# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![riserius1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@riserius1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/riserius1)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/61 "2005-04-14T03:45:24Z")
No one has mentioned 6/4 yet: pretty sure “Stranger In Town” by Toto is 6/4 (Altho it is probably fast enough to qualify for 12/8 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/62 "2005-04-14T04:48:02Z")
> [@Knowed Out](#): > > Allman Brothers do it in Whipping Post. They go from 6/8 to 5/8 by alternating 2+3 and 3+2. And the bass intro is in 11/4. Never knew Whipping Post went into 5/8, though, I’d just read the whole thing was 6/8. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/63 "2005-04-14T12:41:08Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] There’s this one Beatles song I can’t remember the name of, but it starts with this weird, chunky drum beat: DUM-da-daa-DUM–daaa—daa-DUM-da-daa-DUM–daaa—daa It almost sounds like 8/8 but the last two beats are noticably off. QUOTE] “Tomorrow Never Knows”? Check out the very different alternative beats that the Beatles considered for this revolutionary song, in the “Anthologies” sessions recordings. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/64 "2005-04-14T12:52:51Z")
> [@Tygr](#): > > Could anyone here tell me what the time sig is on Dave Matthews’ “Satellite”? According to the guitar tab songbook, the whole song is in 3/4 time. “#34”, the instrumental off of the same album is in 9/8 tho. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/65 "2005-04-14T13:20:40Z")
Re _Heart of Glass_ by Blondie, that’s the disco song I was trying to think of. I remember it being one of the first songs with a disco beat that I tried playing on the drums and I hadn’t realised about those 7/4 bits. (Or bars of 3/4 if you prefer). Confused the hell out of me, but it’s very effective as it “inverts” the beat and kind of makes it feel more urgent. The parts in question are at the end of the chorus IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/66 "2005-04-14T13:25:31Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > _Paranoid Android_ by Radiohead has some passages of 7/8 in the choruses. That was before they went in for the really weird stuff. I’ve heard that _You_, the first song on their first album, is in 23/8 time. ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/67 "2005-04-14T13:47:04Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > According to the guitar tab songbook, the whole song is in 3/4 time. > “#34”, the instrumental off of the same album is in 9/8 tho. That makes sense; I hear 3/4 in “Satellite” except it’s counted as eighth notes, i.e. 3+2+2+2 and 2+2+2+3. There are other parts where it’s in a straight 9/8 time, but I’ve never sat down and tried to work out the whole thing. **Knowed Out** ’s explanation doesn’t make much sense to me. _Dream Theater_ and _Fates Warning_ (along with every other progressive-rock band) write lots of songs in odd time signatures, but I wouldn’t classify any of them as “pop”. The one I can’t figure out is _Tool_’s “Schism”, with the neat bass intro. I think I decided it was 11/8 one day, but still couldn’t make it fit. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/68 "2005-04-14T14:58:45Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > It’s 7/4, and even acknowledges the fact in the lyrics: > > _Seven druids dance in seven time_ Heh… you’d think I would’ve noticed that, considering how often I listen to the song. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![todd33rpm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@todd33rpm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/todd33rpm)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/69 "2005-04-14T15:02:36Z")
> [@audiobottle](#): > > What about Black Dog by Led Zep? That’s a bizarre time signature. Not positive, but I think that might be Bonham in one meter and the rest of the band in another. The Grateful Dead and Phish dabble in the overlapping meters too…you know, “you play four measures in 3/4 and I’ll play three measures in 4/4 and we’ll meet in twelve beats” kinda stuff. “The Ocean” feels like alternating measures of 4/4 and 7/8 to me in the opening. Steely Dan hides a lot of that stuff in their songs too. Try playing along with the title track from _Gaucho_ sometime…I won’t even TRY to guess what meters they’re wandering through. Dire Straits do something similar on “Once Upon A Time In The West” from _Communique_, although I think that restricts itself to measures in 7/4, 4/4 and the occasional 6/4 measure as well. (I don’t have it in front of me to check right now, sorry!) The Alice In Chains song “Them Bones” has the verses in 7/4 and the choruses in 4/4. I can’t recall, but did anyone mention “Living In The Past” by Jethro Tull? That one’s in 5/4. Finally, the original _Mission: Impossible_ theme (the TV show, not the movie) is in 5/4. (Depends how elastic your definition of pop is, I guess, but that’s the one I point to for an easy, everyone-knows-it example of 5/4.) Although 3/4 is considered a common meter, I should also mention that what was unusual for a rock band like the Eagles is that four of their songs are in waltz time. “Take It To The Limit” is the most popular example, not just for them, but also probably in the pop charts. I can’t think of another rock song since that has taken 3/4 into Billboard…though it wouldn’t surprise me to find out there’s at least one. ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/70 "2005-04-14T15:55:35Z")
