Answer Lines
Lesson time: (3min 43sec)
Guy Chambers explains how he and Robbie Williams used 'answer lines' - inspired by a Beatles song - to carry the message of a song.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Song Studies: The Songwriting Secrets of Guy Chambers
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Music Lesson: Exploring Diminished Chords and Songwriting Techniques
Introduction: No Regrets
"No regrets, they don't work. No regrets, now they only hurt."
Songwriting Inspiration
"Sing me a love song, drop me a line. Suppose it's just a point of view, but they tell me I'm doing fine."
The Diminished Chord
One of my favorite chords is the diminished chord. When I was a school kid, I was fortunate enough to have lessons with an amazing jazz guitarist. He introduced me to:
- Chords like this
- Chords like this
- Chords like this
- And all sorts of wonderful chords.
This experience opened many doors for me.
Expanding Your Chord Knowledge
If you're a budding guitarist, it's great to learn all the standard chords, such as:
- C
- G
- A minor
- F
However, there's a wealth of other chords worth exploring:
- Diminished
- Augmented
- Major 7ths
Studying jazz chords can broaden your understanding of harmonies and melodies. Harmonies can lead to different types of melodies that you might not initially consider.
Song Inspiration: "She's Leaving Home" by The Beatles
Another song that inspired "No Regrets" is "She's Leaving Home" by The Beatles.
Notable Techniques
In the chorus of "She's Leaving Home," you can hear:
- The top melody: "She is leaving home," sung beautifully by Paul in falsetto.
- Underneath, John delivers sarcastic answer lines:
- "Sacrifice most of our lives."
- "We gave her everything, money."
When we created "No Regrets," we looked to "She's Leaving Home" and mirrored this technique of using answer lines.
Lyrics and Answer Lines
The lines in "No Regrets" are crafted similarly:
- "No regrets, they won't work."
- "No regrets, now they've only hurt."
The answer lines are:
- "We've been told you stay up late."
- "You're far too short to carry weight."
- "Return the videos, they're late."
- "Goodbye."
These lines bring a certain bitterness to the song.
Honest Expression
I acknowledge it was a bit unkind to mention weight in relation to some band members of Take That, but it was an honest expression of how Rob was feeling at the time. He may feel embarrassed about it now, but I believe it adds character to the song.
Conclusion: The Value of Answer Lines
In my opinion, answer lines are very underrated; they are catchy and memorable. David Bowie was also a big fan of answer lines, and so am I.
About the instructor
Guy Chambers is one of the UK's most successful living songwriters. He is the writer behind songs we know from the radio, from the movies, and from the dance floor. Songs we know from our parties and our weddings. Songs that half the world can sing along to note for note. Songs that take us back in time to where we used to be. Songs that carry us forward beyond the everyday to where we wish we were; 'Angels'; 'Let Me Entertain You'; 'Strong'; 'No Regrets'; 'Millennium'; 'Rock DJ'; 'Feel' - to name but a few. "Guy was the first person in the business who ever took me seriously" says long-standing writing partner Robbie Williams. "The first person who could see the artist that I knew I could become". The list of other collaborators reads like pop music royalty. Over the years Guy has written and produced for Diana Ross, Tom Jones, Tina Turner (whose scorching take on 'Feel' really has to be heard to be believed), Kylie Minogue, James Blunt, Scissor Sisters, Rufus Wainwright and Mark Ronson, among many others. He is consistently pushing himself, seeking new, creative endeavours, one of which was creating a children's folk opera based on the Oscar Wilde short story 'The Selfish Giant' - which he dedicated to his late mother, Pat. The show premiered at The Vaudeville Theatre in London's West End in 2018. In 2019 Guy released his debut solo piano album, 'Go Gentle Into the Light' - a collection of some of the best-loved songs that he and Robbie Williams have written together, with the single 'The Road To Mandalay' reaching over 6 million streams. He produced the BBC Children in Need official album 'Got it Covered', featuring stars such as Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker and Helena Bonham Carter, which reached Number 1 in the UK Charts. Guy and Robbie Williams teamed up with Chris Heath to compose the music and lyrics for the RSC musical adaptation of David Walliams' best-selling book 'The Boy in the Dress', which opened to five-star reviews (The Independent, What's On Stage) at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon. Guy has produced Robbie Williams' most recent UK Number 1 album 'The Christmas Present' and co-wrote the single 'Time for Change'. He lives with his wife Emma and their four children in Camden and in Sussex, where he enjoys "good wine, good food, cinema and pretty much everything French". "And writing songs, of course". read more