harmonic rhythm – median speed

The Beatles
A Day In The Life
matherton_tempo_map — A Day In The Life – The Beatles – Median expected speed map

Led Zeppelin, Stairway To Heaven, median expected speed map

Most popular songs stay within 5% of their tempo.

Lyrics

There’s a lady who’s sure
All that glitters is gold
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Oh oh oh oh and she’s buying a stairway to heaven

There’s a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
‘Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook
There’s a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgivingOoh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it makes me wonderThere’s a feeling I get
When I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who standing looking

Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it really makes me wonder

And it’s whispered that soon, If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter

If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow
Don’t be alarmed now
It’s just a spring clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There’s still time to change the road you’re on
And it makes me wonder

Your head is humming and it won’t go
In case you don’t know
The piper’s calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering windAnd as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll
And she’s buying the stairway to heavenSongwriters: Jimmy Page / Robert PlantStairway to Heaven lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, IncAvailable on

Artist: Led Zeppelin Movie: The Song Remains the Same Released: 1971Songwriter(s): Jimmy Page; Robert Plant Length: 8:02

These two songs are the wildest of exceptions. Led Zeppelin and The Beatles multi-tempo songs are popular exceptions. Even the best intern said – “those two songs were not easy to measure.”

Both songs show a complete average of between 80-84 beats per minute. Make s me wonder (sorry) if the moods are similar in their expression or the tempo average of multi-part songs are coincidental or are both the cries of one in solitude seeking the companionship of others.

Google has provided all one would was to know about these songs except for tempo charts –

Lyrics

“Dub the mic on the piano quite low this
Just keeping it like maracas, you know
You know those old pianos””Ok, we’re on””Sugarplum fairy, sugarplum fairy

“I read the news today, oh boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well, I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph

He blew his mind out in a car
He didn’t notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They’d seen his face before
Nobody was really sure if he was from the House of Lords

I saw a film today, oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
But I just had to look
Having read the book
I’d love to turn you on”Five, six, seven, eight, nine
Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen
Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen
Twenty”Woke up, fell out of bed
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup
And looking up I noticed I was late
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Made my way upstairs and had a smoke
And everybody spoke and I went into a dream”Oh shit”I read the news today, oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall
I’d love to turn you”See the worst thing about doing this
Doing something like this
Is I think that at first people sort of are a bit suspicious
‘You know, come on, what are you up to?’Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney