It Just Comes Natural

Background: In a previous blog, we talked about highways, interstates, streets, and roads, which are constructed by humans.  But sometimes, we can use things in nature to paint a picture in our songs.  All the tunes discussed in this blog will focus on songs that do just that!

1. “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream

Lyrically: In a previous blog, we talked about the contrast of the phrase “Everything gets hotter when the sun goes down.”  In Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love,” there are contrasts and straight up comparisons with the love discussed in the song.  Dawn is described as “When lights close their tired eyes,” and I normally think of dawn as when the sun (the light) begins to shine.  It’s then revealed that he’s going to give her his “dawn surprise,” and although it’s obviously not talking about actual sun, it provides a light for the woman in question.  It also discusses the actual sun in the second verse, saying, “The light’s shining through on you.”  The chorus, as the title implies, though, discusses the sunshine of (her) love, meaning she becomes the light for him.  Mutually beneficial love – what a concept!

Structurally: The song uses a verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, verse, chorus format.  Unless they’re at the end of a song, I enjoy solos that feel like they’re part of the song, helping it flow, rather than being a way to show off and/or make the song longer.  In my opinion, “Sunshine of Your Love” does this very well, having the solo be played over the main riff of the verses, allowing it to transition smoothly back into the final verse and eventually chorus.  This makes sense, with it being a blues song, as those tend to not have bridges or anything more complicated than a verse, chorus, verse format.

Melodically: The song uses guitar, bass, and drums, played by the three members of the group and is in D major. The intro uses a riff based on a D note, which is the I. Start with power chords D, C, and D (a I, VII, I pattern), followed by a scale wise walk down on the notes A, G#, G, D, F, D, a V, IV, I, III, I pattern, which is played four times.  The verses use the same chord-riff melody: D, C, and D, and notes A, G, F, D, F, D (a V, IV, III, I, III, I pattern), followed by D, C, D, F, D (a I, VII, I, III, I pattern).  These two patterns get played three times before moving to the IV, G and repeats the riff motif: G, F, G, F, G, and G, F, G, and D (the IV, III, IV pattern, that ends on the I).  Then the verse goes to A using  A, C, G, A, C, G, A, C, G, A (a V, VII, IV pattern).

On a melancholy closing note, since my first draft of this blog, we lost John Mayall. Both Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce played with the Bluesbreakers, and Eric has said in interviews that he was rather uncomfortable playing on his own. John Mayall’s mentorship helped him and countless others come out of their shell, and I am very grateful for the work he did with some of my favorite musicians, helping them develop their confidence and a distinct blues sound.

“Sunshine of Your Love” is embedded below.

2. “Blue Sky” by the Allman Brothers Band

Lyrically/Structurally: “Blue Sky” talks about how everything is better when this person’s significant other is around, and even when she’s not.  Because just the mere thought of her makes his sky blue – from watching the river flow and hearing a bluebird sing in the first verse, to hearing church bells ringing in the last verse.  Even though my first blog talked about “Tangled Up in Blue” by Bob Dylan, I have emphasized multiple times that sometimes less is more in songs.  The Allmans were known more for their guitar playing, but this is still one of my favorite songs lyrically, as it says so much in so little time.  There are two verses to this song, and after the first part of the first verse, there’s an instrumental break.  After the first verse, there is a chorus, followed by an extended solo.  The song then closes out with a final verse, a chorus, and a solo used as an outro.  It’s so simple and that’s what makes it work so well.

Melodically: The song is in E major where the chords are E (I), A (IV), and B as the V chord.  The intro uses E, A, D/A, A, E (played twice), The intro has a melodic riff on harmonized guitars, a sound that is the iconic sound of the Allman Brothers. The verses use E, B, A, E, A, B, A, D/A, and A, followed by A, D/A, A, E, B, A.  The chorus uses B, A, E, D/A, and A, followed by B, A, E, D/A, A, B, D/A, A, E, A, A, and F#m7 (ii7).  The solo switches off between E and A.  Overall, the song uses electric and acoustic guitar, as well as bass, piano, and drums.  

This is one of the first Allman Brothers Band songs I heard.  This was probably around the age of 4 or 5, but I could immediately tell there was something different and cool about the guitar on the track.  Although Eat a Peach was released after the tragic and too soon passing of Duane Allman, Duane is featured on the track (and the album as a whole), alternating and harmonized guitar leads with Dickey Betts, as well as playing acoustic guitar.  The lead guitar on “Blue Sky” ranks in my top solos of all time.  There is Lynyrd Skynyrd’s sound and the sound of the Marshall Tucker Band, but if someone were to ask me what defines Southern Rock sonically, I would point to the guitar tones of The Allman Brothers Band. 

