![]() 55 “Eroica” (1804)ĭedication: Prince Joseph Franz Maximilian Lobkowitz. What a song.Īnd you don’t need to take our word for it, or worry too much about our very casual music theory ruminations – just take a look at the pop charts today. Just like what is felt by the two people the song is about. We think that the way voice and harmony combine to outline a A♭ major 7, B♭ and C minor 7 is magical.Īnd again, this harmony has tension, movement and uncertainty. And even when C minor hits, Bush is holding us in suspense singing an B♭ note – that pesky 7th that’s so full of harmonic colour and tension. We then have that slightly unusual B♭ chord and then the tonic or home chord of C minor. ‘Running Up That Hill’ – musescore analysis by Clive Shepherd. This dissonance is accented further by the longer length of the note (what is called an agogic accent), and the slight rhythmic anticipation of it. On the word ‘could’, Bush lands on a G, or the major seventh of A♭ major. Over the chord sequence A♭, B♭ and C minor Bush sings the lyric ‘And if I only could I’d make a deal with God And I’d get him to swap our places.’ This is an unusual chord progression for a chorus, and really highlights the minor-feel to the song.īut we just love how Bush’s vocal line adds even more. When we hit the chorus, this is where (we think) the absolute magic happens. ![]() Pianist performs amazing cover of Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill The harmonic sequence of the chorus ![]() Tension, instability, subtle contrasts – a listener might feel these aspects of the harmony and melody support the themes of the song we were talking about earlier. Bush’s vocals don’t employ much of a dynamic range in this song, so this contrast in word-setting really stands out. The pre-chorus sections are then contrasting: the words ‘you, you and me’ feature melismatic singing (this is when a phrase where many notes is sung to the vowel of one word). This brings a lingering harmonic tension and instability within the driving C minor of the bass and synths.īush’s vocals in the verses are quite declamatory, almost like a sung spoken word or recitative. To a listener’s ear, a minor seventh note always feels it’s leading somewhere, about to resolve. Bush’s vocal lines often focus on the B♭, or the minor seventh of the scale. The vocal line is based on the C natural minor scale, which gives the melodies a modal, slightly bluesy feel. At the climax of the song, you hear a bridge, before three repetitions of the chorus and an outro or coda section. The song has two verses and the chorus, that is preceded by a pre-chorus section. Those glorious 80s synths (Fairlight CMIs) ring out short, descending phrases with a minor key feel. There’s a driving drum beat from the beginning, which almost feels like a drone. We’re in C minor – the classic key of Beethoven angst – and a slightly unusual key for a pop song. ![]() The music theory of Bush’s ‘Running Up that Hill’ There’s uncertainty and a longing for that emotional resolution – Bush does some very interesting things harmonically that also bring these themes into the music for the listener. The song’s mood is passionate and pleading. “If they could make a deal with God, to change places, that they’d understand what it’s like to be the other person and perhaps it would clear up misunderstandings,” Bush said. ![]()
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