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.
LYRICS
SET THE MOOD IN THE OPENING LINES: The first lines of your lyric are like an invitation, something that makes people want to come to your party. Here, we learn in the very first line that the singer has lost his heart. So many songs start like this that it’s a real challenge to make it interesting. Mraz takes a relaxed, street-wise approach that’s a little big slangy:
Well, you done done me and you bet I felt it.
I tried to be chill but you’re so hot that I melted.
The fresh rhyme catches attention. The idea of literally melting because she’s so hot is good for a laugh and sets the lighthearted mood.
Setting the mood or tone of a song with your opening lines is a great idea. Just be sure its appropriate for the song. If a serious love ballad opened with this kind of self-conscious wordplay, it would feel all wrong.
DEVELOP YOUR THEME: The song evolves through its three verses, starting with a simple “guy falls in love” idea in Verse 1, to a broader description of the life-changing, freeing aspects of loving all humanity and reaching beyond the self in Verses 2 and 3.
This is one way to develop this theme; there are others. You could go deeper into what a happy, feel-good relationship looks and feels like. Or you could give examples of how being in love makes you behave. (Read about a song like [LINK]Smile by Uncle Kracker to see how he handles that idea.)
PLAY WITH LANGUAGE: Mraz blends baby talk like “bestest” and “scootch” with serious lines like “Rid yourself of vanities” and poetic truths such as “Look into your heart and you’ll find that the sky is yours.” While you don’t have to swing so widely between playful and serious, think about using a richer word palette than you might in a serious song. Tossing in a few lines that express the serious side of your theme are a good way to add depth.
SUM UP YOUR SONG IN THE CHORUS: Jason Mraz does a great job of conveying the song’s theme in the chorus – even in the short first chorus. The singer is in love and he’s going to go for it!
I won’t hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait. I’m yours.
This is exactly what a good chorus should do. No complicated explanations, no storytelling. Save that for your verses.
– TRY IT NOW –
Remember an experience or a relationship that made you feel good. Write a list of phrases that give a general idea of what happened but focus primarily on your feelings. Describe your emotions: What did you feel like? How did this experience affect you? What was important about it? Choose one of the phrases as your song title or make it the first line of your chorus. Add three or four more lines after it. Don’t worry about rhyming or making them all the same length. Just write something that makes you feel good.
MELODY
USE A CHANGE IN NOTE RHYTHM TO CREATE CONTRAST: Mraz does a neat trick with this melody. The note range in the verse and chorus is essentially the same. And in both verse and chorus the melody has a lot of small jumps – leaping over 2 or 3 notes on its way up or down the scale. So much “same-ness” between verse and chorus could be the kiss of death. Listeners crave contrast in the melody, it helps to give them a clear road map through the song. (Oh, we’re in that section!)
Instead of a big change in note range, Jason Mraz uses a strong shift in the rhythm of the melody to provide the contrast. This is a great example of a technique you might want to try.
To find out how he does it count along with the underlying rhythm of the song throughout the verse and chorus. (Count 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 for each bar.) Notice how in the verses, Mraz uses two notes (and two word syllables) on almost every beat. When you get to the chorus, it changes. In the chorus there’s only one note (one word syllable) per beat. “I – won’t – hes – i – tate – no – more, etc. There’s no mistaking the chorus for the verse. The different rhythm patterns in the melody make it clear.
Learn more about creating contrast in your melody.
– TRY IT NOW –
Listen to the song and count along with a verse and chorus. Notice the change in the pace of the words and notes between the verse and chorus. Sing along with a verse and chorus to get the feel. Just for fun, create a melody of your own with contrast in pace between the sections. See if you can sing some of lyric phrases you wrote in the exercise above. If you get some ideas you like, record a rough version and put it aside until later.
CHORDS
The chords consist of a simple four-chord progression repeated throughout the verse and chorus. The bridge is more complicated but you can play the bulk of the song with these four chords. The chord progression is:
| G | D | Em | C |
The song breaks out of the progression for a moment at the end of Verse 2, going to an A maj chord. The actual recording starts on a B chord. If you want to play along with the recording, capo your guitar on the fourth fret or transpose your electronic keyboard up four steps. You’ll find lyrics with chords here.
PRODUCTION
The reggae beat on guitar and keys mixed with a modern Pop drum track and tons of compression on the vocal give the track a contemporary flavor while retaining the fun and familiarity of Reggae.
A good mix of loose and tight in the musical performances gives the whole track an authentic, party-time feel. This can be tough to do – too loose and it sounds sloppy, too clean and it sounds like one musician in a bedroom studio. If you’re going to try something like this, get a couple of good players and rehearse until it’s locked in, then relax for the actual recording session.
– TRY IT NOW –
Play a rhythm groove on guitar, ukulele, or a piano. Use the four chords above in any key you can comfortably sing in. Generic chord progressions like this one are not copyrighted. (Just don’t lift any of the melody or lyric of Mraz’s song.)
See if you can fit the melody and lyrics you wrote earlier into the new groove and chords. Feel free to change notes, words, anything else, but try to preserve the contrast in pace between the verse and chorus.
EXTRA READING: To find out more about the techniques used in “I’m Yours” read the following…
In Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting:
Shortcut 22: CONTRAST works EVERY time
Shortcut 25: Monster Hits: The Chorus Form
Shortcut 49: Make Your Hook a Mini-Version of Your Song
Shortcut 64: Use a Variety of Line Lengths and Rhyme Patterns
In Shortcuts to Songwriting for Film & TV:
Shortcut 33: Write a Melody to a Chord Progression
Shortcut 46: Make Your Title a Natural for Film & TV
Shortcut 47: Write Universal Lyrics Without Writing Clichés