"Mr. Brightside" - A Musical Analysis

    The Killers made many great rock songs during the 2000s, but this one particularly stands out from the rest. This song, Mr. Brightside by The Killers, has many unique musical qualities that make listening and performing very enjoyable and compelling. Everything from the lyrics, the emotions, and the instruments, are reasons why many people, including myself, consider this one of their favorite songs during the 2000s (Savage).

Click on the link below to listen to the full song:

The Killers - Mr. Brightside - 2004, USA.

Lyrics

    The lyrics in this song are based on the true story of the main singer, Brandon Flowers, and his girlfriend who cheated on him. He said that one night, he felt like his girlfriend was cheating on him so he headed to a local pub in Las Vegas and he saw his girlfriend with another man (Benitez-Eves). The lyrics accurately portray the situation and the emotions he felt at that time. As the listener, we also feel the emotions he felt through his singing.

Click here to view the lyrics.

Melody and Lyrics Contrast

    One of the main characteristics of this song that make it unique is the contrast between the lyrics and the melody. Although the lyrics of this song are heartbreaking, it is accompanied by a happy melody and rhythm! This is quite an upbeat song with a BPM of 148! 

    This makes the song sound very intriguing since you have these contrasting emotions between happy and sad. Interestingly, the writer chose to approach this song in this way since it could have easily been a slow and depressing song, but we are all glad it isn't!

Scale and Chord Choices

    The reason why this song sounds happy is due to the scale and chord choices in this song. This song is in the key of Db major. This major key, as opposed to minor, is what gives this song a cheerful sound.

    Although this is a simple song since there are only 3 chords in the intro, verse, and pre-chorus, and 4 chords in the chorus, bridge, and outro, they approach these chords differently. On guitar, these chords are played as arpeggios, meaning the notes in the chord are played one after another instead of all at the same time. Additionally, since I am a guitar player, I know that some of these chord shapes are awkward to play.

The Use of Range and Dynamics

    What makes this song special for vocalists is the way he sings during the verses (Golsen). The singer mostly stays on only one note during the entire two verses! This is one of the few instances in music where songs have done this style of singing. This makes the song extremely easy to sing along to since you barely have to change your pitch! 

    Later in the song, he changes pitch to have a more memorable melody for the pre-chorus and chorus. This change in the singing makes these parts of the song stand out even more! Combined with the dynamics and the other instruments, this is what makes this song great!

Sources

Benitez-Eves, Tina. “The Meaning of “Mr. Brightside,” by the Killers.” American Songwriter, 14 Mar. 2022, americansongwriter.com/mr-brightside-the-killers-meaning-behind-song/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2023.

Golsen, Tyler “The Reason Why “Mr. Brightside” Is so Easy to Sing along To.” Faroutmagazine.co.uk, 22 Dec. 2021, faroutmagazine.co.uk/why-mr-brightside-is-easy-to-sing/.

“Why Mr Brightside Is the Killers’ Saddest Song.” Radio X, www.radiox.co.uk/artists/the-killers/what-is-the-killers-song-mr-brightside-about/.

“The Killers - Mr Brightside (Chords).” Tabs.ultimate-Guitar.com, tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/the-killers/mr-brightside-chords-202646.

Savage, Mark “Mr Brightside: The Hit That Just Won’t Die.” BBC News, 1 Apr. 2021, www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-56601090.

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