Piano Diana Blog

Detroit skyline (Photo credit: Bernt Rostad)

Songs of Great Cities

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

Recorded by Hank Thompson Music by Don Swander and Words by June Hershey, 1941

[D] The stars at night - are big and bright (clap, clap, clap, clap) DEEP IN THE HEART OF [A] TEXAS The prairie sky - is wide and high (clap, clap, clap, clap) DEEP IN THE HEART OF [D] TEXAS. The Sage in bloom - is like perfume (clap, clap, clap, clap) DEEP IN THE HEART OF [A] TEXAS Reminds me of - the one I love (clap, clap, clap, clap) DEEP IN THE HEART OF [D] TEXAS. The cowboys cry - ki-yip-pie-yi (clap, clap, clap, clap) DEEP IN THE HEART OF [A] TEXAS The rabbits rush - around the brush (clap, clap, clap, clap) DEEP IN THE HEART OF [D] TEXAS. The coyotes wail - along the trail (clap, clap, clap, clap) DEEP IN THE HEART OF [A] TEXAS The doggies bawl - and bawl and bawl (clap, clap, clap, clap) DEEP IN THE HEART OF [D] TEXAS.

 You can also play just 2 chords with this song, C and G7.

 From the album:  Hank Thompson and the Brazos Valley Boys
                 at the State Fair Of Texas

Detroit City

Words and music by Danny Dill and Mel Tillis, 1963

(chorus)
            D                G    D            A       D
I wanna go home, I wanna go home, oh Lord, I wanna go home,




(verse 1)
      D               A                D
Last night I went to sleep in Detroit city,
        A                   A7                D
and I dreamed about those cotton fields back home,
     G                         D
I dreamed about my mama, dear old papa, sister and brother,
 E                                     A              A7
dreamed about that girl who has been waiting for so long,

 

(chorus)
            D                G    D            A       D
I wanna go home, I wanna go home, oh Lord, I wanna go home,



      
(verse 2)
       D              A               D
Some folks think I'm big in Detroit city,
           A             A7                     D
from the letters that I write, they think I'm fine,
        G                        D
But by day I make the cars, by night I make the bars,
    E                                 A - A7
if only they could read between the lines,

 

(chorus)
            D                G    D            A       D
I wanna go home, I wanna go home, oh Lord, I wanna go home,
            D                G    D            A       D
I wanna go home, I wanna go home, oh Lord, I wanna go home,
            D                G    D            A       D
I wanna go home, I wanna go home, oh Lord, I wanna go home,

You can also play the song with C, G7, F and D7 chords.

Galveston

Words and Music by Bob West, Hal Davis, Willie Hutch and Berry Gordy, Jr., 1970

G             C   D7 G                      G7        C      Am7
Galveston, oh Galveston, I still hear your sea winds blowin'
  D7     G                  C     Am7 
I still see her dark eyes glowin'
            D7  Em      C                G   
She was twenty-one when I left Galveston




G             C   D7 G                      G7        C       Am7 
Galveston, oh Galveston, I still hear your sea waves crashing
      D7  G                 C      Am7 
While I watch the cannons flashing
        D7  Em       C                 G 
I clean my gun and dream of Galveston




Bb                       C       Bb     C
I still see her standing by the water
Dm                             Bb
Standing there lookin' out to sea
            Gm       C7       F
And is she waiting there for me?
        Am             Dm      Gm     C   D7
On the beach where we used to run




G             C  D7  G             G7       C     Am7
Galveston, oh Galveston, I am so afraid of dying
       D7 G                    C     Am7 
Before I dry the tears she's crying
         Em                    C     Bm     Am7   
Before I watch your sea birds flying in the sun
         E   C          G 
At Galveston, at Galveston

Georgia On My Mind

Words by Hoagy Carmichael and Lyrics by Stuart Gorrell, 1930

Intro:

F              A7            D7     D7/5+   D7  G9     C7
Melodies bring memories that linger in      my  heart

F             A+ A7  Dm       G7     C#dim  C13    F      C7/5+
Make me think of Georgia. Why did we ev-----er     part?

