Looking at Song Structure

When I first started this inquiry, I expected to spend most of my time dissecting songs in order to get the structure/layout.  Meaning I would find the parts of the songs and the order they go in (verse, chorus, bridge…etc.). After dissecting over 10 songs, I concluded there was very little I could learn from simplistic music in regards to the layout. So I have decided to make some changes. Instead of looking for and dissecting hit songs across different genres, I have decided to take individual songs that have unique/complex layouts. Using the skills and knowledge I have learned during the inquiry, I will dissect these songs in much greater detail. I have decided to color code the different song parts and write down their length (in bars), that is the number that you see after every part.

“God Is Dead?” by Black Sabbath

Length: 8:52

Genre: Metal

Time Signature(s): 4/4

Album: 13

Released: 2013

About this song: This song won a Grammy for best metal performance in 2013 and it is a good example of black Sabbath’s style in regards to layout. This song has 3 choruses (just like many other simplistic songs I have looked at) but in this case, the song layout is not predictable whatsoever and avoids lyrical repetition by featuring a number of different guitar riffs to back up the vocals. This song also features some very lengthy verses (46 bars) and the chorus is fairly short in comparison (only 16 bars).