480 PART 4 | SINCE WORLD WAR II
songwriter: Curtis Mayfi eld
genre: funk
date: 1972
performers: Curtis Mayfi eld, vocal; studio
instrumentalists (guitars, bass, drums, Latin
percussions, strings, horns)
meter: duple
form: compound AABAListening Guide 19.3 “Superfl y” CURTIS MAYFIELD
timing section text comments0:00 vamp 1 4 bars: Bass and Latin percussion establish the
song’s groove.
0:08 4 bars: Hi-hat cymbal, then snare drum, add to
the polyrhythmic texture.
0:16 4 bars: Horns, answered by processed guitar,
introduce a fi gure that resembles the riff that
will accompany the chorus.
0:24 A verse 1 Darkest of night
With the moon shining
bright...8 bars: Horns drop out behind the vocal.0:40 chorus Oooh, Superfl y... 8 bars: Horns reenter.
0:56 A verse 2 Hard to understand
What a hell of a man...8 bars: As before.1:12 chorus Oooh, Superfl y... 8 bars: As before.
1:28 B bridge The game he plays he
plays for keeps...12 bars: A large-scale polymeter: over 2 bars of
steady duple meter in the bass (8 beats, 4 + 4),
melody and harmony suggest 2 bars of triple
meter and a bar of duple (3 + 3 + 2 beats).
1:52 vamp 2 Tryin’ to get over... 8 bars: At the last line of lyrics, the bridge
switches to a new vamp, which will return at the
end of the song.
2:08 vamp 1 Oooh, Superfl y... 8 bars: What at fi rst sounds like a return of the
chorus turns out instead to be a return to the
opening vamp.
2:24 A verse 3 The aim of his role
Was to move a lot of
blow...8 bars: As before.WHAT TO LISTEN FOR- polyrhythmic texture
- use of extended vamps to emphasize groove
- social commentary in lyrics
CD 4.2172028_19_468-494_r3_sd.indd 480 23/01/13 11:05 AM