Author: Maurice Lee
We listen to pop songs but do not bother to dredge up the elements. There are often 10 components in a pop song:
(1) intro
(2) verse
(3) pre-chorus
(4) chorus
(5) outro
(6) solo
(7) interlude
(8) bridge
(9) tag
(10) hook
The fundamental structural parts of a popular song are the ‘verse’ and ‘chorus’. Pop songs almost invariably have both a verse and a chorus. The basic difference is that when the music of the verse returns, it is usually given a new set of lyrics to develop and tell a story; and the verse may be usually the statement by the singer but the chorus can sometimes be sung by a back-up group. It is a consequence of the verses. The chorus is mostly the highlight of a song.
The chorus usually retains the same set of lyrics (or repeating a few words) every time when its music appears. Chorus is used to communicate and reinforce the main message of a song. For example, the famous song ‘Auld Lang Syne’ means ‘time gone by’. Its chorus is chiefly: “For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne….”
‘Intro’ is the opening instrumental section of a song without lyrics. It introduces the mood and most importantly grabs the listener’s attention with aural pleasures. The song ‘Yesterday’ of The Beatles shows the short and powerful impact of an Intro of guitar strumming: “Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away….” Another example is the opening music intro of ‘Hotel California’ by Eagles.
Functionally speaking, a ‘pre-chorus’ may be words or small instrumental section connecting the verse and the chorus. It may be just a couple of bars. Pre suggests ‘beforehand’. A pre-chorus builds emotional suspense or anticipation for the catharsis of the chorus and can heighten the impact of the chorus. A good example is found in ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ by Oasis. Every time before the long chorus starts, there is a pre-chorus as follows: “So I’ll start a revolution from my bed. Cause you said the brains I had went to my head….” Then, the chorus proceeds to describe a girl named Sally.
Outro is usually the melody with or without words fading out or repeatedly fading out at the end of a pop song. The fading may be slow or abrupt; and the volume may either drop or rise. Outro leads a listener to the meaningful afterthoughts or aftertastes of a song. Remember Barbra Streisand’s song ‘Everygreen’ and she sang at the end emphatically: “Ageless and ever…ever…green….” Another example is the instrumental repeat of ‘Memory’ in the musical ‘Cats’.
For lyricists, there are 2 trade terms known as ‘hook’ and ‘tag’. A hook is the punch of a song which is often a short riff or phrase that is used to ‘catch the ear of the listener’. An example is ‘One Way Ticket’ by Eruption. The expression “one way ticket” must have been sung more than 20 times in the song to promote. Another two good examples are 'When will I see you again!’ sung by The Three Degrees and ‘Y.M.C.A.’ by Village People. “When will I see you again!” serves as an outro in the song and likewise “Y.M.C.A.” repeated the phrases too.
A ‘tag’ is a line or a few bars in length that are repeated, sometimes at the end of a song and sometimes going back to the chorus. It may only be a few bars in length. Listen to the song ‘I Will follow Him’. The tag is “I love him, love him, I love him” although the hook in this song is “I will follow him”. Another tag example is ‘What a Wonderful World’ sung by Louis Armstrong. Hooks may be longer and tags are the shorter tricks to make a song more easily remembered and become popular.
A solo is the section of a song featuring and highlighting a single performer or music instrument. Two good examples are the last guitar solo section by Eagles in ‘Hotel California’ and the last guitar solo section in the song ‘Mr. Postman’ by the Carpenters. In pop songs, rock guitar solos are common. Also you must listen to Rod Stewarts’s famous song ‘I was only Joking’ for the solo.
A bridge in songwriting is a section that differs melodically, rhythmically or lyrically from the rest of the song. It often links up the verse and chorus and offers a unique surprise and perspective; or serves as an ‘emotional shift’ in a song. The use of a bridge reminds a listener that the song has more than the basic two parts of verse and chorus; and has something refreshing to offer. One good example of a Bridge section is Barry Manillow’s ‘Mandy’. The bridge is “Yesterday’s a dream….” and it returns to the chorus beginning with “Oh Mandy”. Another good example of hook is John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’. The bridge begins with: “I hear a voice that …” and returns to the hook: “country roads, take me home….”
An ‘interlude’ is an instrumental music break passage that usually comes between the chorus and chorus repeat; or between the chorus and verse repeat in a song. It is used to present the main melody theme in an instrumental style, rather than just the lyrics part. It can even further present the song differently by offering another cosmetic presentation of the thematic variation. It simply strengthens the song’s main idea in a purely instrumental way. Examples are the wailing saxophone toward the end of Billy Joel’s ‘Only The Good Die Young’ and the guitar instrumental interlude of ‘Reflections of My Life’ by the Marmalade.
It is not easy to write a good pop song. But, the music vocabulary introduced above does help understand more about how pop music are structured. The chemistry of the 10 components of a pop song is often beyond calculation. Chemistry just happens. It is like falling in love. You can tell you are in love but you cannot explain the ways of falling in love.