F                   A7                D7      D7/5+   D7  G9    C7
Some sweet day when blossoms fall and all the world's a   song

F            A+ A7  Dm         G7           C#dim   C13  F
I'll go back to Georgia 'cause that's where I       be---long



Verse (in most versions, the songs start's right here):

F        A7      Dm             Gm
Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through

Bbm     F         E7         Gm      G9 C7 F     F#dim
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind

Gm7            C7/5+
(Georgia on my mind)


         F        A7      Dm         Gm
I said a Georgia, Georgia, a song of you

Bbm      F         E7       Gm        G9      C13 F      Eb9
Comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines



Bridge:

Dm       Gm6     Dm      Bb7  Dm      Gm6      Dm7   G7
Other arms reach out to me.   Other eyes smile tenderly

Dm             Gm6    Dm7       E7     Am         F#dim Fm6  Am    C7
Still in the peaceful dreams I see the road leads back  to   you



Verse;

       F           A7      Dm          Gm
I said Georgia, oh Georgia, no peace I find

Bbm     F         E7         Gm     G9  C13  F    Dm   Gm7  C13 C7/5+    
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind



Bridge:

Dm       Gm6     Dm      Bb7  Dm      Gm6      Dm7   G7
Other arms reach out to me.   Other eyes smile tenderly

Dm             Gm6    Dm7       E7     Am         F#dim Fm6  Am    C7
Still in the peaceful dreams I see the road leads back  to   you



Verse:

       F           A7      Dm          Gm
I said Georgia, oh Georgia, no peace I find

Bbm     F         E7         Gm     G9  C13  F    Dm   Gm7  C13 C7/5+    
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind

An easier version would be to play these chords: F, A7, Dm, Gm, C, C7, E7...

I Left My Heart In San Francisco

Words bu Douglass Cross and Music by George Cory, 1954

    Bm7           Amaj7           D      D9    Amaj7 
The loveliness of Paris seems somehow sadly gay 
      Bm7          F#m    Bm7/5-     Cº        E7 
The glory that was Rome is  of  an - oth - er day 
           Fº                       Bm7/5-    Amaj7      F#m7 
I've been terribly alone and for - got -ten in Man - hat - ten 
  D        Bm7      Bm7/5-  Cº        E7 
I'm going home to my city    by  the bay. 
 
A  Fº    Cº    Amaj7   Cº    Am7     F#m     Bm    Bm7M 
I  left  my  heart             in San Francisco 
           E     Bm7/5-    E7     Cº       Amaj7    Fº    Amaj7 
High on a hill,                it calls to me 
E7 Bm7/5-    Amaj7   Bm7/5- Amaj7     Cº     Amaj7 
To  be where little cable cars 
 F#m   C#m             G#7 
Climb halfway to the stars 
             A       B7        E7 
The morning fog may chill the air, 
Fº         E7 
I   don't care. 
 
 
A  Fº    Cº    Amaj7  Cº   Am7   F#m      Bm   Bm7M 
My love waits there,        in San Francisco, 
Bm7  D9       E7  Bm7/5-  E7      Bm7/5-  F#7   Gº    F#7 
A - bove the blue             and windy  sea 
F7  F#7      Bm7   Fº            A       Amaj7    F#m 
When I come home to you, San Francisco, 
    F#m/E D  D9        E6   E7/6  A    Cº   Fº   Amaj7
Your golden sun will shine  for  me.

Or you could play these chords: Dm, C, E, Am, D, G7, Fm, Cm,D7, A7, E7

Kansas City

Words and Music by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, 1959

A
1.I'm goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come,

             D                                A
I'm goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City, here I come.

A             E
They got some pretty little women there,

    D                A    E-E7
And I'm gonna get me one.



  A
2.I'm gonna be standin' on the corner,


Twelfth Street and Vine.

             D
I'm gonna be standin' on the corner,

                   A
Twelfth Street and Vine.

A       E
With my Kansas City baby,

      D                     A     E
And a bottle of Kansas City wine.


   A
3. Well, I might take a plane,


I might take a train,

    A7
But if I have to walk, I'm goin' there just the same.

             D                                A
I'm goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City, here I come.

A             E
They got some crazy little women there,

    D                A    E-E7
And I'm gonna get me some.



REPEAT VERSE 3.

You can also play the song in the key of C, using the chords C, F, and G7.

