Continued Exploration - Music and the Fictive Dream - Tangled

Combined with a heartfelt plot, beautiful animation, and amazing music, Tangled has become my favorite Disney movie of all time.

In the Kingdom of Corona, the King and Queen have a beautiful and magically long haired baby named Rapunzel. When Rapunzel sings a song, her hair glows and is able to heal anything around it. Mother Gothel discovers this and, when trying to steal the power to keep herself young, finds out that when Rapunzel's magic hair is cut it loses its power. This results in Mother Gothel kidnapping Rapunzel and raising her as her own in a tower, refusing to share her power with the outside world. Rapunzel grows up locked in a tower, afraid of the dangers of the outside world, and believing Mother Gothel is her true mom. Although she is scared of the dangers beyond her tower, Rapunzel dreams of leaving and seeing the "floating lights", which are lanterns sent by the kingdom in search of the Lost Princess. After an escaped prisoner named Flynn Rider stumbles upon her castle and makes a deal with Rapunzel to help her see the floating lights in exchange for his satchel, they embark on a journey that leads to Rapunzel discovering who she truly is. 

"When Will My Life Begin" is the first song of the movie. It was composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Glenn Slater and sung by Mandy Moore. This song serves to keep the plot moving forward as Rapunzel is singing about how she is bored of the same routine in her tower and wonders what possibilities the outside world holds. Rather than just simply wondering when her life will begin, Rapunzel is wondering about when she will make her own decisions and have new adventures in her life. This song basically shows how she accomplishes many things throughout the day, but she wants to adventure outside of the tower. 

                " 7 AM, the usual morning line-up:

                 Start on the chores and sweep 'til the floor's all clean

                 Polish and wax, do laundry, and mop and shine up

                 Sweep again

                 And by then

                 It's like 7:15"

Before creating this song, Menken had to keep in mind that the movie had planned to have a guitar-themed score. He wrote six different versions of the song and ironically the first version he chose is not in the movie, but is featured in the musical on broadway. The genre is rock and the tempo is moderately fast, with an ending that slows down. It features acoustic guitar, the Hammond organ, and aggressive percussion. The writers had the goal of making Rapunzel's songs have a youthful exuberance feel. This is especially noticeable when listening to the contrast of Mother Gothel's songs. 

I personally really like the end of the song where the pace changes. This is a complete change of tone because she is singing about her dream in a more serious and sadder tone rather than her bubbly and optimistic tone that she had during the rest of the song. It fits the lyrics perfectly because if she sang it with the same color tone and pace as the rest of the song, it would not nearly have the same impact on the audience as it does slowed down. This is also a key moment for the movie plot as a whole because it is when she decides to finally stand up to Mother Gothel and ask to explore beyond the tower.

                 "Tomorrow night the lights will appear

                 Just like they do on my birthday each year

                 What is it like out there where they glow?

               Now that I'm older, mother might just let me go"

Aside from this song being significant to setting up the plot for the course of the movie, this song can serve a deeper meaning. Parents and their kids do not always see eye to eye, and this song explores that. Rapunzel being stuck in the same routine Mother Gothel put her in because she does not want to share her with the world is similar to parents not allowing kids to do some things at certain ages. Rapunzel sings about how being older may change Mother Gothel's mind as we all know being older means we can have more responsibility. 

Before researching, I had already loved all parts of the song like the lyrics and the instruments they used. But now, I have an even greater appreciation for the song because I discovered things I did not notice before such as the contrast between the tones of Rapunzel's songs and Mother Gothel's songs. I also really love how creative the lyrics are when naming all the things that Rapunzel does throughout the day, as they all flow very nicely together and make the song catchy. I too get stuck in the same routine everyday (especially during quarantine) and this song makes me think maybe it isn't too bad because this girl has been doing the same routine for 18 years! 

As I stated before, Tangled is a very beautifully crafted movie that uses music to portray the story. I have linked additional songs from the movie that I really enjoy listening to. 

I See the Light - sung by Rapunzel and Flynn

Mother Knows Best - sung by Mother Gothel

I've Got a Dream - sung by Rapunzel, Flynn, and the townspeople 

Sources: 

“Tangled.” IMDb, IMDb.com, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt00398286/plotsummary. 

