Continuous Verse–Chorus

Abstract

This chapter looks at the second verse–chorus form: continuous verse–chorus form. Unlike sectional verse–chorus, continuous verse–chorus form is based on the cohesion of verse and chorus. The chapter demonstrates how this form results from cleaving apart a single verse into two sections. We can observe this in two domains: harmony, with the verse providing T and the chorus providing PD–D–T, and thematic structure, with the verse providing sr and the chorus providing dc of an overall srdc layout. Continuous verse–chorus is thus entirely different from sectional verse–chorus. One result of this difference is that continuous verse–chorus songs tend to exhibit larger trajectories across multiple verse–chorus cycles, by combining cycles into what John Covach calls “compound AABA form” and/or exhibiting a single continuous lyrical narrative over the entire song.