Although the Bridge of a song can be delightful, by the time it comes along the verdict on a song is usually in – the listener is already around two minutes into the song and the most important parts of it have been heard and responded to.  Similar to on Orwell’s Animal Farm, all parts of a song are important, but some are more important than others.  I’d say the Bridge is less ‘important’ than the Chorus or the Verse… but still, Bridges matter… they can be beautiful… and they can be fun to write.

In a Verse/Chorus song a Bridge, if there is one, comes after you’ve heard the Chorus at least twice – otherwise how is the listener supposed to know the Bridge isn’t the Chorus?  Don’t confuse them (any more than necessary)!  A true Bridge almost always has words and music that are new and different from the Verse and Chorus.

So what does a Bridge do?

1. Adds value by adding variety and pleasure to the song.
2. Gives the writer a chance to offer a different point of view in the lyrics – by looking at the story from another angle, adding to it, giving the narrator a chance to express something that wouldn’t feel tonally right in the other sections (often emotion that’s more naked), or even having a different narrator sing.
3. Gives the music a chance to go somewhere else – a new key, a different melody range or shape, or a different type of chord(s) or chord progression.
4. A good bridge is not just pleasurable in and of itself; by effective use of contrast it makes the return of the main parts of the song more exciting.

I often think of bridges like this:  You’re taking a car ride or a hike, looking at beautiful scenery.  You see a sign for a Scenic Overlook.  You go off the main road and check out the view for a minute; it’s a little different and great.  You go back to the main road – you’re happy to be back on it, but glad you took the little side trip.  That’s how a good bridge works for me.

So why NOT have a Bridge?  Well, sometimes you want to keep the listener on that main road, not give them a change of pace.  Sometimes it’s more to your advantage to stay focused on your main themes.

In the 21st century, less songs have Bridges than in the 20th.  I can suggest a few reasons for this.  Pop music has returned to being more dance-based, so sticking with the main groove is an obvious strategy.  Also, popular music is more loop-based and -influenced.  If you’re not going to change the harmonies or the beat at all there’s less opportunity in a bridge, and perhaps less impetus to have one.  Also, it probably has something to do with our attention spans being much more fragmented than in the past and the need of music makers to respond to that.

Even given the things I just mentioned, there is still often a need for a change of pace, even without a full-fledged Bridge (with new words and music).  Some of the ways that’s done is by having a breakdown with additional vocals, having a rap (in a non-rap song) over the beat, or having a solo.

Some examples, more or less at random, of great Bridges in Verse/Chorus songs:  A Day In The Life – The Beatles (‘Woke up, got out of bed’…); Super Rich Kids – Frank Ocean (‘Real love’…); Cinnamon Girl – Neil Young (‘Ma send me money’…); Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon (‘Four in the morning’…); Refugee – Tom Petty (‘Baby you ain’t the first’…).

Examples of ‘alternative’ instrumental approaches to Bridges: Sex Machine – James Brown; Knock On Wood – Sam & Dave.  It’s also very common to include, in a ‘sung’ song, a rap in the middle, essentially functioning like a Bridge.

Some examples of great Verse/Chorus songs without Bridges: Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana; Serve Somebody – Bob Dylan; Lose Yourself – Eminem; I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2; Billie Jean – Michael Jackson; Rolling In The Deep – Adele.

Here’s a hard question to answer, but interesting to think about –  In the songs mentioned above, or others, do you agree with the writers’ choices regarding having Bridges or not?  Once you’re used to hearing things a certain way, it’s difficult to imagine them differently, but… think about it.

My old friend, the great songwriter Billy Mernit, said something to me many years ago, before I was writing songs seriously, that has stuck with me and helped me.  It’s too long ago to quote him accurately, but what I remember him saying is something like, “Writing Bridges is fun.  It’s like a vacation from the rest of the song.”  Anyway, whether I’m remembering correctly or not, that’s how I tend to look at it.  If I’m going to add a bridge, it’s not life or death (for me or the song).  So I try to have fun with it… and I usually keep it short!

(In an AABA song, the ‘B’ section will function as a bridge, so those songs will always have what we call a bridge. or ‘middle eight’ – otherwise they’d be AAA songs…  So here we’re speaking of Verse/Chorus songs, where the writer has a choice of whether to add a bridge or not.)