Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - Set Work Analysis

Era

Late 50s/early 60s Pop

Genre

Girl Group Pop

Form

AABA

Music by:

Carole King

Lyrics by:

Gerry Goffin

Performed by:

The Shirelles

Instrumentation (Timbre)

• Lead vocals

• backing vocals

• Violin

• Cello

• Double bass

• Electric guitar

• Bass guitar

• Drum set

Orchestration (Timbre)

• String section represents gentler, more feminine alternative to the sexually charged e-guitar that might have been used to represent aggressive masculinity

• Solo singer is supported by other members in act of sisterly solidarity at crucial moments

Compositional Devices

• Imitation - Between lead vocals and violin in Verse 1 “tomorrow”

• Call and Response - Verse 2 between lead vocals and violin

• Pedal - Backing vocals in Verse 3

Define the Expressive Element

Roll - quickly play the notes of the chord rolling from the lowest pitch to the highest

Define the Expressive Element

No Chord

Form/Structure

• AABA

• A = Verse

• B = Bridge

Key (Pitch)

C Major

Melody (Pitch)

• Lead vocalist singing melody

• Revolves around C with stepwise and leap motion

• Melody repeated with slight variation in each verse supported by the back up vocalists

Harmony (Pitch)

• First 2 phrases repeat the same I-IV-V progression

• 3rd phrase intensifies harmony with non-diatonic E7 to highlight lyrics

• Violin obligato (essential) and cello ostinato used to support melody

Tempo and Metre (Rhythm)

• Crotchet = 140

• 4/4

Rhythm

• Latin groove in bass - dotted crotchet → dotted crotchet → crotchet

• “Heartbeat” rhythm on snare

• Single e-guitar strum on downbeat every other bar

• Syncopation

Texture

Homophonic

Sociopolitical / cultural influences

• First #1 on Billboard’s Top 100 chart held by an all Afican American girl group (1961)

Release Year

1960

Musical Characteristics (Girl Group)

• 3-5 singers

• often close friends/relatives

• sang about topics relevent to teenage girls

• Simple voices and music

• AABA structure

• Nonsense syllables eg doo-wop

Origin of Girl Group Pop

• Rock and roll ended ~1960

• Girl groups dominated 1960-1964 until Beatles