Recycling the Classics

As a songwriter, I often find myself hunting for that one stellar chord sequence or melodic line that really makes a song shine. I'd like to think I've come up with a few on my own but sometimes, one needs a little help.

If done skilfully, what I'm about to outline for you truly is recycling, not outright theft. Case in point: a song I've just written called "Love's Twin Flames." I'd initially set out to write something in the vein of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, which I'm happy to say the finished product sounds nothing like. (You know you're on the right track when you try to ape somebody and it still comes out sounding like you.) I did, however, end up borrowing half the chorus of "Arnold Layne" for my bridge, and therein lies the difference between recycling and stealing. If it's their chorus, make it your bridge or verse. Alter the melody, a little or a lot. Change the last chord or three. Put it in a different key or tempo. And obviously, write a new set of lyrics.

Not done yet, I began tinkering with the chorus of Guided By Voices' "Liquid Indian." It's an absolutely killer chorus paired with the most hideous, abstruse verse ever written (I think Robert Pollard, gifted though he is, sometimes takes perverse pleasure in being demented). Ever since I first heard the song I wondered how that lovely chorus—or something like it—would sit in more genteel surroundings. It's been in the back of my mind for some time as a reclamation project, if you will. Again: I changed the melody, put it in a different key, took out a chord and added two new ones, wrote new words, and it's found a new home as the pre-chorus of "Love's Twin Flames."

Recycling can also happen unconsciously. My song "After You" has a pre-chorus sequence that I knew I'd heard before. I couldn't place it for the longest time but eventually found it in a Fairport Convention tune called "Wandering Man." As it turns out, they (unconsciously?) borrowed it too, from Rod Stewart's 1972 hit "You Wear It Well." And despite Rod, the Fairports and I all using this chord sequence, our songs sound nothing alike. That's how you know you're recycling, not stealing.

A variation on the process is deliberately starting to write by playing a snippet of a well-known song, then going off in a new direction. Another new one of mine called "Puis-Je T'Aimer" began life as "Uncle Vern's Band," a thinly veiled reference to the Grateful Dead chestnut "Uncle John's Band." And for about six seconds, my song and the Dead's sound alike (same intro chords, though I changed the key and tempo). After that, I veer off into a universe that's as unlike Garcia/Hunter as chalk and cheese.

One of my favourite recycled songs is The Jam's "In the Crowd," a stellar track from All Mod Cons. Give that a listen, then try The Kinks' "Johnny Thunder" from their 1968 classic The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. Something sound familiar? Not casting aspersions on Paul Weller, but this really borders on theft: same chords, melody, tempo and even key, I believe. Yet! Both are classic songs, and that one part aside they sound nothing alike. If anything, it's a testament to Weller's genius that he borrowed so literally (and liberally) to create a new and equally brilliant piece of music.

Have you recycled others' material in your writing? What's your favourite recycled bit or song? Comments are welcome.

Weir-d Chord Sequences

A small confession here: I was a teenage Deadhead. I'm now a middle-aged Deadhead. Yes, I possess a modest collection of live shows—first on cassette, these days as mp3s on my laptop. I've seen the Grateful Dead live, but only twice (6/21/84 and 6/30/87 for the record, both local shows at Kingswood Music Theatre up in Maple). And I'm one of those solitary Heads who's never felt the need to be part of the Deadhead community or enhance the listening experience by ingesting drugs, psychedelic or otherwise. The music is trippy enough.

The current Dead & Company tour has rekindled the flame for us old-timers and caused some newbies to hop on the bus, so to speak. It's been great to hear this rejuvenated band revisit the canon and put its own stamp on the songs. I'm bummed that I couldn't make it to the show closest to me (Buffalo, November 11), especially considering they played the rare and spacey "Dark Star" that night. I did, however, download the entire show a day later. If you're interested, you can stream and/or download endless Dead and related concerts at the Internet Archive.

Anyway, the other night in St. Louis they busted out a tune I was delighted to hear again, the Weir-Barlow classic "Black-Throated Wind." Always on the hunt for new cover material, I thought I'd try it out on my guitar. Parts of the song are near the top of my vocal range, but on the whole I can sing it comfortably. What came as a surprise, though, was the chord sequence. It's one of the most bizarre I've heard in a popular song.

Things start off simply enough. After an intro lick around E, Esus4 and E7, the verse goes like this:

• E F#m D A E, repeated once
• A D Bm E, repeated once

We're pretty clearly in the key of E here, with the sorts of chords you'd expect to see. Nothing really stands out. Then comes this jaw-dropping chorus:

• D C#m A Em C A D C#m A Em A G D A

I don't know music theory well enough to explain what's going on, but suffice it to say I've never encountered a song where C, C#m, D, E and Em coexist. All are common chords in rock songs, just not in the same song. They make no sense in terms of graceful key relationships (or anything conventionally musical), yet somehow Bob Weir makes them work, weaving a powerful and unusual melody around them. The structure and variety of the chords also ensure that "Black-Throated Wind" is one of those rare songs that needs no bridge. With all that chordal movement, a bridge would be too much. Weir has always had a reputation as a bit of a quirky songwriter, and now I see why. Well done, sir!

A tip for those of you who want to learn the song: use Capo 2 and transpose the above chords down a whole step. It's far more playable this way. Here are the transposed chords—first, the verses:

• D Em C G D, repeated once
• G C Am D, repeated once

Chorus:

• C Bm G Dm Bb G C Bm G Dm G F C G

As a bonus, I've expanded my harmonica knowledge by working up this tune. I play the opening guitar lick on the harmonica, and the only way to get those "blue" notes is to play in cross-harp or second position. Which I finally figured out: for second position, your harmonica key should be a fourth above the key of the song. So, song in E? Choose a harmonica in the key of A.