Since my first draft of this blog, Dickey Betts passed away, and when my mom passed the news onto my dad (who used to play Allman Brothers in the car growing up), she said it really messed with him – to the point where he brought it up again before he went to bed.  That’s how distinct that sound was.

Closing Note: In case you’re reading this thinking, “Hey Mr. Positive, shut the hell up!” there’s a great song by Emily West, also called “Blue Sky” that takes the hook in a new direction.  I’ve embedded both below.

3. “Green Grass and High Tides” by The Outlaws

Lyrically: When I think of the greatest jam songs of all time, “Green Grass and High Tides” is always high up on my list.  But don’t be fooled by the instrumentation – this is also a fabulous song lyrically.  It’s a bit of an escapism song, longing for a place where they can roam free and escape all the worries of life – being able to see each other for who they truly are.  All songs are lyrically up for interpretation, but there’s a really solid chance that the place of finding oneself is talking about the afterlife, as the chorus mentions “lost faces” (as in the loved ones we’ve lost who we will be reunited with).  

Structurally: The song uses a verse, verse, chorus, solo, verse, chorus, solo format.  As I stated earlier, the guitar in this song is absolutely stellar, and the extended solos are truly what make the song.  But they also break up the fabulous lyrical sections and if the song is truly about the afterlife, adds some tension to actually getting to that peace of mind.

Melodically: The song uses Em and C (played four times), followed by B, Em, C, G, D, D, A (also four times), and Em, C, G, D, and A in the intro (you guessed it – also played four times).  The verses use Em, G, C, D, and A  throughout, though the last chord of each verse cuts out the D.  The solos get played over the same progression Em, G, C, D and A as a two bar riff with the Em, C, G, D played over the 1 2 3 4 of the first bar, and A for one bar with second solo being played 34 times (on the album track).  There are slight variations for the final solo, but that’s the gist.  Overall, the song is played in Em minor with the A and B chords borrowed from E major.

“Green Grass and High Tides” is embedded below.

4. “Valley Winter Song” by Fountains of Wayne

Lyrically: “Valley Winter Song” is sung from the perspective of someone who is trying to cheer up someone in his life, who is down in the dumps due to the winter weather.  It may be a no-brainer for you, as to why a Minnesotan would relate to this song so well, but even when you take the snow out of the equation, January and February can be pretty gloomy, due to it getting dark so early in the day.  But “Valley Winter Song” focuses on the beauty of the snow in New England, contrasted by “Short days and afternoons spent puttering around in a dark house with the windows painted shut.”  In previous analyses about Fountains of Wayne songs, I have focused extensively on Adam Schlesinger-penned tunes.  Generally speaking, Adam wrote the funny ones (like “Stacy’s Mom”) while Chris Collingwood wrote the more introspective tunes.  “Valley Winter Song” is a Chris song, and always makes me happy whenever I hear it.  Winter can be both gloomy and beautiful, but it’s rather uplifting to hear a song like this and know that someone empathizes with my seasonal depression, while also being committed to helping me see the beauty in the time of year.

Melodically: The song is recorded in the key of Bb major and played with the capo on the 3rd fret, the intro uses guitar chord shapes G, Bm, C, Cadd9, C, Cadd9, and C, which gets played 4 times.  The verse uses Em, C, and G, D, A7, C, D, Bm, C, Am, C/B, and C, followed by G, C, D, G, B7, C, G, C, G, Am, C/B, and C, while the chorus uses D, C, G, D, Am, C, D, C, Em, C, D, and G.  The instrumental interlude between the chorus and second verse uses G, Bm, and C, which gets played twice, while the solo after the second chorus uses G, C, G, D, A7, C, D, Bm, C, Am, C/B, and C.  The outro then uses G, Bm, C, and G. As played on the guitar relative to the capo the chords correspond to G (I), Am (ii), Bm (iii), C (IV), D (V), and Em (vi).  Instrumentally, the song uses acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums, and bass.  In a previous blog, we discussed “Fire in the Canyon” by Fountains of Wayne, and although it’s thematically different, I’ve always viewed it as a melodic spiritual sequel to “Valley Winter Song.”  Chris went through a country music phase in his writing (which also yielded “Hung Up on You”), so this is a relatively straight line in that regard (rather than a crooked road we travel down).

Structurally: The song uses a verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, chorus format.  The gentle simplicity carries the song, and a third verse or a bridge is therefore unnecessary.  Verse 1 encourages her to hang in there until summer, despite “The interstate choking under salt and dirty sand and the sun hiding from the moon,” while verse two leans into the horrible sight that was a New England winter, contrasted by the chorus, which talks about how beautiful the snow can be.  After both of those things are presented, no new information is necessary, but the solo between the second and third choruses breaks things up nicely.

“Valley Winter Song” is embedded below.