“When Will My Life Begin.” Disney Wiki, https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/When_Will_My_Life_Begin. 

“When Will My Life Begin?” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Nov. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Will_My_Life_Begin%3F. 

Music and the Fictive Dream - Wicked!

 Of course with this assignment I had to take the opportunity to write about the hit broadway musical: Wicked. As my favorite musical by far, it was difficult to choose a song to analyze as I believe the music does an amazing job of using musical elements to portray the story. I encourage you to find the album from this show and pick another song at random to listen to.

Wicked is based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which is a retelling of the 1900 L. Frank Baum novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It tells the story of two witches in Oz who are unlikely friends. There is Elphaba, also known as the Wicked Witch of the West, who is intelligent, ambitious, and green-skinned. In contrast to her there is Galinda, who is later known as Glinda the Good Witch. Glinda is a beautiful, self-centered, and popular girl. The two girls see each other as competition in the school they go to along with the attention of Fiyero, a love-interest that they share. Elphaba and Glinda later see past their differences and become friends. Glinda even tries to help Elphaba fit in more as she sings "Popular", which is the song I will analyze. Elphaba soon discovers the corrupt government that the Wizard of Oz is truly running, and sets out to stop him. In doing so, she became a public enemy of the city. She fakes her death, runs away with Fiyero, and Glinda remains in the city telling the story of her past friend. Though Wicked received mixed reviews at first, it is now the fifth longest running broadway show and the second-highest grossing musical.

"Popular" is the first solo sung by Glinda. She sings this to Elphaba as an act of friendship after Elphaba helps her get accepted into their school's witch studies. This song displays Glinda's bubbly, materialistic, and spoiled way of life. She sings about how a person's value is determined by how others view you in society. Glinda uses her experience to tell Elphaba how she can change the way she looks and acts to make other's become more attracted to her. Rather than being nice and helping a friend out because it would be the right thing to do, she sees herself as more "fortunate" than others because of her looks and popularity. 

             "Whenever I see someone less fortunate than I

               And let's face it-- who isn't-- less fortunate than I"

Glinda has never experienced any true hardships throughout her years at the school like Elphaba has, so she believes that the attributes that she herself carries (being popular) is what Elphaba needs to have rather than the traits she already carries, such as her intelligence.

             "When I see depressing creatures

               With unprepossessing features

               I remind them on their own behalf to think of

               Celebrated heads of state or

               Especially great communicators.

               Did they have brains or knowledge?

               Don't make me laugh!

               They were popular! Please. 

               It's all about popular!"

Clearly this song does not teach the best lesson. Though it is a funny, playful, and overall extremely fun song to sing along to (trust me), it is basically telling the audience that nothing matters besides how people view you and how much people like you. The only thing that matters is your popularity. The message behind "Popular" serves its purpose in the musical to really exaggerate the traits of Glinda's character. 

There are many adlibs throughout the song that showcase the bubbly personality of Glinda. Along with this are many pauses and pace changes. There is also a lot of contrast with the parts that she sings and the lines that she talks through. When listening to the song, the beginning is slower and more staccato. As the song plays an upbeat and playful tempo develops. Near the end the pace and tone slow down once again. But then finally, to compliment Glinda's personality, the song ends with a face pace and long note. It is no doubt a very dramatic song!

"Popular" has been my favorite song from a broadway show for the longest time, but there was never a moment in my life where I completely agreed with the message Glinda is trying to get across. There is no doubt that how people see me and how I view others can impact my lifestyle, but the way Glinda obsesses over how people view her is not something I agree with. I am a believer of living life for myself and not others, and if people like who I am and what I am doing that's awesome, and if they do not like it (without good reason, of course) then it is not my problem. But I will gladly sing this song at the top of my lungs. 

This is a live performance of "Popular" from Wicked. As I had stated in my previous blog, Kristin Chenoweth does an amazing job portraying Glinda. Her performance is amazing given she is acting and singing live.

Music is a creative way to tell stories. I personally love broadway musicals, so music that portrays a fictive dream is something that I really like. It is interesting to see how composers and artists use musical elements to truly match a feeling and theme of a song and story.

