# What's Up With the Bridges in Popular Culture? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871 "2010-04-21T16:28:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![A.Selene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ec8ea/32.png) [@A.Selene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.Selene)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/1 "2010-04-21T16:28:59Z")
Why do so many popular songs have a bridge that differs so greatly from the chorus or verses? I’ve read a bit about the thirty-two bar form and verse-chorus form (I love wikipedia) but it’s something that has always intrigued me. I get the feeling that the bridge is a point of tension in a song, which then returns to the verse or chorus to release the tension and return to the original feeling or mood. I’ve always felt that many movies, in particular romantic comedies, are similar in structure. (A)The story introduces the characters, they meet (A) Things go swimmingly, they are meant to be (B) They break up/learn a secret/things go terribly (A) But then all turns out well and they end up together Is this just the way we like stories told? A comfortable structure? I got the whole rising tension to denouement in high school, so I recognize that, but I think the AABA structure is a bit different. It’s not rising tension, its sudden change that reverts to normalcy. Is it evident in other mediums/genres, or is this all in my head? ---
**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:** [April 21, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/2 "2010-04-21T16:31:01Z")
Bridge Over Troubled Water is a nice song. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/3 "2010-04-21T20:51:48Z")
Bridges of Madison County was kind of sappy, though. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/4 "2010-04-21T20:58:20Z")
Jeff Bridges just won an Oscar. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/5 "2010-04-21T21:03:32Z")
Lloyd Bridges is dead. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/6 "2010-04-21T21:04:05Z")
Nash Bridges was a very popular TV show, but I’m not a fan of Don Johnson. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/7 "2010-04-21T21:17:40Z")
Bridges? We don’t need no stinkin’ bridges! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/8 "2010-04-21T21:20:37Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > Bridges? We don’t need no stinkin’ bridges! Yes you do and I have one to sell. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/9 "2010-04-21T21:30:54Z")
What’chu talkin’bout, Willis? ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/10 "2010-04-21T23:13:53Z")
It’s an interesting topic, and probably wouldn’t have gone so completely off the rails if you had supplied some example songs. One of my favorite songwriters, Todd Rundgren, tends to use bridges and refrains more often than many of his contemporaries. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/11 "2010-04-21T23:27:14Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > It’s an interesting topic, and probably wouldn’t have gone so completely off the rails if you had supplied some example songs. > > One of my favorite songwriters, Todd Rundgren, tends to use bridges and refrains more often than many of his contemporaries. … who refrain from bridges. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/12 "2010-04-22T00:03:57Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > It’s an interesting topic, and probably wouldn’t have gone so completely off the rails if you had supplied some example songs. Or better yet, written a more relevant header. You were on the right track until you failed to use the word _ **songs.** _ ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/13 "2010-04-22T06:37:35Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Bridge Over Troubled Water is a nice song. Another Simon & Garfunkel song, I Am a Rock, was covered by the Red House Painters on their second self-titled album, which is often called “Bridge” due to the cover. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/14 "2010-04-22T08:39:55Z")
[Baloo]Woah there little bridges[/Baloo] ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/15 "2010-04-22T19:05:36Z")
For a bridge that’s REALLY inappropriate for the rest of the song, listen to “Say You Say Me” by Lionel Richie. Most of the song is worthless sappy ballad material, but the bridge kicks ass. One DJ said that it’s like the bridge was beamed in from outer space. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/16 "2010-04-22T19:54:33Z")
> [@A.Selene](#): > > I get the feeling that the bridge is a point of tension in a song… Indeed, Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/17 "2010-04-22T20:05:29Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Indeed, Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge. That’s because somebody spotted him on the 59th Street Bridge, feeling Groovy. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/18 "2010-04-22T20:09:28Z")
> [@A.Selene](#): > > Why do so many popular songs have a bridge that differs so greatly from the chorus or verses? I remember Billy Joel was asked about this when he did Inside the Actors studio years ago. I can’t find a quote, but he compared a song to a dinner and said the bridge is a refreshing change of pace that makes the rest of the song more enjoyable by giving listeners a break from the main theme. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/19 "2010-04-22T20:14:15Z")
Just don’t get too big for them… Ohhhh, bridges. Yeah, they’re useful. ---
**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:** [April 22, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871/20 "2010-04-22T21:12:52Z")
> [@A.Selene](#): > > Is it evident in other mediums/genres, or is this all in my head? Sure. A good chunk of Western classical music revolves around the idea of introducing a theme, playing with it, then introducing a sharply contrasting theme, often in a different key (a fifth away from the first theme’s key is typical), and then coming back to the original key. (See [ternary form](http://wiki.youngcomposers.com/Ternary_form), for instance, as one example of this structure.) So, yes, it’s typical in other genres to have contrasting elements. Granted, the role of the bridge in a pop song is not quite as expansive as a proper “B” section in a classical piece, (for this to be more analogous, the bridge would have to be as long as the verse/chorus, if we are considering them one section), but I feel it’s the same general idea. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-bridges-in-popular-culture/536871.md?page=2)