"Money" by Pink Floyd

A very interesting song to say the least. First things first, we have what has to be one of the most "unique" time signatures in pop music as we are faced with the asymmetric 7/4 meter. This meter allows the beat to constantly move forward, as it makes us feel we've dropped the downbeat. This disjointed sensation complements the song very well, as the lyrics speak of how much we've all come to rely on money, even though in reality it has no actually value, only what value we attach to it. The whole song is focused in on the bassline groove- a simple do-do-sol-la-do-re-do groove that simply modulates to the dominant for the bridge between verses. Sound effects compliment the introduction, as the sound of tinkling change and cash registers actually count out the awkward beat of the song. After our 2 verses and bridge progression is repeated 2 times, a saxophone solo weaves it's way through one more repeat of the original material, acting as a trasition to the second half of the piece. Now we move to the second half of the song, which is basically a long guitar solo over a new 4/4 time signature. This switch in time signatures doesn't readily feel important, but it drives home the awkward feel of the first half, as this second half is very rhythmic, with the drum pounding out quarter notes, really pounding out the difference. After the long (over a minute) solo we return to our 7/4 feel, for one last verse, which has a weird cadential extension, as if stuck between two beats, it just repeats the last two beats over and over as it fades out. Funky little song, Floyd rocks!