Sing for Goal !

Here's a musical form I've been thinking about lately, I call it "Sing for Goal". It's a sporting analogy like "Shoot for Goal". I had basketball in mind, but other sports may fit too.

There's a common little rhythm in some sports - a certain rhythmic sporting burst of action as we approach a goal. I see it in five steps :

1. First we have the initial regular passing and movement around the court, slowly towards the goal, no pressure yet, plenty of time to get there.
2. Then a short burst of more complex steps as the athlete dodges the guards and winds up for the shot. Will he get past?
3. Now the shot for goal - a sudden upwards climax of energy. Quick and straight up to the goal in a soaring release of energy. Is it a Goal ?
4. Shortly afterwards - the rebound or two, quick, probably arhythmic as the ball hits the hoop and rapidly bounces a few times before sinking. Will it pop out ?
5. Finally we have the recovery, the slow down slope - the other team has the ball in their territory, no pressure, they smoothly pass up the court. A brief respite before for the next one. Phase five is phase one again.

So now, consider how some songs have a similar structure :

1. The lead-up, the verse, setting up the key, walking along the comfortable valley,
2. a little burst of speed or complexity - will there be a high-note soon ?
3. yes! a Goal! the sudden reach up to the high note - was it quite the tone you expected ?
4. the rebound - after the high note is a some quick following notes - perhaps there's a higher note still to come ?
5. the release - back down to the comfortable valley, no high-note for a while.

I'm not saying all songs have this, I'm not saying all songs should have this. And the analogy doesn't hold that well in all cases, but the central core of the pattern is the sudden climax of the goal! That sudden leap to the high note. I like that form, that sudden reach up to the peak, the high note, the mountain top - that's what hits my spot.

So, here are my first examples (hey, I'm old, sorry for songs from the stone age.)

Exhibit A: Golden Slumbers, The Beatles ...

1. steady approach from 0:15 "once there was a way"
2. perhaps a slight increase in complexity just about 0:19 with the piano
3. Goal! at 0:22 "Sleep"
4. Rebound follows "...pretty darling", slowing down "do not cry"
5. Back home smoothly with "...and I will sing a lullaby-y"

Exhibit B: Down among the Deadmen, Flash and the Pan

1. lead up from 2:22 ... some smooth steps as we approach
2. then a couple of two-steps at about 2:30
3. Goal! at 2:35 "all the way..."
4. No rebound - a short hang time of a second or so
5. Smooth steps down the valley from about 2:37

Exhibit C: Mascara, Killing Heidi

1. lead up from 0:00
2. tempo increases at 0:04 for a bit
3. Goal! 0:05
4. Rapid rebound is immediate - 2-3 bounces
5. followed by regular steps from 0:06

Exhibit D: And We Danced, The Hooters

1. steady lead up from about 1:26
2. Brief tempo increase at 1:38
3. a quadruple Goal! at 1:40 "danced" and 1:42 "wave" and 1:47 "danced" and 1:49 "wait"
4. rebounds at 1:52
5. back comfortably home around 1:54

Exhibit E: Daydream Believer, The Monkees

1. lead up from 1:50
2. tempo increase at 1:59 as he starts reaching up "Quee-ee-ee..."
3. Goal! at 2:00 "...EEN!"
4. long hang time, no rebound
5. back home comfortably again from 2:02

Exhibit F: Aerosmith - I Don't Wanna Miss a thing
(Thanks to '$uPeRUnKnOwN' of Whirlpool.)

There's a small mellow instrumental goal early -

1. we have the ball at 0:00
2. at 0:07, tempo rises, we pass up the court
3. Goal at 00:14 (maybe a 1 pointer only? :-)
4. couple seconds of rebounding
5. smoothly down the comfy valley

Then it's echoed again, a stronger goal (more strings) around 0:22.

There's many soaring lyrical goals e.g. :

1. smooth passing from around 1:54 or so
2. pressure builds, from about 2:15
3. Goal ! at 2:21
4. downward rebounds till about 2:24
5. back home to our happy valley

Of course, having put those two ideas together, the obvious third analogy is the male orgasm - but I'll leave that as exercise for the reader.