# What is a "bridge" in a song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [February 12, 2021, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787 "2021-02-12T20:59:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/21 "2021-02-14T05:21:05Z")
I always liked how George Harrison scrawled the word “bridge” to indicate the fantastic bridge that takes up a big part of the middle of the song, but Eric Clapton misread it as “Badge’, and thus the song was named. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSpW6MePb10) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/22 "2021-02-14T05:22:38Z")
The first love song I wrote (for the future **kaylasmom** ) was in ABACA form. Not sure if either the “B” or the “C” counts as a bridge, though. But I tend to _think_ of the “C” as the bridge, because it’s closer to the end. I dunno, maybe it’s a suite. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/23 "2021-02-14T05:28:01Z")
There’s also some discussion of bridges at the end of Led Zeppelin’s slightly strange James Brown homage. This does make sense, however, because as Robert Christgau once said of James Brown, “ When he modulates to the bridge it’s like the Spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters.” As noted in the discussion, however, this song does not have a bridge. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CWf5FYSK7Yc/maxresdefault.jpg "The Crunge (Remaster)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWf5FYSK7Yc) ---
**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:** [February 14, 2021, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/24 "2021-02-14T05:59:56Z")
Here’s an example - one of the only examples, I think - of a pop song where the song _begins_ with the bridge. That’s one way of putting it, at any rate - one could also say that it’s an intro that’s later re-used as a bridge. But any way you describe it, that sequence of chords only appears in two places in the song: at the very beginning, and at 2:14 after the second chorus. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FY9Rl_oRjWY/maxresdefault.jpg "Is She Really Going Out With Him?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY9Rl_oRjWY) Likewise, here is a good example of a classic power-pop anthem that creates a very simple, but effective, bridge at 2:02 by taking the same exact pattern of the verse but moving the chord up by a fourth for a few measures. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/3Y71iDvCYXA/maxresdefault.jpg "Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Pump It Up") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y71iDvCYXA) Sometimes the bridge of a song (4:07 to 5:17) will be so elaborate, it’s practically its _own_ song with its _own_ intro, verse, and chorus: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HC4bf67s5lQ/hqdefault.jpg "Bruce Springsteen - Rosalita") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC4bf67s5lQ) And other songs simply dispense with a bridge altogether: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/EOl7dh7a-6g/maxresdefault.jpg "Maggie May") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOl7dh7a-6g) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/25 "2021-02-14T06:23:46Z")
It’s not Elvis, but here’s an example of a pop song (from the '80s) in which the bridge is particularly distinct: Wang Chung’s “Everybody Have Fun Tonight.” The bridge starts at 2:32, with the line, “On the edge of oblivion…” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BoXu6QmxpJE/maxresdefault.jpg "Wang Chung - Everybody Have Fun Tonight") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoXu6QmxpJE) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/26 "2021-02-14T07:10:23Z")
IANAMusician. But I think here’s a clear example of a rock song with verses, refrains, and bridges: [Sally Simpson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-u_EFyKAC8) by The Who from their rock-opera Tommy. Verses: The first verse begins “Outside the house Mr. Simpson announced that Sally couldn’t go to the meeting. . .” Several subsequent verses have the same melody and other relevant patterns. Refrains all have the same words, beginning with “She knew from the start Deep down in her heart That she and Tommy were worlds apart . . .” These all have the same melody, different from the verse melody. The distinctive bridges begin with the words “The crowd went crazy . . .” – these occur twice in the song. These definitely stand out apart from the other parts of the song. The final verse (after the second bridge) is rather different from the other verses, and is almost more like an extended outro. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-u_EFyKAC8) ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/27 "2021-02-14T13:26:05Z")
Then there is Bob Dylan. Many of his songs incorporate a sequence that I’ve really not encountered elsewhere: _Story, story, story, story, story, title of the song._ Repeat times 10 or so. Some examples off the top of my head are “Tangle Up in Blue”, “Fire on the Mountain”, “Shelter from the Storm”, “Desolation Row”, “I Contain Multitudes”. I’m not suggesting that Dylan invented this style, but he certainly employs it frequently. I’m also not complaining; I love every one of these songs. mmm ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/29 "2021-02-14T13:54:28Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > _Story, story, story, story, story, title of the song._ > Repeat times 10 or so. That’s “Strophic Form”. Used exclusively until songs started to get fancy. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/30 "2021-02-15T06:28:09Z")
> a structure carrying a road, path, railway, etc. across a river, road, or other obstacle. [Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Audio) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G-YQA_bsOU) [The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJBhdKrwTOc) [Ode to Billie Joe - Bobbie Gentry (BBC Live 1968) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaRacIzZSPo) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/31 "2021-02-15T07:40:19Z")