Although not necessarily a well known ditty, I was listening to Dismemberment Plan’s “Gyroscope” today and think it’s in 15/16. Worth a listen just for that(album: Emergency & I). This thread has titilated me for some reason. I must find the ultimate example. Although y’all already found Money. ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/71 "2005-04-14T16:06:23Z")
> [@av8rmike](#): > > The one I can’t figure out is _Tool_’s “Schism”, with the neat bass intro. I think I decided it was 11/8 one day, but still couldn’t make it fit. I think Schism is in 7/4. ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/72 "2005-04-14T16:31:53Z")
> [@av8rmike](#): > > That makes sense; I hear 3/4 in “Satellite” except it’s counted as eighth notes, i.e. 3+2+2+2 and 2+2+2+3. There are other parts where it’s in a straight 9/8 time, but I’ve never sat down and tried to work out the whole thing. **Knowed Out** ’s explanation doesn’t make much sense to me. Yeah, I only said 6/4 earlier because it made more sense for me to break up the verse that way. Regarding Black Dog, I remember reading that they had a hard time playing it until Bonham finally just told everybody to count it in 4/4 or something and just ignore everybody else. From that same article, I think they also did it purposely because they wanted to write something people couldn’t dance to. That second part could be pure UL though. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/73 "2005-04-14T17:02:23Z")
I think the song I had in mind was Ticket to Ride, but I’m not sure. I’m not really a big Beatles fan, I just heard it on the radio a few times. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/74 "2005-04-14T17:19:41Z")
> [@todd33rpm](#): > > Not positive, but I think that might be Bonham in one meter and the rest of the band in another. That’s what they did in “Kashmir”: drums in 4/4 and everything else in 3/4. Very cool result. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/75 "2005-04-14T17:43:35Z")
> [@todd33rpm](#): > > Although 3/4 is considered a common meter, I should also mention that what was unusual for a rock band like the Eagles is that four of their songs are in waltz time. “Take It To The Limit” is the most popular example, not just for them, but also probably in the pop charts. I can’t think of another rock song since that has taken 3/4 into Billboard…though it wouldn’t surprise me to find out there’s at least one. “Open Arms” by Journey is the only other hit song I can recall by a bonafide rock band that’s in 3/4. Not rockers, but there’s also: “Kiss From a Rose”, Seal “Piano Man”, Billy Joel “Could I Have this Dance”, Anne Murray ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/76 "2005-04-14T18:55:04Z")
> [@sturmhauke](#): > > I think the song I had in mind was Ticket to Ride, but I’m not sure. I’m not really a big Beatles fan, I just heard it on the radio a few times. I know what you mean about the drum beat but, playing it over in my head, I’m pretty sure it’s straight 4/4 but with the drums playing a triplet over the last two beats: ```auto [~~~3~~~] o---o---o--o--o-- 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ``` Something like that anyway. I haven’t got a copy to hand so I can’t remember exactly how it goes. ---
**Author:** ![Achren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Achren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achren)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/77 "2005-04-14T19:18:43Z")
> [@NoCoolUserName](#): > > With two bars of 4/4 at the end of each chorus: “Hey, I said, you can keep my things, they’ve come to take me home.” > > Note that Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) liked odd meters. He often used 3-3-2, which is usually notated in 4/4 (or 8/8) but should be 3/8 + 3/8 + 2/8. Ahh - Coldplay’s “Clocks” is like that I think. The way the beats and music go has always made me think **1** -2-3- **4** -5-6- **1** -2. Nice to know what I think I hear actually does exist. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/78 "2005-04-14T23:55:29Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > That’s what they did in “Kashmir”: drums in 4/4 and everything else in 3/4. Very cool result. Ditto with the Beatles’ “Happiness is a Warm Gun.” ---
**Author:** ![MizQuirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@MizQuirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizQuirk)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/79 "2005-04-15T00:56:52Z")
Wish someone would tell me if Bruce Hornsby’s The Tango King is in 9/8, as I suspect. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052/80 "2005-04-15T01:04:23Z")
I can’t believe nobody’s mentioned Led Zeppelin’s songs _The Ocean_ or _Four Sticks_ yet. The first is 15/4 (or three measures of four and one of three) and _Four Sticks_ alternates between 5/4 and 3/4. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-rock-songs-with-unusual-meters/299052.md?page=5)