…searching for the line between “pop with a lot of keys” and “prog”.
From: Ian
To: Dan, Raja
This truck driver gear shift is so smooth I’m not even sure I’d count it as the truck driver gear shift, but I guess technically it is:
Roxette – Listen to Your Heart
It’s in Bm, but let’s say it’s in Am to simplify notation. The first two verses and choruses, and the solo, are all in Am. Then there’s a brief bridge in D, and I would definitely say that’s a real key change, before it goes back to the chorus, this time in E. The solo → bridge → chorus transition looks something like:
CHORUS (in Am) Listen to your h[Am]eart[F] when he's c[C]alling for y[G]ou. Listen to your h[Am]eart[F] there's nothing e[C]lse you can d[G]o. I don't kn[C]ow where you're g[G]oing and [F]I don't know [C]why, but listen to your h[Am]eart[F] before[G] you tell him goodbye[Am]. SOLO (in Am) [Am] [F] [G] [Am] x 2 [C] [G] [F] [C] [Am] [F] [G] [G] BRIDGE (in D) (note the G → D cadence to smoothly move into the bridge) [D] And there are voices that want to be heard. [Bm] So much to mention but you can't find the words. [A] The scent of magic, the be[G]auty that's been [A] when love was wilder [B] than the wind. CHORUS (in E) Listen to your h[C#m]eart[A] when he's c[E]alling for y[B]ou Listen to your h[C#m]eart,[A] there's nothing [E]else you can [B]do I don't kn[E]ow where you're g[B]oing and [A]I don't know w[E]hy, but listen to your h[C#m]eart[A] bef[B]ore you tell him goodb[C#m]ye.
I like this because it’s not fancy at all, but still contains two key changes and everything fits together perfectly. It’s good clean Scandinavian pop. Nothing superfluous. Like Ikea furniture.
Continue reading to find out whether Roxette is the multiple-key-change champion… →