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Home , Dobie Gray, Drift Away

MUSC-21600: The Art of Rock Music Cooper Pewitt

Drift Away (1973)

LISTEN FOR • Laid back beat with soulful lyrics • Unforgettable and very sing-along chorus • Gospel style and soul inspired vocals • Twangy southern style fills, including slides and fast picking. • Folk inspired guitar intro

CREATION Album “” Label Decca Musicians (Lead Guitarist) Troy Seals (Rhythm Guitarist) Mike Leach (Bassist) David Briggs (Keyboard) (Drummer) Dobie Gray (Vocals) Producer Mentor Williams Engineer Bernie Grundman Recording Quad Studios Nashville 1973 Charts #5 U.S. #7 Canadian RPM Top Singles #42 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles

MUSIC Genre Rock, Soul, , R&B Form Contrasting Verse-Chorus Key B Major Meter 4/4 MUSC-21600 Listening Guide Pewitt

LISTENING GUIDE Time Form Lyric Cue Listen For 0:00- Intro (8) Guitar Intro • Folk inspired guitar sound 0:06 Up-beat Picked chord progression resolving in the first chord of the verse Bass notes lead into the verse 0:07- Verse 1 (8) “Day after day I’m • Laid back entry of the beat 0:31 more confused…” • Simple kick and closed hi-hat drum beat • Strummed guitar chords ring out • Call and response from the vocals and guitar fills • Bass notes ring out and match the guitar chords • Soulful vocals holding out the last syllable of lines in the verse • Use of vibrato in the vocals 0:32- Chorus (7) “Oh, gimme the beat • Drum beat enters with fill ending in a crash 0:53 boys and free my cymbal soul…” • Keyboard plays chords giving the song more texture • Chord changes every bar, and bass and guitar strum chords to match • Descending guitar riff leading into the next chunk of music • Bass notes have more life and dance up and down the chord progression 0:54- Post-Chorus • Uses the same picked guitar riff from the 1:00 Instrumental intro Bridge (2) • Adds a drum beat consisting of eighth notes on the hi-hat and alternating kick snare on the 1st and 3rd beats 1:01- Verse 2 (8) “Beginnin’ to think • Same as first verse with new lyrics 1:25 I’m wastin’ time…” • keyboard sound imitating strings comes in during the transition to chorus 1:26- Chorus 2 (7) “Oh, gimme the beat • Same as previous chorus 1:48 boys and free my • Adds keyboard based string sound to the soul…” background texture 1:49- Post-Chorus • Same as previous post-chorus instrumental 1:55 Instrumental bridge Bridge (2) 1:56- Bridge (6) “And when my mind • Starts on a different chord than the one 2:15 is free…” initiating the verse • Sounds like a slight key change

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Time Form Lyric Cue Listen For • Call and response from the guitar fills and vocals • Drum beat drops out except for the cymbals 2:16- Verse 3 (8) “Thanks for the joy • Same as previous verses 2:39 that you’ve given me…” 2:40- Chorus (7) “Oh, gimme the beat • Stop time 3:05 boys and free my • Claps on the third beat replace the snare soul…” drum • After the first two lines the keyboard and bass comes in playing chords • Big drum and keyboard fill followed by a drawn out “ooohhhohhh” leading into the repeat of the chorus 3:06- Chorus Repeats “Ooooh, gimme the • Full textured chorus returns as before 3:27 (7) beat boys and free • Big drum fills and keyboard fills connect the my soul...” two repeating lines of the chorus and combine with the overall texture in the background 3:28- Outro (8) “Na na na, won’t you • Chorus background texture of keyboard, 3:53 take me…” , drums, and bass continue to play • Vocal interjections of “na na” and “ohh hooo” that Seem almost improvised • Two beat Lead Guitar riff ascending and descending in the background • Music fades out with improvised lyrics

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LYRICS

Verse 1 And when I'm feelin blue A guitar's comin' through to sooth me Day after day I'm more confused Yet I look for the light through the pourin' rain Verse 3 You know that's a game that I hate to lose Thanks for the joy that you've given me And I'm feelin' the strain I want you to know that I believe in your song Ain't it a shame? Your rhythm and rhyme and harmony Chorus You've helped me along Makin' me strong Oh, gimme the beat, boys, and free my soul Oh I wanna get lost in your rock n' roll and drift away Chorus Oh, gimme the beat, boys, and free my soul Gimme the beat, boys, and free my soul I wanna get lost in your rock n' roll and drift I wanna get lost in your rock n' roll and drift away away

Ohhhhhh Verse 2 Gimme the beat, boys, and free my soul Beginnin to think that I'm wastin' time I wanna get lost in your rock n' roll and drift I don't understand the things I do away The world outside looks so unkind Chorus Repeat And I'm countin' on you To carry me through Ohhh woah woah! Oh Gimme the beat, boys, and free my soul (free my soul) Chorus I wanna get lost in your rock n' roll and drift Gimme the beat, boys, and free my soul away I wanna get lost in your rock n' roll and drift (Oh hey hey yeah) away Gimme the beat, boys, and free my soul (free Gimme the beat, boys, and free my soul my soul) I wanna get lost in your rock n' roll and drift I wanna get lost in your rock n' roll and drift away away

Outro Bridge (Na na na wontcha) And when my mind is free (wontcha take me, whoa whoa, take me) You know a melody can move me

SOURCES • http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/d/dobie_gray/drift_away.html • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drift_Away#Chart_performance_.28Dobie_Gray.29 • http://www.mixonline.com/news/profiles/classic-tracks-dobie-grays-drift-away/366011

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