"Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens
Strong Songs
The Chorus Is the Heart of This Song
The chorus is the beating heart of this song. I love the way that the choir on the chorus sounds. They're just singing melody number one. It's the same melody that sufian sang on that first phrase of the verse. Listen for that ascending and descending string. Er. Here we go.
D, A, C, G. Four chords, placed end to end, repeated over and over again.
On this episode, Kirk takes a deep dive into Sufjan Stevens's "Chicago," the centerpiece of his brilliant 2005 album Illinois. It's a towering construction supported by four chords, with building blocks of vibraphones, wurlitzers, strings, and choral harmonies.
D, A, C, G. Eyes on the road; all things go.
Artist: Sufjan Stevens
Album: Illinois (2005)
Written by: Sufjan Stevens
Listen/Buy via Album.Link
ALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:
- "The Bird Women of Golden Gate Park" by Kirk Hamilton from The Exited Door, 2009
- "Supernova" by Meklit from When The People Move, The Music Moves Too (2017)
- "Come on! Feel the Illinoise!" by Sufjan Stevens from Illinois, 2005
- "X. Section 8" by Steve Reich from Music for 18 Musicians, 1978
- "Clocks" by Coldplay from A Rush of Blood to the Head, 2002
OUTRO SOLOIST: Kirk Hamilton
Kirk is, well, the host of Strong Songs. He decided to finally record an outro solo at the start of 2020. He's playing tenor sax, and there's actually a video of him recording the solo here: https://twitter.com/kirkhamilton/status/1214319584959877123
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