Song Structure comparisons:

70’s:

Hotel California by The Eagles;

This song uses an ABAB method: 2 Verses, Chorus, 2 Verses, Chorus, Outro Solo. In this song the second line rhymes with the forth line in each of the six verses in the song:

Ex.So I called up the Captain "Please bring me my wine" He said, "We haven't had that spirit here

Since 1969".

Even the lyrics differ in each of the to Choruses:

[Chorus 1]

"Welcome to the Hotel California

Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)

Such a lovely face

Plenty of room at the Hotel California

Any time of year (Any time of year)

You can find it here"

[Chorus 2]

"Welcome to the Hotel California

Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)

Such a lovely face

They livin' it up at the Hotel California

What a nice surprise (What a nice surprise)

Bring your alibis".

The title of the song shows up twice in each of the two choruses.

80’s:

Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi:

This song uses the A, B, C, A, B, C, D Method: Verse, Pre Chorus, Chorus, Verse, Pre Chorus, Chorus, Guitar Solo, Bridge, Outro Chorus. In both verses of the song, 2 lines of the song rhyme with each other back to back.

Ex:

[Verse 1]

Tommy used to work on the docks

Union's been on strike, he's down on his luck

It's tough

So tough

Both the Pre chorus and the main chorus of the song have all four lines rhyming with each other:

[Pre-Chorus]

She says, "We've gotta hold on to what we've got

It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not

We've got each other and that's a lot for love

We'll give it a shot"

[Chorus]

Woah, we're halfway there

Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer

Take my hand, we'll make it, I swear

Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer

The title of the song is used in both the second and fourth line of the chorus.Both the Pre Chorus and the Bridge practically have the same structure. The only difference is that the bridge is two lines shorter with different lyrics:

[Pre-Chorus]

She says, "We've gotta hold on to what we've got

It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not

We've got each other and that's a lot for love

We'll give it a shot"

[Bridge]

Ooh, we gotta hold on, ready or not

You live for the fight when that's all that you've got

After that the Chorus just repeats itself until the end of the song:

[Chorus]

Woah, we're halfway there

Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer

Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear

Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer

Woah, we're halfway there

Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer

Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear

Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer

Woah, we're halfway there

Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer

Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear

Woah-oh, livin' on a prayer

90’s:

Killing Me Softly With His Song by The Fugees:

This song uses the BABABCB Method: Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge Chorus. The title of the song not only shows up at the second half of the chorus, but is repeated 3 times:

[Chorus: Lauryn Hill]:

Strumming my pain with his fingers

Singing my life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

Killing me softly with his song

Telling my whole life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

Before the first verse, both Lauryn Hill and Wyclcef Jean start ad-libbing for a little while. The second and fourth lines from each of the two verses rhyme with two practically identical vowel sounds:

[Verse 1: Lauryn Hill]

I heard he sang a good song

I heard he had a style

And so I came to see him

And listen for a while

[Verse 2: Lauryn Hill]

I felt all flushed with fever

Embarrassed by the crowd

I felt he found my letters

Then read each one out loud

After that, Lauryn proceeds to belt out a bunch of Woah’s and La-la’s throughout the entire Bridge until the chorus comes back to repeat itself until the end of the song.

00’s;

Bring Me Back to Life by Evanescence:

This Rock Ballad uses an A, B, A, B, C, A, B Method: Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Verse, Chorus. Amy Lee sings the two verses in the song all by herself, but Paul McCoy share the third verse together by the end of the song; Just like how they share lines in the chorus:

[Verse 3: Amy Lee & Paul McCoy]

All this time, I can't believe I couldn't see

Kept in the dark, but you were there in front of me

I've been sleeping a thousand years, it seems

Got to open my eyes to everything

Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul

Don't let me die here

There must be something more

Bring me to life

[Chorus: Amy Lee & Paul McCoy]

Wake me up, wake me up inside

I can't wake up, wake me up inside

Save me, call my name and save me from the dark

Wake me up, bid my blood to run

I can't wake up, before I come undone

Save me, save me from the nothing I've become

The outro of the song is nearly the same as the bridge. The only difference is that the bridge has to extra lines added to it:

[Bridge: Amy Lee & Paul McCoy]

Bring me to life, I've been livin' a lie, there's nothing inside

Bring me to life

Frozen inside, without your touch, without your love, darling

Only you are the life among the dead

[Outro: Amy Lee & Paul McCoy]

Bring me to life, I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside

Bring me to life

10’s;

Clarity by Zedd ft. Foxes:

Clarity is an EDM song that uses A, B, C, A, B, C Method: Verse, Chorus Drop. In both verses and the chorus, two lines rhyme with each other back to back:

Ex.

[Verse 1: Foxes]

High dive into frozen waves where the past comes back to life

Fight fear for the selfish pain, it was worth it every time

Hold still right before we crash 'cause we both know how this ends

Our clock ticks 'til it breaks your glass and I drown in you again

The second half of the chorus shows up right after the drop’

Ex.

[Chorus: Foxes]

'Cause you are the piece of me

I wish I didn't need

Chasing relentlessly

Still fight and I don't know why

If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?

If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?

[Post-Chorus: Foxes]

If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?

If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?

Kevin Corbett

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