I find the easiest way to identify a bridge is with a song that has the (fairly common) structure: Verse Chorus Verse Chorus Bridge Chorus (ABABCB) A pretty typical one I can think of right now is Blank Space by Taylor Swift. The chorus is: So it’s gonna be forever Or it’s gonna go down in flames You can tell me when it’s over If the high was worth the pain Got a long list of ex-lovers They’ll tell you I’m insane 'Cause you know I love the players And you love the game 'Cause we’re young and we’re reckless We’ll take this way too far It’ll leave you breathless Or with a nasty scar Got a long list of ex-lovers They’ll tell you I’m insane But I’ve got a blank space, baby And I’ll write your name And the bridge is: Boys only want love if it’s torture Don’t say I didn’t say, I didn’t warn ya Boys only want love if it’s torture Don’t say I didn’t say, I didn’t warn ya If you listen to the song, you can see that the bridge replaces where a third verse would go. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/32 "2021-02-15T07:53:52Z")
Another example where it is easy to identify the bridge is the Beatles A Little Help From My Friends. The chorus is: Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends And the bridge is: Do you need anybody? I need somebody to love Could it be anybody? I want somebody to love The song goes: Verse Chorus Verse Chorus Bridge Verse Chorus Bridge Chorus ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/33 "2021-02-15T09:20:43Z")
Here’s another example: “If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free” by Sting. The bridge starts with “You can’t control an independent.” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LSGl3d4KOMk/maxresdefault.jpg "Sting - If You Love Somebody Set Them Free") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSGl3d4KOMk) ---
**Author:** ![julezz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@julezz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/julezz)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/34 "2021-02-15T22:41:09Z")
Right! It’s the part right before the “Chorus”. The bridge between the verse and the chorus…right? ---
**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:** [February 16, 2021, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/35 "2021-02-16T00:09:52Z")
I am the walrus begins with the music from the bridge. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2021, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/36 "2021-02-16T00:13:32Z")
Besides verse and chorus there are possible: bridge, middle 8, refrain, and release. If I ever write a song with 4 parts to it I’ll worry about it the definitions then. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2021, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/37 "2021-02-16T01:08:04Z")
Whoa - that’s true. The “Sitting in an English garden” part. Never realized that before. Good call! ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/38 "2021-02-16T01:12:36Z")
What is a bridge in a song? It is where she and Billie Jo McCallister threw something off. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2021, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/39 "2021-02-16T01:51:10Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > I always liked how George Harrison scrawled the word “bridge” to indicate the fantastic bridge that takes up a big part of the middle of the song, but Eric Clapton misread it as “Badge’, and thus the song was named. Stopped in to see if anyone posted one of my favorite stories. Did Clapton really not know the word “Bridge”? (Oh, just reread an aticle, and he was looking at it upside down across the table, and didn’t say “What’s that?” He just assumed George had named the song. So in his head he may have been playing the song “Badge” for days…) And by the way, the bridge in Badge is: _Well, I told you that the light goes up and down_ _Do you notice how the wheels go 'round?_ _And you better pick yourself up from the ground_ _Before they bring the curtain down…_ ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/40 "2021-02-16T03:55:17Z")
> [@digs](#): > > And by the way, the bridge in Badge is: > > _Well, I told you that the light goes up and down_ > _Do you notice how the wheels go 'round?_ > _And you better pick yourself up from the ground_ > _Before they bring the curtain down…_ Hehehe, and the effect used for the instrumental break that starts the bridge is a Leslie cabinet (mic’d exquisitely IMHO), which is usually imitated by using a “chorus” pedal by folks who don’t have roadies to haul around an extra speaker cabinet and head for one song. 😃 For reasons like that, I usually just identify song sections with A, B, C, D, etc. if I think about the lunacy of language when I’m communicating the proposed song structure to my band. If I forget about language being loony: If someone asks for backing vocals over it, or it repeats the lyrics, it counts as a chorus. If it only appears once in the song and it has another repeated part after it, it’s a bridge. If it doesn’t have another repeated part after it and it appears just once, it’s an outro. When we get to debating that, I try to fall back to A, B, C, D, etc. Then we can get to sane discussions such as what’s a full “A” part, and where does it actually repeat (the answer’s not always the same for everyone in some circumstances). ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787/41 "2021-02-16T17:29:06Z")
A bit off topic, but speaking of Stardust: the Louis Armstrong version, he begins with a trumpet riff on the melody. Followed by a (different) vocal riff on the melody. Followed by another, different, trumpet riff on the melody. But the song never includes the actual melody of Stardust. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-bridge-in-a-song/932787.md?page=3)