a structure that is truly episodic, yet, musically speaking, does not subscribe to a traditional sense of narrative. A comparison between the structure of this recording and the two already discussed is instructive:
| Recording title | Sectional structure | Analysis | |
| 'Welcome to the Working Week' | A — B — A — B — C — A — B. | Verse (A) — chorus (B) — bridge (C) form. Each verse-chorus unit outlines a quest narrative, and the bridge comprises the furthest point away from the point of origin. | |
| 'Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy' | (intro on A) — A — B — A — B — A — B — B — A (fade). | Strophic form. The strophe consists of verse (A) — chorus (B). Each strophe outlines a quest narrative. | |
| 'Drummer Boy' | A — B — C — D — C — D — C — E — F (coda) | None of these sections is readily identifiable as verse or chorus. Without a return to the point of origin or subscription to the types of sections we expect in rock recordings, there is no sense of quest narrative articulated by the structure. |
In the Costello and Kinks tracks, the alternation of sections A and B is integral to their definition as verses and choruses and helps to cement the idea of a place of origin, a move away from that place, and a return. In 'Drummer Boy' we hear four vastly contrasting sections before any of them is repeated, and neither the C nor D section functions as verse or chorus. Additionally, the functional diatonic harmony of the first two examples is not evident in 'Drummer Boy,'[1] and this is underlined by the fact that each section is in a different tempo. These aspects upset any traditional notion of narrative as we have come to expect it to operate in song form.[2]
In terms of sound-mass, while each section works within a standard kit of rock instrumentation — vocals, guitars, drums — the lack of continuity between sections means that the listener is constantly readjusting to different sound-masses which individually carry connotations of the confessional singer-songwriter (A), indie/post-rock (B), hard rock (C), outsider music (D and E) and punk (E). These are not exercises in musical style, it would seem, but rather a through-composed approach to the momentary demands of mood and text. While we might be able to plot a trajectory of intensity
___________________
- ↑ Sections A, C, D and F all to some extent revolve around the pitch of E, but section B is chromatic and comes to rest on an Eb7 chord, and the riff of section E has a tonal centre of F, so the idea of a tonal centre of E for the track is much disrupted.
- ↑ This is ironic, as part of the lyric concerns a quest: 'No mortal man has yet succeeded in climbing the big glass mountain. /"I know" said the drummer boy "but my heart is stout and determined / and I long for adventure,"
PORTAL, vol. 8, no. 1, January