Sources:

Friends 'for Good' - Wicked: A New Musical and the ... https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1072&context=ctamj. 

“What Is Wicked Truly about?” Show Score, 1 Oct. 2021, https://www.show-score.com/blog/what-is-wicked-truly-about. 

“Wicked (Musical).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Nov. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_%28musical%29#:~:text=Wicked%20%28musical%29%20The%20musical%20is%20told%20from%20the,friends%2C%20Elphaba%20%28the%20Wicked%20Witch%20of%20the%20West%29. 

Role of the Performer - Kristin Chenoweth

    Since I was little, I have always had a love for Wicked, the broadway musical. I was drawn to the performers's voices, specifically Kristin Chenoweth. Her voice is so unique that I began to recognize her in numerous different works. When I saw her become a reoccurring guest star on Glee as April Rhodes, I was so excited (even more than when they sang Defying Gravity). I remember watching Hairspray Live! in 2016 and seeing Kristin Chenoweth sing along other great performers such as Ariana Grande and Maddie Baillio. I have always been a fan of Kristin Chenoweth and I believe that her unique voice and high falsetto voice have become iconic throughout music history.

    Though I know Kristin Chenoweth best from her role as "Glinda" in Wicked, she has been apart of a great amount of broadway and off-broadway shoes, TV episodes, films, and performances. Growing up, she was always interested in performing. She sang gospel songs at church and participated in community plays. During her early adult years, she studied musical theater in her hometown at the Oklahoma City University. She then earned a Masters Degree in Opera Performance at OCU. She went to New York City to support a friend who was auditioning for a broadway role when she ended up auditioning herself and blew the producers away. Since then she has been apart of numerous broadway shows, films, and TV shows. Some of her more famous works include performing as "Sally" from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, "Olive Snook" on Pushing Daises, and "April Rhodes" in Glee (these three of her more well-known works have earned her Tony and Emmy Awards). Other works include Steel Pier, Epic Proportions, her own short-lived NBC comedy Kristin, and much more. She has even performed with various symphonies across the world and became the third musical theater performer in history to perform at the NYC's Metropolitan Opera in 2007.

In this video, Kristin Chenoweth covers The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand. Her voice has so much control it gives me goosebumps. She is able to hit the many crescendos and decrescendos with her voice. The tone color she has in her voice is amazing when she emphasizes certain lyrics and knows just when to breathe in-between singing. You can tell by her facials and body language that she loves and was born to perform. 

This is a clip from when Kristin Chenoweth guest starred on Glee as "April Rhodes". Something I love about her is that when she performs, she performs with character. Her character is supposedly a loser, someone who's life is in shambles but is still optimistic. I feel as if she captured this in both her voice and her body language. Her range is incredible in the song along with her iconic high note that she hits at the end. She sings this with Lea Michelle, who is also an amazing performer. 

This is by far my favorite broadway song and scene. Chenoweth's ability to perform and entertain is truly showcased here. This song is Popular from Wicked and Chenoweth's spin on it is what makes me love the song. Her range from singing to adding little adlibs is hilarious. With the lyrics it is sometimes as if she is just talking, but she is actually singing, therefore her ability to hear pitch is very good considering this is live. Though I have seen Wicked live with a different cast, I would do anything to watch Kristen Chenoweth perform this song!

I believe that Kristen Chenoweth's role as a performer is to entertain. Whether she is singing on broadway or performing a cover on a TV show, her voice is so powerful and distinguishable that it brings joy to people when listening. There have been many adaptations and different singers who took on the role of "Glinda" in Wicked, but I still prefer listening the Chenoweth's versions. Though her covers that she performs are works of others, her unique voice adds a new feeling to the music. She has also used her many experiences in performing to mentor others. Chenoweth uses her gift as an amazing performer to entertain others as well as pass down her knowledge to the next generation of performers. 

Sources

“Kristin Chenoweth.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 5 Dec. 2019, https://www.biography.com/actor/kristin-chenoweth. 

“Kristin Chenoweth.” IMDb, IMDb.com, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0155693/bio. 

“Kristin Chenoweth.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Nov. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristin_Chenoweth. 

