Good morning John. I discovered something fascinating recently, and I wanted to share
it with you in the hopes that you and other people would find it fascinating too. And
I did not discover it on reddit, which is odd; that is were I discover most of the fascinating
things that I discover, but this I discovered while I was just searching for songs to play
on my guitar. It's called the 50s progression because it was popular in the 50s. With songs
like, um, "Earth angel, earth angel, will you be mine" and "Ohhh, Donna, ohhh Donna"
and "Why must I be a teenager in love?"
But it wasn't just popular in the 50s. It was popular before then, it was popular after
then. So I like an alternate name which is The Ice Cream Changes, because it's smooth
like ice cream, and it's sweet like ice cream, and everybody likes it, like ice cream. Except
for lactose intolerant people, who hate this chord progression. Which is why I like the
name ice cream changes.
But it didn't just stop in the 50s, as I said, it continued on into the 60s, with songs like
"Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl, Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl, Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl."
And also "Where have all the flowers gone? Long time passing. Where have all the flowers
gone? Long, long time ago." And "I'd like to be under the sea in an octupus's garden
in the shade."
But it kept going in the 70s with a song that was actually designed to sound like it's from
the 50s. "I remember when rock was young, me and Susie had so much fun, holding hands
and skimming stones. I had an old gold Chevy and a place of my own."
But it continued into the 80s. "Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond
you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you." And that was the first time it was ever
changed. The number of beats per chord changed in that version, in that song.
And in the 90s, it went from being two or four beats per chord change to one. I messed
up. "She has a girlfriend now, she has a girlfriend now, she has a girlfriend now, she says guys
don't do no more for me."
And just so you know, no one is exempt. "You don't love me 'cause I'm not Edward Cullen,
I can wear sparkly makeup and act all brave and sullen." That's right. I use the Ice Cream
Changes, too.
My glasses are falling off. Oooh! That worked. I did the Bieber flip, I Bieber-flipped them
back on!
Speaking of Justin Bieber, we've sweetened it up for the 2000s for our little friends.
Like "Baby baby baby ohh, yeah baby baby baby no, baby baby baby yeah, thought you'd always
be mine."
And just in case you think it's only happy songs that use this: "I did my time and I
want out, so abusive; fate, it doesn't cut, the soul is not so vibrant, the reckoning,
the sickening. Back at you, subversion, pseudo-sacred, psycho virgin" That was Slipknot. I don't
know if there's a lot of Slipknot fans watching this but if there are: Hi, how's it going?
They used the same chords as Justin Bieber.
And then very recently, the most popular song of the year, depending on your definition
of popular and your definition of year, and also on your definition of song: "7am, wake
up in the morning, gotta get dressed, gotta get downstairs. Gotta get my bowl, gotta have
cereal, [unintelligible] headed down to the bus stop, gotta see my friends. I see my friends.
They're sitting in the front seat, sitting in the back seat, gotta make my mind up, which
seat can I? Friday, Friday, everybody starts with Friday, I don't know the words to Friday,
the weekend, weekend. Friday, Friday, this song is about Friday, everybody's looking
forward to the weekend."
So that was the Ice Cream Changes. I don't know why our brains like these things, but
they obviously do. John, I will see you on Friday.