Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.
Ballads, in general, often get a bad rep for a few reasons. They frequently possess really corny lyrics, are driven by contrived melodies and leave much to be desired instrumentally. Which is why “Overjoyed”, in contrast, is a treasure. For decades, this song has flown a bit under the radar. It’s not the first, second, third or fourth song you think of when you’re asked to name one of the best 80’s ballads. But maybe it should be.
It doesn’t take a musical genius to see that Stevie wrote an ambitious melody. But what’s less obvious for the casual fan is how unusual it was to use the chords that he did. “Overjoyed” is written mostly in E flat, moves up a step, then another half step and then back down to E flat. And in true Stevie Wonder fashion, it feels effortless. His ambition keeps up on the instrumental side as well. Just beyond the synthesizer and stringed arrangement sits what are collectively referred to as environmental percussion elements in the liner notes, including crickets, birds, ocean waves and crushing leaves.
“I've gone much too far for you now to say that I've got to throw my castle away.”