| If you don't know Paul Simon's Surprise, listen to Outrageous before proceeding. You have to read this blog as it was posted, earliest first. Start with "Cracked 2 More" ('06, Nov.) and then work your way down the list. The fully cracked explanations are in the comments, not in the blogs (for those who want to do their own cracking). |
"Father and Daughter" was recorded for The Wild Thornberrys, a movie based on the children's TV show of the same name. It is almost a traditional verse/chorus song. It precedes the Simon/Eno collaboration and has no electronics.
I was surprised when I did the annotation, however. It's not as simple, structurally, as I thought. There is a classic chorus: "I'm gonna watch you shine, ..." through "...loved his daughter more than I love you." This chorus is repeated, with minor alterations, three times.
But the verses pressage the complex structures Simon creates for Surprise. Two verses preceded the first chorus. However, they're built on different melodies. A third verse, between the first and second chorus, also has its own melody.
And the harmonies are also complex. Anyone would resolve a dominant B7 to the tonic E. But few would resolve B9sus4 to E. (I've played the Beatles, who are known for their harmonic adventures, for years and never seen x9sus4.) Fewer still would get to B from F#m7. But none of these changes distracts you from the essential point of the song: father loves daughter.
I'll post a personal comment in the comments, since I need something to fill space in the "Crackings" column on www.CrackingTheSimonCode.org .
1 comment:
I am the doting father of two wonderful daughters. I heard "Father and Daughter" the first time and it immediately moved into a special place in my heart. That place already held (and still holds) another father/daughter love song, Jimmy Buffett's "Little Miss Magic" from his 1980 album, Coconut Telegraph.
"Your mother is the only other woman for me
Little Miss Magic, what you gonna be?"
I never thought "Little Miss Magic" would have company. Now she's got a sister. I think they'll get along. (Buffett is an avid fly fisherman. He'll be grabbed by "It's just like goin' fishin'.")
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