# Pop/rock songs with unusual meters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 13, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052 "2005-04-13T00:21:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pride\_of\_the\_Peaches](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Pride\_of\_the\_Peaches](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pride_of_the_Peaches)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/1 "2005-04-13T00:21:51Z")
The “Take Five” thread reminded me . . . Does anyone know of any nifty pop/rock tunes that aren’t just in plain ol’ 4/4 or 6/8? The only one I can think of is the aptly titled “5/4” by the Gorillaz . . . Anyone else got anything? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/2 "2005-04-13T00:48:04Z")
There are many Pink Floyd songs that are in 3/4. I believe one titled “Mother” changes from 4/4 to 3/4 and vice-versa throughout the song. ---
**Author:** ![Pride\_of\_the\_Peaches](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Pride\_of\_the\_Peaches](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pride_of_the_Peaches)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/3 "2005-04-13T00:49:38Z")
OK, 3/4 counts as a very common meter too. I thought it went without saying. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/4 "2005-04-13T00:50:24Z")
Oh, I see. Sorry, you didn’t say it. ---
**Author:** ![RobuSensei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@RobuSensei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobuSensei)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/5 "2005-04-13T01:14:18Z")
Sting used to do a lot of messing around with time signatures. “Seven Days” is in 7/4, as is parts of “Love is Stronger than Justice” “I Hung My Head” is also in a bizarre meter. Also, “I was Brought to My Senses,” if I recall correctly (I don’t have the CD here, sadly) Phil Collins-era Genesis had “Turn it On Again,” which had extra eighth notes inserted in various places. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/6 "2005-04-13T01:17:23Z")
I wouldn’t pretend to be an expert on any pop music since the late 70’s or so. It used to be, at least, that pop music had to be easily danceable, and/or love songs/ballads, and/or appeal to 12-year-old girls. Neither criterialent themselves to odd time signatures in pop music. (All IMHO of course.) **Turn It On Again** by Genesis is in alternating 6/8 and 7/8 (essentially 13/8, in other words), and they still got people to dance to it at concerts. (Genesis did a lot of odd time signature work, but most of it wasn’t Top 40. Much of their album A Trick of The Tail is in 7/8.) More if I think of any. ---
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/7 "2005-04-13T01:18:42Z")
_Bohemian Rhapsody_ is in 12/8. At least the version we played in symphonic band was arranged in that meter. _Memory_ from **Cats** is, too, but that’s not pop…by my definition, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/8 "2005-04-13T01:20:40Z")
Didn’t the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” have several meters all mixed up? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/9 "2005-04-13T01:36:19Z")
“Hey Ya!” by Outkast is in some crazy meter, like 11/4 or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/10 "2005-04-13T01:59:08Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > “Hey Ya!” by Outkast is in some crazy meter, like 11/4 or something like that. Is it, now? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/11 "2005-04-13T02:10:30Z")
> [@DarkSideoftheFloyd](#): > > There are many Pink Floyd songs that are in 3/4. I believe one titled “Mother” changes from 4/4 to 3/4 and vice-versa throughout the song. “Money” is in 7/4 ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/12 "2005-04-13T02:10:55Z")
Don’t let me down wove in and out of 5/4–4/4 – again the Beatles who did a lot of screwing around in meter once they hit the studio. Part of it was from the diddling of tapes in things like Strawberry Fields and I Am The Walrus, part of it was intuitive on their part and then realized in final production. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/13 "2005-04-13T02:14:00Z")
IIRC, Pink Floyd’s “Money” is in 7/4. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/14 "2005-04-13T02:14:08Z")
> [@scotandrsn](#): > > “Money” is in 7/4 Great example. I had forgotten about that one. ---
**Author:** ![ZeroGyro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47774/32.png) [@ZeroGyro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZeroGyro)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/15 "2005-04-13T02:16:45Z")
> [@davmilasav](#): > > _Bohemian Rhapsody_ is in 12/8. At least the version we played in symphonic band was arranged in that meter. 12/8 isn’t an unusual meter. Tons of old-school soul songs are in 12/8 (“nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,” Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”). “Diamond Dust” off of Jeff Beck’s _Blow by Blow_ album is in 5/4. ---
**Author:** ![Nekosoft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c2a13f/32.png) [@Nekosoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nekosoft)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/16 "2005-04-13T02:25:06Z")
Isn’t Peter Gabriel’s **Solsbury Hill** in 7/4 as well? ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/17 "2005-04-13T02:30:14Z")
> [@Nekosoft](#): > > Isn’t Peter Gabriel’s **Solsbury Hill** in 7/4 as well? Why, so it is! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/18 "2005-04-13T02:35:37Z")
re. “Here Comes the Sun”: as Mark Hertsgaard explains it in A Day In the Life [paraphrasing from pp. 300-1]: 1-4-5 chords in A Major, except for the bit added in at the end of the first verse, just before “And I said, It’s all right”. Followed by the middle eight, played in a 4-1-5 chord pattern in G Major – and in a quicker tempo. Me, here: what’s happening in the two-bar bits at the end of the verses is two bars of two triples per bar, with each triplet having a value of 2/4. It’s still following the same 4/4 meter, but not the original rhythm, since in the two-bar bits the beat falls on one and three instead of two and four. The first two times this occurs, the triplets are followed by a one-off 2/4 bar descending pattern of four eighth notes – although you don’t get that bar every time the two-bar bit occurs (as in the acoustic reprise of the two-bar bit after the second verse). So, chord changes and key sig changes, yes; rhythm changes, yes; but time sig changes, not _really_, not to the degree it sounds like that’s happening. Two songs I like with 5/4 meters: “English Roundabout” by XTC and “5-4 = Unity” by Pavement. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/19 "2005-04-13T02:49:09Z")
I was told (by someone who knows music a lot better than I) that _Band of Gold_ by Freda Payne was in 5/4. ---
**Author:** ![ZeroGyro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47774/32.png) [@ZeroGyro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZeroGyro)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/20 "2005-04-13T02:52:28Z")
Burt Bacharach wrote some odd meter tunes for Dionne Warwick. “Anyone Who Had A Heart” is in 5/4, “Walk on By” is something like 3+3+2 and, incredibly, “Promises, Promises” has 20 meter changes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052.md?page=2)