Take A Musical Trip - Music of Africa

    

African music is typically easily distinguishable. You hear a lot of drums, some stomping and clapping, and amazing ranges of vocals. It is the type of music that makes you want to "dance to the beat of your own drum". 

    Music is very important to African religion. It was used to pass down stories in both rituals and religious ceremonies, and of course to simply sing and dance to. African music has influenced many other styles of including blues, jazz, old-time, Caribbean genres, and Latin American music. It can also be organized into numerous genres such as jùjú, fuji, highlife, makossa, kizomba, afrobeat, and more. Sub-Sahara African music can be divided into four regions:

        - The eastern region consists of the music of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Comoros. 
        - The southern region includes music from South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola. 
        - The central region has music from Chad, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia.
        - The western region consists of music from Senegal, the inland plains, coastal nations, and the islands Sao Tome and Principe. 

Though African music slightly differs depending on which region it came from, there are common aspects of the music that the regions share.

    A lot of parts of African music are improvised, but there is a core rhythm pattern that is played while new patterns are being improvised over the static ones. This is a polyrhythm, and the most common found in African music plays three beats on top of two. Harmonization of the melody can be sung in parallel thirds, fourths, or fifths. There is also a call-and-response nature where one voice or instrument plays a short phrase and then that phrase is echoed by another voice(s) or instrument(s). 

    Speaking of instruments, there are many interesting kinds found in African music. There are five groups of Sub-Saharan African musical instruments:

        - Membranophones include drums, kettles, clay pots, and barrels.

        - Chordophones are stringed instruments like harps and fiddles.

        - Aerophones are wind instruments and can include flutes and trumpets.

        - Idiophones are instruments such as rattles and shakers.

        - Percussion consists of instruments like xylophones, djembes, and other drums but can also include clapping and foot-stomping.

    I was personally drawn to research music of Africa because at my dance studio we compete our own afrobeat and stepping routines. The music is truly something that can get people up and out of their seats. Live African drumming is amazing! The energy is unmatched. I also enjoy listening to African music when doing homework as it gets me motivated without getting distracted by lyrics. 

Here are a few different links to awesome African music:

Afrobeats is also common in pop songs nowadays. For example:

Sources:

Mitchell, Barry, et al. “Foundations of African Music.” Theory of Music, 13 Sept. 2008, https://theoryofmusic.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/foundations-of-african-music/#:~:text=African%20music%20is%20mostly%20polyrhythmic%2C%20composed%20of%20multiple,to%20acquire%20the%20discipline%20of%20the%20separate%20beats.

“Music of Africa.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Oct. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Africa.

“Musical Structure.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/art/African-music/Musical-structure.

Music Videos - Innovations and Evolutions

When listening to music, we all have our own interpretations and visuals that we create that are personal to us and the song we are listening to. Music videos have given the public a peek at what the artist of the song was envisioning for their own work. However, music videos were not always as popular and accessible as they are today.

The start of putting music and pictures together was an early innovation. In the 1930s and 1940s, the cartoons created by Max Fleisher were cut to sings by Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong. Then in 1943, Panoram Soundies were placed in nightclubs and diners, These were jukeboxes where people could listen to music and watch performers on the miniscreen of the jukebox. From then on, music and pictures were used for commercial and marketing purposes. They were seen in commercials, theaters, shopping malls, department stores, and more. It wasn't until cable TV became an accessible option for Americans that the success of music videos truly began.

Big television companies weren't sure about how music videos would receive feedback. Warner took a gamble on the format in 1980 by dedicating a whole day to rock videos, and to their surprise, it received positive feedback. In 1981, MTV (Music Television) was created and quickly became popular and successful. Record companies reported a rise in sales following its premiere. Music videos then fueled the current boom in the recording industry so much that awards for music videos have been made and they have become part of the song's marketing strategy.

Aside from the growing popularity of music videos, there were always those who weren't fans of them. Some people have argued that music videos can be detrimental to a song because of the listener's own interpretations and personal images that they have created for the song being hindered or forced to associate the song to the video. People have also not been fond of the creation of false realities that some music videos may give, but then again, isn't that the fun part?

Music videos can be anything the artist and director want them to be. The sky is the limit. Although, there tends to be a repeated series of creative choices. This includes emphasized gestures which are often shown with dancing, exaggerated colors that may be shown with the use of filters, nonlinear editing, abstraction and surrealism, and pure spotlight showcasing the "star" or artist of the song. Music videos can tell a story, create a new reality, or even bring a live performance of the artist on stage into the viewer's living room. 

"Bohemian Rhapsody" is widely credited as the first global hit song with a music video that has been part of its marketing strategy. The budget was extremely low, so special effects were minimal. Lighting changes and differences played a huge role in this video, as it transforms the mood of the visuals the director had planned. You can really tell that this was one of the first popular music videos given its production quality. The production was simple yet had hidden metaphors in the imagery. And although music videos now have a bigger budget and more technology, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is still a legendary music video that has millions of views today.

                    Click here to view the music video for "Bohemian Rhapsody".

"Call Me By Your Name" by Lil Nas X and its music video have caused a lot of controversy since its release in 2021. Because of the development of technology and special effects, artists now have much more freedom to truly create whatever they can imagine. In this music video, the imagery goes from religious to nudity throughout the song. Lil Nas X received a lot of negative feedback, but it ultimately gave him a lot of views and buzz that helped his popularity grow. This shows that music videos still are used as a marketing strategy. 

                    Click here to view the music video for "Call Me By Your Name".

I love the ability to create false realities through the new developments in technology. Though the video created by Lil Nas X was an extreme reality, I do believe that those types of videos receive way more feedback than simple music videos. With special effects, CGI, and more, I think music videos now are more appealing to the eye.

Nowadays, music videos are much more accessible to the public. We can view them or even create them on our phones. Music videos today are still evolving as new technologies are trends are being created.  

Sources

Changing the Business: Music Videos in Society. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=backstage-pass.

Shaffer, Claire Elizabeth. “Emotion Pictures: The Art and Evolution of Music Videos.” Emotion Pictures: The Art and Evolution of Music Videos, 1 Jan. 1970, https://digitalcollections.wesleyan.edu/object/ir-965.

"Brutal" - Musical analysis #2

As the first track of her debut album, "Sour", Olivia Rodrigo chose "Brutal": a song about her teenage inner thoughts and view of the world. 

"Brutal" by Olivia Rodrigo

Tempo

Before her first album came out, Rodrigo was known for her slow, sad love songs that make her fans have all the feels. However, "Brutal" showcased a different side of her songwriting. It starts out slow, just as anyone would anticipate given the history of her previous songs. After about 12 seconds of soft violins, she says 

            "I want it to be like...messy"

and the beat drops to reveal a faster-paced tempo for the song. This tempo takes over until the end where it gradually slows down to go back to her well-known, slower-paced singing. 

The changes in tempo add another layer to this song. If she sang about how brutal the world was in a mellow and romantic tempo, as most of her songs are, the song would not have the same impact as it does with the loud, rock tempo that it currently has. 

Rhythm 

Rodrigo utilizes many accents and silence throughout this song. After the beat drops, the guitar playing puts an accent at the beginning of every four-count. This is used for the whole song, not including the slower violin parts at the beginning and end. Silent beats can be heard in this song as well. Specifically, in the chorus before one of her most iconic lines, the instruments and her singing is loud, until all of a sudden everything is silent and she says, 

            "God, it's brutal out here". 

Timbre and Dynamics

The beginning and end of this song hold a very mellow and warm tone quality. The verses and chorus have a heavy and harsh (yet controlled) tone quality. The differences in the tone qualities enhance the lyrics.

The tone color in this song is very interesting. During the chorus, you can tell that Rodrigo's tone is much stronger, almost as if she's yelling. This is a very cool dynamic given that after she is "yelling" the silent beat comes in and it sounds as if she is tired of yelling. 

Lyrics

The lyrics in this song are very relatable. It is interesting to hear how a celebrity can still feel insecure and have self-esteem issues, as sometimes the public can forget that famous people experience those feelings too. She also makes this song relatable by using well-known phrases in her lyrics such as "teenage dream", "golden years", and "enjoy your youth". 

