feel like jumping (1968)
Marcia Griffiths. Reggae, Jamaica.
key: C blues
mode: C mixolydian — C D E F G A Bb C; C blues — C D Eb (E) F# G Bb C
melody: (sol-based mixolydian) R F s l (ta) t d r m f s’ t’ d’ r’
(do-based blues) S TA d r me m f s l ta d’ m’ f’ s’
form: horn intro - vocal intro - verse - chorus - vocal intro
horns: aa
vocal: bb’bb’
verse: cc’cc’
chorus: dddd
meter: duple
English function names: tonic subdominant
Tagg (modified): home counterpoise (away)
Riemann: T7 S7
Scale degrees: I7 IV7
Chords: C7 F7 C7 F7
|:////|////:| loop
Having elements of both mixolydian mode and the blues, this song is more challenging to analyze than you might think on first listen. If we analyze it as mixolydian, there’s really only one note that is “blue” and out of the scale. If we analyze it as blues, well, there’s a lot that can be in a blues scale. It’s also possible to argue that C is not the tonic, but to my ears that’s on shaky ground (from all that jumping, perhaps?). The vocals have a nice Bb, which makes the C sound like a dominant chord, but I am not hearing that note in the instrumental accompaniment — not that its absence there eliminates that possibility, but it certainly doesn’t reinforce it. Tagg might argue that this song doesn’t have a tonic at all; it simply has two places to be. To my ears, the shape of the horn line beginning and ending on C in the lower horn, the hoo-hoo-hoos phrase also ending on C, and every phrase of the verse ending on C help support C as a resting tone. Only the la-la-las of the chorus do not.
Here we have the first of many tonic-subdominant chord shuttles.1 In many ways, a tonic-subdominant shuttle is a fancyed-up drone, since the common note between the chords is the tonic.
Outside of the analytical realm, everything about this song makes me wonder why this is not a pre-K staple. Really, why isn’t every kid between 2-5 years old and their teachers singing this song?2 It’s such an obvious match. Yes, even with the bit about feeling like dying. A song like this is the perfect, safe opportunity to explore that idea.
Many years later, Marcia stopped feeling like jumping and started feeling like sliding: yep, that was her biggest hit in the US — The Electric Slide. Boogie-oogie-oogie.
other recordings: Melbourne Ska Orchestra, 13 Ska Classics, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. C
Caz Gardiner & the Badasonics, self-titled, Fat Beats Records. C
Carolene Thompson, Praying for a Blessing, Peckings. Bb
First in this blog, not first in the world — I don't have time to look for the first ever T-S chord shuttle.
I'd transpose it up to Eb, E, or F for that age, though.