# Song-melding **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 22, 2018, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177 "2018-01-22T03:23:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [January 23, 2018, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/21 "2018-01-23T02:54:03Z")
Pachebel’s \*Canon in D \*and[just about everything](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM). ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/22 "2018-01-23T03:05:40Z")
[Iron Butterfly](https://youtu.be/UIVe-rZBcm4?t=9) gettin’ jiggy with [Cream.](https://youtu.be/zt51rITH3EA?t=9) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/23 "2018-01-23T18:55:37Z")
Old 97s [Salome](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKB_pe6hTeE), where the guitar solo turns into [I Hear A Symphony](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcylDkRw7dg). ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/24 "2018-01-23T19:49:16Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Ya got me. Something off _Meddle_? > > [Melissa Manchester](https://youtu.be/c1BTURu7oAc?t=44) congealing into [Madonna](https://youtu.be/6p-lDYPR2P8?t=58) 25 or 6 to 4 seems to be a descending series of chords. You can find them used in a different rhythm in Walk Don’t Run and much later in Blank Generation. It’s hard to imagine Floyd making something of this, as it’s kind of a pop cliche, but Interstellar Overdrive is series of descending chords that was a big number for them early on, though it wasn’t the same. Maybe it shared some elements. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/25 "2018-01-23T20:01:04Z")
That four-chord decending progression that you hear in “Walk Don’t Run” (and "Blank Generation) is [the Andalusian cadence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andalusian_cadence). It is heard all over popular music. (“Hit The Road Jack,” “The Cat Came Back,” “Sultans of Swing” come to mind.) “25 or 6 to 4” and “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” is a bit of different progression, though, but a similar minor key descending idea. There’s an extra chord in there, and an extra bass note. So, an Andalusian cadence would go A-G-F-E in the bass, with the respective chords on top, but those other two songs go A-G-F#-F-E. It’s a minor change, but it’s major enough to be distinctive. (Also, the chords themselves are a little different. Whereas the second chord in your examples would be a G major, in the other two songs it’s either a C/G or Am/G). ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/26 "2018-01-23T20:02:32Z")
In The Sunshine of Your Love melds with the theme to the A\*Team in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/27 "2018-01-23T20:43:03Z")
Islands in the Stream - in the instrumental bridge section before the last chorus’ - where they vamp ‘Sail Away’ - the melody and chord sequence are identical to the passage at the end of the chorus in SOS by Abba ‘When you’ve gone, how can I even try to go on?’ (Islands in A flat and SOS in F) SOS released in '74 and Islands in '79. I’m in no way suggesting the Gibb brothers nicked it, rather it may have been a subconscious influence. I’ve always sung SOS to myself over that passage. MiM ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/28 "2018-01-23T23:00:17Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That four-chord decending progression that you hear in “Walk Don’t Run” (and "Blank Generation) is [the Andalusian cadence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andalusian_cadence). It is heard all over popular music. (“Hit The Road Jack,” “The Cat Came Back,” “Sultans of Swing” come to mind.) “25 or 6 to 4” and “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” is a bit of different progression, though, but a similar minor key descending idea. There’s an extra chord in there, and an extra bass note. So, an Andalusian cadence would go A-G-F-E in the bass, with the respective chords on top, but those other two songs go A-G-F#-F-E. It’s a minor change, but it’s major enough to be distinctive. (Also, the chords themselves are a little different. Whereas the second chord in your examples would be a G major, in the other two songs it’s either a C/G or Am/G). Good points. I was being a little careless. Of course the zep song is minory. I looked up the chords, and it proposes that the first and third chords are minor: Am G F#m F E. I don’t know about the slash chords. There’s also Louie Louie and Wild thing, one having the minor dominant and the other one standard. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/29 "2018-01-23T23:13:15Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Good points. I was being a little careless. Of course the zep song is minory. I looked up the chords, and it proposes that the first and third chords are minor: Am G F#m F E. I don’t know about the slash chords. The second chord isn’t a G, though. It’s a C/G or a Am7/G, depending on how you want to interpret it. And the third chord might be a D/F# rather than an F#m. (I think of it as Am, Am7/G, D/F#, F, E.) But, anyhow–I’m just saying it’s not just stepping down diatonically on a minor scale from I to V. As I was picking up the kids from school, I heard yet another song on the radio with the Andalusian progression and thought of this thread: “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by the Animals (Originally recorded by Nina Simone, of course.) It’s everywhere! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/30 "2018-01-23T23:32:08Z")
