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Listening Exercise 5 Melody and Tune

Melody and Tune

*Division into phrases, parallelism* and *contrast* between phrases, sequence, climax, and cadence: These are some characteristics of tunes that we have observed in “The Star-Spangled Banner.” They are not just inert characteristics — they are what make the tune work, and they are present in tunes of all kinds. Our example is a song by George and Ira Gershwin from the Depression era, which was also the jazz era: “Who Cares?” from the musical comedy Of Thee I Sing (1931). In “The Star-Spangled Banner” the climax matches the text perfectly at “free.” Here “jubilee” makes a good match for the climax, and a melodic sequence fits the words “I care for you / you care for me” neatly. “Who cares?” comes at 0:57 on our recording by the great jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, after an introduction (called the verse) typical of such songs — a sort of subsidiary tune, with words that will not be repeated.
0:12	Verse: Let it rain and thunder . . . (eight more lines)	Includes a long *sequence*
0:48		Tempo changes
0:57	Tune: Who cares if the sky cares to fall in the sea?	First phrase of the tune
	Who cares what banks fail in Yonkers?	*Contrasting* phrase
	Long as you’ve got a kiss that conquers.	*Parallel* phrase — starts like the preceding, ends higher
	Why should I care? Life is one long jubilee,	Threefold *sequence* (“Should I care / life is one / jubilee”)
		*Climax* on “jubilee”
	So long as I care for you and you care for me.	Free *sequence* (“I care for you” / “you care for me”) — *cadence*
1:55	Tune played by the jazz band, today’s “big band”
	George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, “Who Cares? (So Long As You Care For Me)” from Of Thee I Sing. Music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. Copyright © 1931 (Renewed) WB Music Corp. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission of Alfred Music.