I progression, which is a very common progression in pop and rock music.

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‘Set Fire to the Rain’ is written in the key of D minor. The main course of progression uses the chords of Dm, B-flat Major, F Major and C Major. This is a 6-4-1-5 progression, which is very popular and is used in a lot of pop music.

What makes this progression interesting is that Adele uses the 2nd inversion of the A minor chord, Am/B, and G/A, which gives it a unique timbre. `Am/B` is the 2nd inversion of the `Am` chord and `G/A` is the 2nd inversion of the `G` chord.

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“Save Me” by Queen is a rock ballad that uses a complex mix of traditional popular song structures and common rock chord progressions. The song structure is largely verse-chorus, but then there’s a bridge serving as the solo section, and finally ends with repeating choruses. The chord progression for the chorus utilizes a variety of chord inversions, diatonic chords, and non-diatonic or borrowed chords, which are typical of Queen’s music style.

“Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day, released in 2004, is an alt-rock anthem that largely follows a 4-chord progression throughout the song. The key signature of the song is E minor (derived from the root chord), and essentially all chords used in the song are diatonic, meaning they are derived from the scales of the key. The chorus shifts to a progression in C Major. However, it returns to E minor at the end.

Weezer – Say It Aint So – Chorus

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Chord Progression

Am, E, F, C, Am, E, F, C, Am, E, F, C, Am, E, F, C

Chord Progression Analysis

Am (vi) – E (V/vi) – F (IV) – C (I)

Similar Chord Progressions

1. Radiohead – “Creep”
Chord Progression: G (I) – B (III) – C (IV) – Cm (iv)

2. Green Day – “When I Come Around”
Chord Progression: G (I) – D (V) – Em (vi) – C (IV)

3. Pink Floyd – “Wish You Were Here”
Chord Progression: Em (ii) – G (IV) – Am (vi) – Em (ii)

4. The Cranberries – “Zombie”
Chord Progression: Em (iii) – C (I) – G (V) – D (ii)

Musical Analysis

The chord progression starts on the vi (Am) chord, which serves as the relative minor to the tonic C major. This creates a darker, more introspective sound to the chorus. The next chord is E (V/vi), which can be seen as a borrowed chord from the parallel harmonic minor key (A harmonic minor).

“` Borrowed Chord: E (V/vi) “`

This introduces a greater sense of tension, which is then resolved to the F (IV) chord. Finally, the C (I) tonic chord resolves the progression and brings it back to the major sound. The repeating nature of this progression creates a sense of familiarity, while the interplay between the minor and major chords lends the progression its emotional depth.

Overall Analysis

The chorus of Weezer’s song “Say It Ain’t So” can be analyzed as a simple and memorable chord progression in the key of C major. The progression features a repeating pattern of four chords: Am, E, F, and C.

Style Analysis

Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So” is a rock song with a grunge influence, characterized by its distorted guitar riffs and introspective lyrics. The style of this progression, with its somber start on the vi chord and use of a borrowed chord to create tension, contributes to the overall mood of the song. The simple, diatonic nature of the progression is also reminiscent of traditional pop songwriting.

Chords in the Chorus section of Say It Aint So by Weezer are:

Am, E, F, C, Am, E, F, C, Am, E, F, C, Am, E, F, C