Way Down Yonder In New Orleans

By Henry Creamer and J. Turner Layton

C7                       Gm7 C7
Well, way down yonder in New Orleans 
F
in the land of the dreamy scenes.
C7                        Gm7 C7          F      
there's a Garden of Eden, you know what I mean.

#2.
      C7                 Gm7      C7    F
Yeah, Creole babies with flashin' eyes, softly 
                    F
whisper with tender sighs..
             F7
And then you stop..oh, won't you give your 
     Bb6     F7     Bb6   A7 Ab7
lady fair, a little smile.
             G7 
And then you stop..you bet your life you'll 
       C7       Cdim   C7
linger there, a little while.

#3.
      F                     Dm             F
Yeah, there is Heaven right here on Earth, with 
                Db7
those beautiful queens..
      F        F#dim7    Gm7 C7  F     C
yeah, way down yonder in New Or..leans.

(Whooo!)

(INTERLUDE:) C F C

#4.
C7                       Gm7 C7
Well, way down yonder in New Orleans 
F
in the land of the dreamy scenes.
C7                        Gm7 C7          F      
there's a Garden of Eden, you know what I mean.

#5.
      C7                 Gm7      C7    F
Yeah, Creole babies with flashin' eyes, softly 
                    F
whisper with tender sighs..
             F7
And then you stop..oh, won't you give your 
     Bb6     F7     Bb6   A7 Ab7
lady fair, a little smile.
             G7 
And then you stop..you bet your life you'll 
       C7       Cdim   C7
linger there, a little while.

#6.
      F                     Dm             F
Yeah, there is Heaven right here on Earth, with 
                Db7
those beautiful queens..
      F        F#dim7    Gm7 C7  F
yeah, way down yonder in New Or..leans...Yeah!

OUTRO:  C F (x4) (Fade.)


You can use these chords: G7, C, F, D7, G, Fm...

I realize there are many other songs about great cities, like:

Alabamy Bound

Beautiful Ohio

Blue Hawaii

Back Home Again In Indiana

Jersey Bounce

Meet Me In St. Louis, Louis

Mississippi Mud

Moon Over Miami

On Broadway

Pennsylvania Polka

Seattle

Sidewalks Of New York

26 Miles (Santa Catalina)

Was your city mentioned here?

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"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

English: Dominant seventh tritone resolution chords (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many keyboardists feel right at home with simple triads or seventh chords, but run into difficulty when it comes to some of the more sophisticated, "jazzy" harmonies in "big band" and contemporary music. Where do these sounds come from and how can they be used? Here's a way to think about these sounds and a simple technique you can use to spruce up any harmony with them.

Let's begin with one of the most basic chord progressions in both pop and classical music: V7 - I. In the Key of F, this would represent a C7 chord moving to an F chord. Are you familiar with this progression? There is no question that it "works." Many people are not aware of why it "works." The answer is "voice-leading." The notes of the C7 chord move smoothly to the notes of the F chord.

This is most apparent if we telescope in on the two notes in the C7 chord which form the interval of a tritone: Bb and E.

The tritone is a very jazzy but unstable interval, and in the C7 - F progression, it finds stability by moving outward - the Bb down to A (the third in the F chord), and the E up to F. This resolution is pleasing, and it gives the progression a strength and inevitability. (BbE to AF)

The same two notes, called by the names A# and E, occur in the F#7 chord, which is the V7 of B. Here, though, the notes of the tritone move inward to find their resolution in the notes of the B chord.
(A#E to BD#)

The fact that our tritone interval can lead strongly in either direction makes possible the art of chord substitution; contemporary players often substitute the F# for C7 and vice versa. (These chords lie opposite each other on the "circle of fifths."

Musicians can make use of the two-sided tritone to add new flavors to old chord progressions. Suppose you were faced with the progression F#7 to B7. Remember, that interval of A# and E can move outward as well as inward. Here the base line moves from F# to B, but the tritone in the right hand acts as if we were playing C7 to F. We have purposely confused the harmonic movement, taking advantage of the vagueness of the tritone. (F#/A#E to B/AF)

Try playing a whole circle of fifths, using this concept. If you keep in mind the idea that each hand is capable of "voice-leading" in its own direction. the result can be refreshing and quite beautiful. To start off, here is a sample using C7 - F7 - Bb7 :

C/BbE to B/AEbF then Bb/AbDG

Article credit: Stuart Isacoff

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"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey