There aren’t really any ‘rules’ to Songwriting. Maybe one: Don’t bore the listener.

But there are traditions and customs, things that tend to work better than others, mostly having to do with the use of structure – Verses, Choruses, Bridges, rhyming, length, etc.

But one thing I’ve noticed is that when I analyze a song that I like, it almost never exactly follows the standard template of its form; there’s always some kind of individual twist. And occasionally a writer takes it even further, trusting to his/her ability to keep you interested without using the usual devices, or by using them in unconventional ways.

Recently I’ve gotten obsessed with a song like this – Iron & Wine’s ‘The Trapeze Swinger’.
* It’s over 9 minutes long.
* Its only chords are a circular 4 bar pattern that repeats, over and over. (| D | A | G | D A |… the first chord of the pattern sometimes changes to Bminor)
* It has no Chorus (it does have what you might call a Refrain, a potent line that repeats at the beginning of each section – “Please, remember me” – though these repetitions are pretty far apart).
* Although there’s some nice subtle variations in the vocal performance, the melody is also just a 4 bar phrase that repeats almost exactly, over and over (usually for me this would be the kiss of death – more below on why it isn’t in this case). And the melody range stays within a fifth – pretty narrow.

But the first time I heard it I liked it for the same reason I like any song I like – Because I liked it. It sounded beautiful to me. And as Duke Ellington said, “If it sounds good, it is good.”

But why? (Sorry, I have to ask.) Right away I noticed a few things.

It has a simple, gorgeous arrangement and groove. Beautiful vocals, lead and background. Subtly effective percussion colors. As the song goes on, the bass and then the piano step out and create ripples in the pond.

The momentum that carries the song’s interest forward is created by that simple melody, along with the lyric, and how they are placed.

There is a melody note on the downbeat of every bar (another potential kiss of death).  But the lyric/melody phrases do not begin and end where the chord phrases begin and end. The downbeat at the beginning of every 4 bar phrase, instead of beginning a new lyric line, comes in the middle of a lyric phrase, thereby creating an off-balance feeling… . This creates a terrific effect.

For example, the first verse reads:

Please, remember me happily
By the rosebush laughing
With bruises on my chin, the time when
We counted every black car passing
Your house beneath the hill
And up until someone caught us in the kitchen
With maps, a mountain range, a piggy bank
A vision too removed to mention

But it sings more like:

Please, remember me happily
By the rosebush laughing with
Bruises on my chin, the time when
We counted every black car passing your
House beneath the hill
And up until someone caught us in the kitchen with
Maps, a mountain range, a piggy bank
A vision too removed to mention

The next line starts at the end of the previous one. This may seem simple when explained, but it’s unusual and brings flow and momentum. He ends each 4 bar phrase with such words as, “With… Your… And… Like… Our… Only…”, creating a great feeling of anticipation. The following downbeats get strong, evocative words like, “Bruises… House… Maps… Fallen Trees…” And the words themselves sing beautifully, are powerfully visual, and unfold the story in a way that keeps my attention and is continually touching.

By the way, there are eight Verses like the one above. It is really long for a pop song, but the more it goes on, the more I like it – although with most songs it’s the opposite!

I think if this song was half as long, it might only be half as good. The relentless repetition builds power, along with the way the off-balance melody and lyric sustain interest – though I have to admit that the first half dozen times I heard it I didn’t even try to understand most of the words. I didn’t care; I just loved how it all sounded.

Maybe there’s a “Don’t try this at home” element to this song – it’s hard to pull off – but I think a lot of us can benefit from giving it a close listen, particularly the way it begins and ends melodic phrases and lyric lines in unexpected places that nevertheless feel natural.

Iron & Wine is singer/songwriter Sam Beam’s group. You can listen to The Trapeze Swinger here: