Download You Can Get It If You Really Want (p

You Can Get It If You Really Want (p.496)
Background
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Jamaican popular music of the 1960s
Composed by Jimmy Cliff
Performed by Desmond Dekker and the Aces (1970) – their second hit in the
UK (Israelites made the charts in 1969)
Words refer to struggle against poverty and oppression
Style is Rock Steady – one of the forerunners of Reggae.
o Heavy backbeat
o Short repeated patterns
o Limited number of chords
o Steady bass line – not much syncopation
Structure
Basically very straightforward:
1-3
Intro
4-13 Refrain(Chorus)
14-25 Verse 1
26-13 Refrain (repeat)
14-25 Verse 2 (repeat of V1 music)
26-35 Refrain
36-43 Instrumental
44-53 Refrain
54-57 Outro & fade
Note: Refrains = 10 bars; Verses = 12 bars; Instrumental = 8 bars
Harmony & Tonality
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Song is in Db major throughout (but see Instrumental below)
Relies almost exclusively on primary chords I IV & V(7) except for:o 9th bar of the Verses, e.g. b.22 – chord iii (Fm)
o E major chord in the Instrumental (bs.37 and 41)
o Chord sequence in bars 39 and 43 which end each 4-bar phrase with
harmony based partly on a whole tone scale (Ab Gb E D)
Melody
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The vocal line and the trumpet tune which is heard at the start and introducing
each verse are all derived from the same motif, a descending or ascending
pattern of 3 conjunct notes. This repeated pattern acts as a riff.
Almost all of the vocal line uses the pentatonic scale (here Db Eb F Ab Bb) –
but see bars 17 and 22.
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The vocal line uses a lot of melismas – one syllable spread across two or more
notes – especially at the end of phrases.
Melodic lines are short – one or two bar units, rather than longer phrases.
Forces
 Solo vocalist set quite high and uses occasional falsetto to top Db (bs.25 & 43
just as the music is about to go back to the Refrain)
 Backing vocals – a legacy from 1950s Doo-wop singing.
 Trumpets derived from Mexican Tijuana Brass sound of 1960s
 Rhythm section of guitars, organ, bass, drums & percussion provide a steady
(=Rock Steady) accompaniment to the melodic lines. Patterns remain much the
same throughout, except for a few drum fills.
 Reeds (saxophones) only used in the Instrumental
Question
Describe the stylistic features of You Can Get It If You Really Want by Jimmy Cliff
that show that this is an example of Jamaican popular music
(10 marks)