Crying Song

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"Crying Song"

Song by Pink Floyd
from the album Music from the Film More
Released	July 27, 1969
Recorded	March 1969
Genre	Psychedelic rock
Length	3:34
Label	Harvest Records
Writer(s)	Roger Waters
Producer(s)	Norman Smith
Music from the Film More track listing
"The Nile Song" (2)	"Crying Song" (3)	"Up the Khyber" (4)

"Crying Song" is a song composed by Roger Waters, bassist of the British rock group Pink Floyd. It appears on their 1969 soundtrack album, "Music From the Film More". The song is a lazy pastoral-like ballad, featuring a dreamy vocal delivery by David Gilmour and additional vocals by Roger Waters. The song was never performed live.

[edit] Composition

The song is composed similarly to many standard folk ballads, with the only exception being the second chord. It is a D major with a diminished fifth. A guitarist can play this chord putting his index on the first fret of the G string instead of the second fret which is usually needed for a D major chord. The fifth of a D major chord is actually an A. The diminished fifth in this case is G# (or G sharp). The diminished fifth is usually known as the blue note in jazz music, especially in bebop. In jazz music the flat fifth is mostly fitted into fast solo lines. In the context of slow jazz ballads the flat fifth is mostly well shaped in the basic key or the basic chord (see for example Angel Eyes). In this context however the D major flat fifth chord has a more dissonant character and lasts for a whole measure. It creates a very dreamy, surreal atmosphere. The song has four verses connected with a unison instrumental interplay of guitar and bass.

[edit] Instrumentation

The song is introduced by a vibraphone played by Richard Wright. David Gilmour plays acoustic guitar and the final electric guitar solo which is in the beginning very close to the vocal line with some rhythmic variation. It slowly evolves into an own melody line while maintaining its melodic character. This approach is very typical for Gilmour's later style. Roger Waters can be heard on the Fender Jazz Bass while Nick Mason is using just the snare drum of his kit.