Described by Pitchfork as “Björn’s barroom boogie about a sap who loses his heart, all but one lap-steel and two fingers of whisky short of vintage Hank Williams,” this is the eighth track on the Swedish pop band ABBA’s 1976 album Arrival. The tune incorporates elements of blues, rock, and pop, and a cover was included in the 2018 film Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
It begins in G and modulates up to A in the middle of the third verse at 1:47.
“You’ll Think of Someone” is sung by the two main characters in Act 1 of the 1968 Broadway musical Promises, Promises, based on the classic 1960 film The Apartment. Featuring a score by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the show is notable for introducing the pop idiom to Broadway, and was among the first shows to use amplified instruments in the pit.
Performed here by Kristin Chenowith and Sean Hayes, who starred in a 2010 Broadway revival, the song moves fluidly between time signatures and alternates between E major and Db major throughout. Bacharach, a 6-time Grammy winner known for his unconventional chord progressions, died yesterday at age 94. In 2012, Bacharach and David were awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin prize for Popular Song, the first time the award had been presented to a duo.
Written by MotD favorite Marc Shaiman with Ramsey McLean for the 1993 Nora Ephron film Sleepless in Seattle, “A Wink and a Smile” was performed by Harry Connick Jr. for the soundtrack.
The song, which was nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards, plays over a montage as Sam Baldwin (played by Tom Hanks) tries to cheer up his son Jonah (played by Ross Malinger) after his mother dies. It modulates from C up a half step to Db at 2:09
“I Don’t Think That I Like Her” was the fifth single from American singer Charlie Puth’s 2022 album Charlie, the third studio record he has released. Rolling Stone critic Larissa Paul noted that “the [song] finds the singer weighed down by past relationships that instilled a sense of paranoia in him, making dating all the more precarious.”
The tune begins in B and modulates up a step to C# at 2:25.
Written by Bob Dylan in 1962, “Blowing In The Wind” was ranked at #14 in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time published in 2004. The song evolved into a protest song during the Civil Rights movement. Sam Cooke’s biographer, Peter Guralnick, claims that Cooke loved the song but wished it had been written by a person of color, and quickly incorporated it into his repertoire. This rare footage of a live performance shows how deeply he connected with the song’s message. Modulation at 0:46.
“Curiosity” is featured on Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen’s eponymous 2012 EP. The track has a similar feel to “Call Me Maybe,” Jepsen’s breakout hit from the same EP. “[Curiosity] brings the same lighthearted vibe while touching on a more personal note,” said critic Jen Appel. “This song encompasses the feelings of a girl fighting to keep her relationship alive while struggling with the ever-present curiosity of “what ifs.”
The tune begins in E and shifts suddenly up to F# at 2:12.
“I’ve Learned To Let Things Go,” with music and lyrics by John Bucchino, was included in It’s Only Life, a concert revue of Bucchino’s music that was performed at Lincoln Center in 2006. It is performed here by cast member Jessica Molaskey, and modulates from A up to C at 2:25.
“The Promise” was featured on the 2008 album Out of Control, recorded by the British girl group Girls Aloud. The track was praised by critics, debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, and won Best British Single at the 2009 Brit Awards.
The track has a laid back groove and sounds like it could be from Dirty Dancing or Saturday Night Fever. It begins in A and modulates up to Bb for the final chorus at 3:33.
“Quiet” is from the musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic 1988 book Matilda. Written by Tim Minchin, the song is sung by the title character when in Act 2 as she is feeling overwhelmed by questions about how different she feels from everyone else. The key change comes about 1/3 of the way into the song at 1:20 as the texture thins out and the melody and harmony simplify, and Matilda imagines how much more peaceful it would be if it was quiet.
A movie adaptation of the musical was released by Netflix last week, starring Alesha Weir as Matilda.
Written by Billy Hill and originally recorded by clarinetist Benny Goodman, “The Glory of Love” has been covered by many artists including The Andrews Sisters, Rosemary Clooney, Dean Martin and Paul McCartney. Peggy Lee included the song on her 1958 album Jump For Joy, and her cover was recently featured on the Netflix series Dead To Me, which concluded its run earlier this year. There’s a quick modulation from C up to Db at 2:09
modulationoftheday.home.blog 