Bring It On

[WARNING: Highly technical (giggle, giggle) songwriting jargon ahead: read on if you dare!]

Today I am reviewing another random song from my iTunes library to figure out why the song works (and why, frankly, it’s even in my iTunes!). The song is one you probably know, “Higher Love” performed by Steve Winwood (and co-written with Will Jennings).

What makes this song work? Easy-peasy: the rhythmic groove established by the instrumentation and the breezy, ear-worm of a chorus. But just to be academic (gee whiz, Patty, really?), let’s take the machine apart piece by piece.

Lyrics: ridiculously simple, as most pop songs are. The words are generally one or two syllables long. The most complex word in the entire lyric is “everywhere”. Wow. That’s some lyric-editing! The verses and pre-choruses are in strict AABB rhyme scheme which gives the song rock-solid stability overall. The bridges are a smidge off-center with slightly different line lengths but not enough to upend the overall stability of the song.

Melody and chord progression: nothing unusual here. The verses are relatively flat, melodically speaking, and the chorus rises nicely in pitch above the verses. And speaking of the chorus, it makes use of THE most important hook in all of pop-musicdom (is that a word?): repetition. Let me say it again: repetition. Moving on…

Song form: standard components of verse, pre-chorus, chorus and bridge. One interesting note - this song has two starkly different bridges. That’s not unique to this song, but it’s an unexpected twist for an otherwise standard pop piece. 

Arrangement: IMHO, this is the strong point for “Higher Love”. That quasi world-beat, syncopated drums/percussion riff that opens the song immediately captures your attention and makes you want to listen (and yes, perhaps dance).

So, again - a well-crafted chorus and engaging percussion are what makes “Higher Love” a song worthy of a place in my iTunes library. And to his credit, Steve Winwood is a pretty good singer, too.