The most common song hook is found in the chorus. But in verse-only songs, what role does the hook play?
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A song’s hook is, theoretically, that thing that keeps bringing listeners back and building an audience base. As the specifics of a song start to fade from memory, the hook is the last thing to go. Hooks are typically short, repetitive and catchy. In verse-chorus songs, you usually think of the hook as residing mainly in the chorus. And in fact, many verse-chorus songs feature the song title itself as its primary hook.
But in verse-only songs, the title is often the first or last line, and it doesn’t really stand out in any remarkable way, except for the fact that it sits at the beginning or end of the melody.
Some verse-only songs have modified structures. For example, “Hey Jude” has no particular chorus, but uses a bridge.
And many verse-only songs are actually in verse-refrain format, where the last line of the verse is repeated from verse to verse. “Blowin’ in the Wind” (Bob Dylan), for example.
So what is the role of the hook in verse-only songs? Much diminished, you’ll notice. First, some examples (search on YouTube if they’re unfamiliar):
- November Rain (Guns N’ Roses) [Several sections, but none operate specifically as a chorus]
- Lover’s Concerto (The Toys)
- Amazing Grace
- White Christmas (Bing Crosby, for one)
- The Rose (Bette Midler)
- White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane) [technically has a bridge following 2nd verse]
Songs without a chorus differ from verse-chorus songs in several ways:
- Climactic moment. A verse-only song usually has a specific climactic moment that serves as a noticeable melodic-harmonic goal. In verse-chorus songs, verse melodies may have a climactic moment, but the main one is usually in the chorus.
- Melodic shape. A verse-only song often tends to have an inverted-U shape, where the melody starts low in range, moves higher to the climactic moment, then cadences lower. In verse-chorus songs, the chorus usually sits higher than the verse.
- Lyrical development. A verse-only song often features lyrics that recount a story in a detail-by-detail fashion, mixing emotional response in and around the details. In verse-chorus songs, verses usually tell the story, while choruses express the emotional response.
For example, the ‘stamp-stamp-clap’ that happens throughout Queen’s “We Will Rock You” is a great example of a hook. It remains in its unmodified state throughout the song.
The rising melodic line at the beginning of “Lover’s Concerto” is a motif. It keeps happening, starting on different pitches, then the idea gets inverted to a descending melodic line.
As you can see, motifs are more subtle. They provide a kind of musical glue that joins entire songs together without being obvious.
If you’re working on a verse-only song, developing a hook will probably be less important than developing a solid motif. Motifs can be melodic, rhythmic, or even lyrical ideas that get developed and modified as the song progresses.
And probably most important, be sure that you can identify a specific moment in the verse that serves as its climactic moment. It will help make your song memorable.
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Do you know of any concise list or source for verse only songs? I am interested due to wanting to focus on this type for solo performances using a loop station. Thanks 🙂
Hi David:
I don’t know of any sort of official list, but if you do a Google search for [songs without chorus], you’ll find several forums where people have asked that question. You can come up with a list of a couple of dozen songs that might help.
-Gary