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Middle 8

Could someeone give me a defnition and some decent examples please



  • It's the same as a bridge

    Does that help?

    • yes

      cheers

      • It's not the same as a bridge

        Does that help?

    • it isn't, though

      a bridge gets you from the verse to the chorus. The middle 8 is a new musical idea introduced after the main body of the song has been established, usually soon after the 2nd chorus.

      • Wiki says

        "The bridge may be the middle-eight in a thirty-two-bar form (the B in AABA)" but also "The term may also be used to refer to the section between the verse and the chorus, although this is more commonly referred to as the pre-chorus". So yeah.

  • example - the 'for a minute there, i lost myself' section

    of 'Karma Police' by Radiohead.

    • That's more an outro

      than a middle 8 though. Like the nananana on Hey Jude or summat.

      • ah right, I thought it went back to another verse

        perhaps the 'ce que j'ai fait ce soir la' section of 'Psycho Killer' by Talking Heads then.

        • That is incredibly bloody random.

          I left this section to change playlist. I'd gone for radiohead, never really listened to them too much before, chose .. karma police. I'd not read your post yet but read zapsta's and thought 'this could be the middle eight'. Then about a second later I read your post. Weird that I chose that out of the 16,000 songs I have here, especially as I'm not a radiohead fan.

          • nice!

            chose that because i thought everyone would know it, though as pointed out above it isn't actually a middle 8 at all...

            • yeh

              I did think it'd come back to the chorus though. Good song, I will slowly get into these fuckers

              • maybe use 'Hail to the Thief'

                terrible title, brilliant album. Might help if you're not sure whether you'll be a Kid A or an OK Computer person - I'd imagine both of those could be a little off-putting initially, even if they are probably the best overall.

                • i did buy Hail To The Thief

                  when it came out, only cos I really liked 'Go To Sleep'. Never really gave the album a chance though. Listening to Ok Computer at the mo, but I will go back and give it a chance. Thanks.

  • Dear Daddy,

    I write you in spite of years of silence.
    You've cleaned up, found Jesus,
    things are good or so I hear.
    This bottle of Steven's
    awakens ancient feelings.
    Like father, stepfather, the son is drowning in the flood

    • Outside,

      I'm masquerading
      Inside, my hope is fading
      Just a clown, since you put me down
      My smile is make - up
      I wear since my break up with you

  • Ben Folds (and his five)

    does a neat line in middle 8s.

    The bit that goes "As weeks went by..." in Brick, the bit that goes "IIIII've gooooot this great idea..." in The Battle of Who Could Care Less, etc.

  • PERFECT EXAMPLE

    the bit in blink-182 songs where it goes quiet

  • although 'traditionally'

    it decribes 8 bars in the middle that maybe is in a different key or modulation of the chorus....nowadays it can mean any significant 8 bar section that does the same thing anywhere in teh song..including outros.

    alice in chaisn brilliant outro on would? can be considered a middle eight at the end?

  • The bit in Say It Ain't So by Weezer

    when he goes "Dear daddy" can't remember the rest of the lyrics.

    • Can't believe I didn't see ehwhat's posts

  • HEY BRUSMA

    The Lightning Seeds, seriously, are the ultimate example of how to effectively operate a middle 8.

    You sit there and wait for the phone to ring
    When are they gonna call?
    They're never gonna call you at all!

    OH!
    Things could be marvellous

    etc