[I Have Nothing - Whitney Houston]
I Have Nothing is a ballad mixed with some features from pop and R&B. This song is well known for it great, cinematic arrangement and very clearly demonstrates Whitney Houston's powerful voice.
The instrumentation in this song is truly amazing. There is the use of piano which creates an nice foundation to the song, playing arpeggios and the chord progressions throughout the song.
The is the use of orchestral strings such violin and cellos which create thing nice dramatic background that enhances the emotional intensity of the song.
There is electrical bass that adds some really nice depth and warmth which acts as a support for the harmonic movements.
The drums and percussion in this song is beautiful. It starts off quite subtle but then it becomes more noticed as the song builds.
The electric guitar provides the gentle fills and textures in the background of the song.
Whitney Houston's vocals in the song are phenomenal. Her soaring voice is the main focal point, delivering the raw emotion in the song. Her technique and vocal control throughout is truly something else.
This song is written of the key of A major but shifts to Bb major towards climax.
The verse chord progression is as followed:
F#m7 | B7 | Emaj7 | C#m7 | F#m7 | B7 | Emaj7.
The chorus chord progression is as followed:
A | C#m | D | Bm | E | A | C#m | D | E
When the song shifts to Bb major in the Final the chord progression changes to the following:
Bb | Dm | Eb | Cm | F | Bb | Dm | Eb | F
The structure of this song follows the typical ballad form:
The intro where the soft piano and string set the tone, the first verse, the first chorus, the second verse being more expansive than the first, the second chorus being more powerful than the first, the bridge where is builds up the tension and emotion leading up to the key change in the final chorus, the final chorus which is in the key of Bb, then the outro.
There are quite a few harmonic devices used in this song. There is the use of 7th chord B7, F#m7 and C#m7. This is done to add some jazzy type influence to the song. There is a descending bassline which creates a nice and smooth harmonic movement throughout the song and chord changes.
The lyrics in this song express the themes of deep love and desperation. Houston pleads for her lover to stay and fears a life without them, hence the name 'I Have Nothing'. The line "stay in my arms if you dare, or must I imagine you there" really reflect the way she is longing and relying on emotional dependence. The line "I don't wanna have to go where you don't follow" emphasises her fear of abandonment and the desperation for unconditional love.
I think that the message that Whitney Houston is trying to bring across in this song is the absolute surrender of emotions with the way she portrays a person who gives everything for a relationship and can't bear to lose it. The song is intense, making it one of the most powerful and relatable love ballads of all time.
[Basket Case - Green Day]
Basket case is a pop punk song with some features of alt rock released in 1994 and it is one of the most defining tracks of 1990s punk revival. It features fast tempo, power chords and some really energetic vocals from Billie.
Basket Case follows the typical verse-chorus-bridge layout including a dynamic build up.
The song starts of with the intro that starts with the guitar with a clean tone playing the verse progression, then the first verse which starts off quite soft and gradually builds up with tension, the the first chorus where everything is really explosive with distorted guitar and powerful and driving drums, then the second verse which is similar to the first verse, just a bit more intense, then the second chorus which is a lot louder and aggressive, then the bridge features a new chord progression, then there is the final chorus which acts as the climax of the song, then the outro which ends quite abruptly.
The instrumentation in this song consists of electric guitar, bass guitar, vocals and drums.
The electric guitar is what drives the song by playing the distorted power chords in a fast and quite aggressive style. Billie's rhythmic, palm muted strumming technique is the signature part to how the rhythm sounds.
The bassline in this song is quite melodic and often Mike played counter-melodies to the guitar.
Tre's drumming feature the typical fast punk beat, heavy snare hitting and some really energetic fills.
Billie's vocals are delivered in quite an urgent way, his vocals are quite raspy, fitting in with the aggressiveness of the song.
The chord progression for both the verse and the chorus goes as followed:
Eb | Bb | C | G | Ab | Eb | Bb | Ab
The chord progression changes in the chorus to:
C | G | A | E | F | C | G | A
The song uses power chords such as Eb5, Bb5, etc. This is a typical feature of punk rock because it creates a nice raw sound.
The fast and repetitive chord changes maintain the songs driving momentum and keeps the song moving.
The lyrics in this song venture the themes of paranoia, anxiety and mental instability. The song is written based on Billie's struggles with his panic attacks and feelings of uncertainty.
The line "Sometimes I give myself the creeps, sometimes my mind plays tricks on me" really captures his experiences with overthinking and self doubt.
The line "Do you have the time to listen to me wine, about nothing and everything all at once" straight away sets the tone of the song for a consciousness rant filled with frustration and self doubt.
The message that green day have tried to display is personal to them, depicting someone struggling with their mental health whilst unsure of whether or not the fears are real or just in their head.