here’s where the story ends (1990)
The Sundays. Rock/Popular/Jangle-Pop, United Kingdom.
key: G major
mode: G A B C D E F#
melody: d r m f s l t d’ r’ m’ f'
form: verse-chorus
meter: duple
English function names: tonic subdominant
Tagg (modified): home counterpoise (away)
Riemann: T S
Scale degrees: I IV
Chords: GMA7 CMA7intro:
GMA7 CMA7
|:/ / / / |/ / / / :| 2x
verse 1 & 3
GMA7 CMA7
|:/ / / / |/ / / / :| 6x
verse 2
GMA7 CMA7
|:/ / / / |/ / / / :| 8x
chorus
CMA7 GMA7
|:/ / / / |/ / / / |/ / / / |/ / / / :| 4xThis wistful ditty is made up of two shuttles of different lengths and different positioning of the two chords. Most of the song consists of a tonic-subdominant shuttle, in which each chord lasts one measure. The chorus’ shuttle is twice as long and it is a subdominant-tonic shuttle, providing a sort of counterpoise kickback and putting the home chord at the end of the section. The song itself ends with the short shuttle and a single G downbeat.
On a more personal note, this particular song may be the actual root of my two-chord obsession. The whole album is a gem (and has other two-chord songs!). While I knew of it and listened to it tons when it came out, I first noticed the song's two-chordedness1 when I started teaching myself guitar toward the end of my college studies. I was surprised and intrigued by the fact that it only had two chords. That's it? It has a steady vibe and yet so much seems to happen emotionally.
The major seventh chord is more common in jazz and some styles of classical music, but it does pop up in popular music like this occasionally. I once saw Kristen Hersh in concert and segueing out of her guitar-tuning banter, she played a chord and said, “This is a major seventh chord. You can use major seventh chords if you’re old… or if you’re Simon & Garfunkel… I just turned 36, so now I’m old enough to use them.” I say, don’t wait. Enjoy them at all ages.
other recordings:
Ben Hobbs, Sweet Enough, self-released. Db major.
Kelly Duplex, s/t, Strange Daisy Records. E major.
Is that a word? It's a word now! Coming soon in German: Zweiakkordenheit!