Revised: NARC analysis (Part 5)
Hello everyone, here’s the fifth and final installment of my NARC analysis:
Coda:
If E aeolian is the “fantasy” key, then B aeolian/phrygian is the “reality” key. In the coda we hear the protagonist calling out for his lover, implying that he his still alone, and that no “poses” or “holdings” were actually made. Instead, B aeolian returns, and the protagonist is brought back to reality, crying out on B’s and D’s his frustration that his lover “should” be with him.
However, all is not lost, as the return to reality is undermined by the continuation of the E aeolian guitar hook, and also by the guitar’s elision at the cadence into the coda, disrupting a firm return to B. The protagonist acknowledges these disruptions of B aeolian in his last line “you could be in my space,” singing this last word on an E, and though the other instruments cadence on B in m. 117, it is a weaker plagal cadence, and the guitars persist in the repetition of the E-minor guitar hook. The ending of the coda therefore leaves NARC in a state of suspended conflict, with reality winning the last cadence, but fantasy having the last word.
And finally, if you’d like, click here for the full analysis in one go. A link is also available to the right for download anytime.
Until next time, yours very truly,
Meg
