Age of Reason – John Farnham Essay Example

The introduction includes the ticking clock as the beat and rhythm, with a bass drum playing on the downbeat in a 4/4 time signature. The melody is in minor tonality and spans the entire diatonic scale. The melodies are based on B Minor chords and feature falsetto vocals. Repetition is used throughout the song, creating a motif that poses the question "What about the age of reason?" There is one main melody that moves in intervals within the diatonic scale and repeats regularly. The phrasing is balanced, with repetitive elements and a question that leaves us contemplating the world and the age of reason. The climax occurs in each chorus, building up to the motif and posing the question again.

The song features Major Chords in the chorus and is occasionally lanced with minor chords. In the chorus, two female backing singers provide harmony by singing "ah." The chord progression follows B, D (1, 3, 5). There is no modulation and several chord patterns are repeated throughout the song. The harmonic accompaniment consists mainly of "shahs" and the repeating of the chorus in the background, with the lyrics "what about the world." Sound effects like clock ticking can be heard, along with electronic drums or a pad in certain sections. The texture and tone color change at 2:30 min - 3:00 min when a keys solo is performed. The ensemble playing includes drums, bass, box, keys, and backing box. The vocals in the song primarily consist of singing, with the backing singers providing vocal harmonies. Plucked string sounds can be heard on the bass, giving a bright and warm feel to the sound. The

instruments are combined as an ensemble but are panned to different sides of the stereo spectrum. The drums are mostly on the left side, while the keys are slightly to the right. The bass is also slightly to the left and the box is positioned in the center to give it an overhead presence and make it stand out as the main element. This arrangement creates a warm feeling in the overall sound. The male box has a tenor range while the female box can either be soprano or alto. In terms of structure, the main motif is the question/quote "what about the world and age of reason?" which is repeated in every chorus. This motif serves as a recurring theme throughout the entire song, but it develops further in each verse as John Burnham tells his story and asks more questions to convey a message. The song follows a Rondo form (A B A C A) with an instrumental keys solo in the middle.

In the text, there are cannon parts between the main box and the backing male singers who inquire about "what about the world?" The main theme consists of various elements such as an intro, chorus, verse, instrumental, chorus repetition, and fading out with the tutor. The dynamics involve no alterations in volume but rather a variation in the number of instruments playing and their timing.