Popular Song Structures

Section A Verse 1 Section A Verse 1 Section A Verse 2 Section A Verse 2 Section A Verse 3 Section A Verse 3 Section A Verse 4 Section A Verse 4 Same music, different words While Shepherds watched their flocks by night All seated on the ground The Angel of the Lord came down And glory shone around While Shepherds watched their flocks by night All seated on the ground The Angel of the Lord came down And glory shone around “Fear not”, said he, for mighty dread Had seized their troubled minds “Glad tidings of great joy I bring To you, and all mankind” “Fear not”, said he, for mighty dread Had seized their troubled minds “Glad tidings of great joy I bring To you, and all mankind” “To you, in David’s town this day, Is born of David’s line A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord And this shall be the sign” “To you, in David’s town this day, Is born of David’s line A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord And this shall be the sign” “The heavenly babe you there shall find To human view displayed All meanly wrapping in swaddling clothes And in a manger laid” “The heavenly babe you there shall find To human view displayed All meanly wrapping in swaddling clothes And in a manger laid” Strophic (Verse form)

Section A Verse 1 Section A Verse 1 Section B Refrain Section B Refrain We wish you a Merry Christmas And a Happy New Year We wish you a Merry Christmas And a Happy New Year Good tidings we bring to you and your kin We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year Good tidings we bring to you and your kin We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year Section A Verse 2 Section A Verse 2 Now bring us so figgy pudding And bring some out here Now bring us so figgy pudding And bring some out here Same music, different words Section B Refrain Section B Refrain Good tidings we bring to you and your kin We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year Good tidings we bring to you and your kin We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year Section A Verse 3 Section A Verse 3 And we won’t go until we’ve got some So bring some out here And we won’t go until we’ve got some So bring some out here Same music, different words Section B Refrain Section B Refrain Good tidings we bring to you and your kin We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year Good tidings we bring to you and your kin We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year Same music, same words Verse - Refrain Structure Shorter section

Verse The night we met I knew I needed you so And if I had the chance I'd never let you go So won't you say you love me? I'll make you so proud of me We'll make 'em turn their heads every place we go The night we met I knew I needed you so And if I had the chance I'd never let you go So won't you say you love me? I'll make you so proud of me We'll make 'em turn their heads every place we go Chorus New music Chorus New music So won't you, please? (Be my, be my baby) Be my little baby (My one and only baby) Say you'll be my darlin’ (Be my, be my baby) Be my baby now (My one and only baby) Whoa oh oh oh So won't you, please? (Be my, be my baby) Be my little baby (My one and only baby) Say you'll be my darlin’ (Be my, be my baby) Be my baby now (My one and only baby) Whoa oh oh oh Verse Same music Different words Verse Same music Different words I'll make you happy, baby, just wait and see For every kiss you give me, I'll give you three Oh, since the day I saw you, I have been waiting for you You know I will adore you 'til eternity I'll make you happy, baby, just wait and see For every kiss you give me, I'll give you three Oh, since the day I saw you, I have been waiting for you You know I will adore you 'til eternity Chorus Same as before Chorus Same as before So won't you, please? (Be my, be my baby) Be my little baby (My one and only baby) Say you'll be my darlin’ (Be my, be my baby) Be my baby now (My one and only baby) Whoa oh oh oh So won't you, please? (Be my, be my baby) Be my little baby (My one and only baby) Say you'll be my darlin’ (Be my, be my baby) Be my baby now (My one and only baby) Whoa oh oh oh Often repeated Contrasting Verse - Chorus Structure You can add an introduction, bridges between the sections and a coda to this structure.

IIII7I7 IV II V IV7V7 Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 Did you ever sit thinking with a thousand things on your mind? Thinking about someone who’s treated you so nice and kind 12 Bar Blues Form A A A A B B This is essentially in strophic structure but each verse follows this AAB pattern

Section A 8 Bars Section A 8 Bars Somewhere over the rainbow Way up high, There's a land that I heard of Once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow Way up high, There's a land that I heard of Once in a lullaby. Section A 8 Bars Section A 8 Bars Somewhere over the rainbow Skies are blue, And the dreams that you dare to dream Really do come true. Somewhere over the rainbow Skies are blue, And the dreams that you dare to dream Really do come true. Section B 8 Bars Section B 8 Bars Someday I'll wish upon a star And wake up where the clouds are far behind me. Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me. Someday I'll wish upon a star And wake up where the clouds are far behind me. Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me. Section A 8 Bars Section A 8 Bars Somewhere over the rainbow Bluebirds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow. Why then, oh why can't I? Somewhere over the rainbow Bluebirds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow. Why then, oh why can't I? Coda * If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow. Why then, oh why can't I? If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow. Why then, oh why can't I? Intro * When all the world is a hopeless jumble and the raindrops tumble all around Heaven opens a magic lane When all the clouds darken up the skyway there's a rainbow highway to be found Leading from your windowpane, to a place behind the sun, just a step beyond the rain When all the world is a hopeless jumble and the raindrops tumble all around Heaven opens a magic lane When all the clouds darken up the skyway there's a rainbow highway to be found Leading from your windowpane, to a place behind the sun, just a step beyond the rain 32 Bar Song * These don’t count as part of the 32 bar structure. In fact, they are not even in all the recordings of this song!

Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 A A B B C C Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? … … Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me Mama, I just killed a man… … I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all Guitar solo 1 Section 4 D D I see a little silhouetto of a man, Scaramouche! Scaramouche! Will you do the Fandango?! … … Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me! Through-Composed Section 5 Section 6 E E F F So you think you can stop me and spit in my eye?!?! So you think you can love me and leave me to die?!?! Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby, Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here! Guitar solo 2 Section 7 G G Nothing really matters, Anyone can see, Nothing really matters, Nothing really matters to me. Anyway the wind blows... New music in each section. It may be thematically linked. New music in each section. It may be thematically linked.