No one’s mentioned “All Summer Long” being an amalgam of “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Werewolves of London” yet? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/31 "2018-01-23T23:37:49Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > No one’s mentioned “All Summer Long” being an amalgam of “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Werewolves of London” yet? I prefer to pretend to live in a universe where that song doesn’t exist. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/32 "2018-01-24T00:24:19Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That four-chord decending progression that you hear in “Walk Don’t Run” (and "Blank Generation) is [the Andalusian cadence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andalusian_cadence). It is heard all over popular music. (“Hit The Road Jack,” “The Cat Came Back,” “Sultans of Swing” come to mind.) “25 or 6 to 4” and “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” is a bit of different progression, though, but a similar minor key descending idea. The descending chromatic is also a feature of Cream’s [Tales of Brave Ulysses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2CCfxiQ5QY). ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/33 "2018-01-24T00:33:20Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > The second chord isn’t a G, though. It’s a C/G or a Am7/G, depending on how you want to interpret it. And the third chord might be a D/F# rather than an F#m. (I think of it as Am, Am7/G, D/F#, F, E.) But, anyhow–I’m just saying it’s not just stepping down diatonically on a minor scale from I to V. As I was picking up the kids from school, I heard yet another song on the radio with the Andalusian progression and thought of this thread: “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by the Animals (Originally recorded by Nina Simone, of course.) It’s everywhere! So am I right that Walk Don’t Run is played in major chords but is in a minor key? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/34 "2018-01-24T00:46:41Z")
I can’t keep “Frankenstein” and “Cheap Sunglasses” separate in my head sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/35 "2018-01-24T00:50:07Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > No one’s mentioned “All Summer Long” being an amalgam of “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Werewolves of London” yet? Good call. A-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! > [@Made\_in\_Macau](#): > > Islands in the Stream - in the instrumental bridge section before the last chorus’ - where they vamp ‘Sail Away’ - the melody and chord sequence are identical to the passage at the end of the chorus in SOS by Abba ‘When you’ve gone, how can I even try to go on?’ (Islands in A flat and SOS in F) > SOS released in '74 and Islands in '79. I’m in no way suggesting the Gibb brothers nicked it, rather it may have been a subconscious influence. > I’ve always sung SOS to myself over that passage. > > MiM Another good call. After listening to [this link](https://youtu.be/VXlA_ZyfABs?t=180) it’s easy to home right in on its melding with the Abba bit. That was almost the perfect example I’ve been looking for, so far - super close match - a fine melding! > [@Ludovic](#): > > In The Sunshine of Your Love melds with the theme to the A\*Team in my mind. An interesting call, but I’m pretty sure what you meant to post was something closer along the lines of, say, [this?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyhrYis509A) (just _reeks_ of ole Slowhand). > [@Leaffan](#): > > I can’t keep “Frankenstein” and “Cheap Sunglasses” separate in my head sometimes. Indeed, as well. Those same low, bassy notes, and rhythm. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/36 "2018-01-24T01:05:16Z")
I do this ALL the time, and I’m encouraged that others do it as well. My wife works long weekend shifts, and I hum to myself constantly around the house (ostensibly to amuse the dogs), and occasionally I’ll realize that I’m humming. So I stop and wonder “Where did that come from?” Then I think back, and realize I started out with the bassline from My Brave Face which morphed into Chet Baker then Les Miz then a Squeeze tune I thought I’d forgotten and ended up as a jazzy Second Brandenburg. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/37 "2018-01-24T01:07:54Z")
Missed edit window > [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Those **same** low, bassy notes, and rhythm. My bold (which is probably a redundant thing to say for this post) That should be “similar”. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/38 "2018-01-24T02:12:08Z")
I swear, there’s a song by Dione Warwick or Diana Ross that has similar chords to “Here, There and Everywhere” but I can’t find that on my phone at the pub right now. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/39 "2018-01-24T02:32:09Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > So am I right that Walk Don’t Run is played in major chords but is in a minor key? The tonic is minor, so it’s Am, G, F, E. There’s nothing unusual about that. In songs in minor keys, generally it’s only the i and the iv that are minor. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177/40 "2018-01-24T02:33:32Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I can’t keep “Frankenstein” and “Cheap Sunglasses” separate in my head sometimes. That’s a good one! I can totally hear it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-melding/807177.md?page=3)