Wednesday, August 26, 2026

"I Want Some More"

I was thinking about "I Want Some More" this morning and realized that the melody gives some sense of the lyrics in the first two lines:  "I'm sittin' all alone on a sunny summer afternoon / Just sittin' alone with nothing to do."  The phrases "sittin' all alone" and "sittin' alone" (and even the following "on a" and "with") are sung to a single pitch (F#), musically illustrating this solitude.  The sense is heightened by the contrast with the extensive melismas with which the "-noon" of "afternoon" and "do" are sung; both include a multitude of notes and span a sixth (from A to F#).

I'm sure I noticed before (but apparently neglected to note here) that the alliteration involved in "all alone" also gives a sense of this singularity.