A specific group of lyrics in this song stuck out to me when I first listened to it. 

            "And I'm so tired that I might

            Quit my job start a new life

            And they'd all be so disappointed

            'Cause who am I if not exploited?"

These lyrics are interesting to me because I believe it is a comment she is making about Disney. Before her music career took off, she was known as an actress on two Disney shows. Given that her job was being a "Disney kid", there is a certain stereotype that is given to child actresses who become singers. It is as if she is implying that Disney has exploited her and that they fully intended to do so. 

Form

The form of this song is simple. It begins with an instrumental intro, followed by the first verse. Next comes the chorus and second verse. As the music slows down, the song ends with an outro. I find it interesting that as "Brutal" is the first track of her album, the last lyric of this song is

            "God, I don't even know where to start."

It shows that she planned the song to have this form as some kind of prologue to her album. She ends the song that is at the start of her album with that line, then proceeds to have songs related to her teenage years that she was referencing in "Brutal". I find the form of this song so clever that it gives me chills!

"Common Sense" - Musical Analysis

On July 2nd of 2018, Joshua Bassett posted an original song to his social media for the first time. The purest and raw a video can get. Live singing, live strumming, and live birds chirping in the background. Little did he know that in 2020 he would be going back to this same video to add the chirping birds into the beginning of his debut single: "Common Sense".

"Common Sense" Music Video by Joshua Bassett 

"Common Sense" First Instagram post by Joshua Bassett

Lyrics

Repetition is Bassett's best friend in his first debut single. This makes the song very catchy. I believe his lyrics make this song very poetic and romantic. His use of personification for "common sense" stands out because our own common sense cannot directly talk to us, yet Bassett sings about what he is telling him.

The lyrics in this song often repeat themselves while changing the very end of the line. 

"Common sense told me, 'She was not worthwhile'

Common sense said, 'Don't go the extra mile'

Common sense said, 'Go back and reconcile'

But common sense forgot about her smile"

He continues to use repetition throughout the song. In both the verses and the chorus, the first few words of the lines are repeated. In his bridge, he contrasts with the other lines by ending his lines with repetition rather than starting with it. 

"I think I love you

I want to love you

Please let me love you (Love you, love you, love you)

I wish to show you how to love"

The change in where the repeated words are placed within the song makes the song catchy and pleasing to the ear. It also makes it really fun to sing along! I have to try and remember which line really comes next given that most of them begin with the same words.

Form

The form of this song is fairly simple. It begins with an instrumental of a guitar-strumming for about four meters. He then begins singing the chorus, the first verse, second verse, bridge, and then chorus again. The verses, chorus, and bridge are all composed of four lines. There is also a short outro at the end of the song consisting of one line. 

The simplicity of the song speaks volumes for itself because this was the first song Joshua Bassett had written and put out on his social media at 16 years old. Though it is short and sweet, it was a huge reason why he continued to create music. I believe the simplicity of the form and meaning of the song go hand in hand. Love at a young age tends to be overwhelming and hard to put into words. We tend to lose "common sense" when all we can think about is that special someone. Just as Bassett says in his song,

"Common sense ain't common when you come to mind"

Chords

The use of the guitar is very prominent in this song. There is a repeated phrase that plays throughout the song that is composed of five chords. There are also a few arpeggios in the guitar strumming that are spread out in the song that is part of the repeated phrase. 

In an interview with BUILD Series, Bassett states that he came up with the idea of the song while he was driving, and quickly pulled over to finish the song right then and there. He says it was "as if the song was already made" and it was just a matter of recording it. Given how quickly and naturally the song came to be, it makes sense that the chords are simple and repetitive. 

Sources

Forte, Matt, director. YouTube, 4 Apr. 2020, youtu.be/KZVz0gBrfx8. Accessed 24 Sept. 2021.

“Joshua Bassett - Common Sense Chords.” MyChordBook, www.mychordbook.com/chords/joshua-bassett/common-sense.

Moseley, Barbara. “Poetic Devices in Songs.” Lesson Planet, www.lessonplanet.com/article/music/poetic-devices-in-songs.

YouTube, 16 Apr. 2021, youtu.be/2Rne4SNInpA.