'(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction': One Song, Many Meanings and Rock Music Analysis in the Classroom
John Encarnação · 2005
Popular song is a vehicle for communication. A song's lyric is the most obvious departure point in an analysis of its meaning, but how is that meaning embodied in the music? Through an analysis of several versions of the Rolling Stones' '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction', this paper will demonstrate that each arrangement and delivery of a song may encode a different meaning. The approach to the analysis of pop and rock styles presented here has applications at secondary and tertiary levels. From a musicological perspective, students can learn not only about the intricacies of pop and rock arrangement but also how to unpack and culturally situate the meanings embedded therein. Performing students are encouraged to develop analytical strategies through which they can construct meaning in their own performances and better understand the performances of others. First I will look at each performance, or in this case recording, from a macroview which will include the musical and societal context in which each performance was given. Taking into account general characteristics of each version, a conclusion will be drawn about the meaning or intention of each performance. At the microview level, particular musical attributes of each performance will be considered to discover how this meaning is encoded. Focus will be put upon rhythm, timbre, harmony and/or modality, vocal phrasing, register, instrumentation and structure to construct popular song as a site for musical analysis that has the potential to unlock meanings specific to time and place.