Insomniac

I thought I do a blog/plug in for our a cappella concert tomorrow....6:30 meharry hall. Insomniac, sung by Straight No Chaser, is one of the best songs in contemporary a cappella literature. The song begins with a cool "chimbadeechimbadee" vocal rhythm underlying a wailing solo part that serves as the introduction. After a few measures of this, we come to the first verse. The vocal accompaniment changes to staccato "dohs", leading into the powerful chorus:

I can hear your bare feet on the kitchen floor
I don't have to have these dreams no more
And I found someone just to hold me tight
Hold the insomniac all night

There is a brief return to the beginning of the song, but the harmony and accompaniment quickly change. Sustained "ah" chords mark a distinct contrast in the second verse. These are my favorite lyrics of the entire piece. They are just very meaningful, and cool.

I've tried everything short of Aristotle
Took Dramamine and whiskey bottle
Pray for the day when my ship comes in
And I can sleep the sleep of the just again

A bridge with faster harmonic rhythm leads us to the concluding section of the piece.
The final section of Insomniac is a sort of vocal fugue. There is a underlying bass part, with various voice parts entering with unique motives. These various parts converge in a climatic chord leading into a terminative section. The piece begins very similar to how it begins, with a unique vocal rhythm accompaning the wailing soloist.
This is a great song. It's fun to listen to and to sing.