I think it’s safe to say there are more broken-hearted songs written every day than happy ones. For one thing, it’s easier to sound serious and deep (and cool) when you’re singing a thoughtful, angst-y, sad song than a happy, bright bit of fluff. And, of course, who wants to shut themselves up and work on a song when the good times are rolling.
The biggest problem, though, is how to avoid the kinds of generic, happy-face clichés that are the downfall of so many of these songs. Jason Mraz definitely has a knack for writing upbeat songs that don’t sound shallow. So, let’s take a look and see how he does it.
Listen to the song. Read the lyrics.
Written & Recorded by Jason Mraz
GENRE – Adult Contemporary
(What is a genre? Watch this video.)
“I’m Yours” was a No. 1 Pop and Adult Contemporary hit that spent a record-breaking 76 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 music chart. It has a light reggae groove, a warm vocal, and lyrics that are seem both personal and universal. The catchy chorus has a sing-along vibe and, in fact, the final chorus on the recording features a gang vocal that adds a party vibe.
Upbeat songs have a lot of audience appeal. They not only work well for radio, they’re also sought after by TV series and advertisers. “I’m Yours” has been used in half a dozen TV series, two national TV commercials, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Song of the Year.
SONG STRUCTURE
The song has an interesting song structure with a couple of tricks you might want to try.
VERSE / SHORT CHORUS
VERSE / FULL CHORUS
BRIDGE / VERSE 3 / SHORT CHORUS / FULL CHORUS (with Verse 1)
VERSES: The verses convey the theme of the song – “Love is wonderful.” Verse 1 begins with the line “Well, you done done me and you bet I felt it.” The first line of Verse 2 is “Well, open up your mind and see like me.” Verse 3 begins “I’ve been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror.”
The melody in Verse 2 is different from Verse 1 and Verse 3 although the chords are the same and it’s still recognizable as a verse. It adds playfulness and variety to the song.
CHORUS: The chorus always begins with the line “I won’t hesitate no more, no more. It cannot wait.” and ends with the title, “I’m yours.” Putting the title in the last line of the chorus is a big plus because that’s a line that listeners can hold onto and remember in the midst of this wordy lyric.
The first time Mraz sings the chorus, about 45 seconds into the song, he only sings the first and last lines. It’s almost as if he’s dishing up the best parts as a kind of appetizer. The second chorus is longer, doubling the length by adding three more lines that aren’t in the chorus the first time we hear it and rearranging the lyric so it still ends with “I’m yours.”
The final chorus is sung by a group of people who sound like they’re having a good time while Mraz sings a verse over the chorus. It creates a happy sing-along ending with lots of good-time energy.
The chorus lyric doesn’t change. It adds lines the second time around but repeats the essential first and last lines. This maintains the repeated chorus effect that listeners like to hear while building and adding shape to this upbeat song, keeping it interesting. Try something like this is a song of your own.
BRIDGE: The bridge starts with a scat vocal – “Doo-ja-doo-doo-doo-ja” – just about two minutes into the song.
– TRY IT NOW –
Listen to the song and notice where each song section begins. See if you can identify the verses, chorus, and bridge. Watch for the chorus and notice how the length and complexity changes as the song moves forward.
