A quiet storm of changing meter.
This song is one of my absolute favorites. Neko Case is my favorite singer — you could even say, as others have, that I'm a Neko fangirl. The meter in this one is wild once you analyze it, but it all seems to flow together very nicely throughout the song. I hope you enjoy it and that you don't waste your time trying to conduct it like I did for years.
Link to video recording via YouTube of “Middle Cyclone” by Neko Case.
Overview: The meter in this song changes repeatedly, not limited to the structural parts of the song.
Intro: Having put out seven solo albums and six as a member of The New Pornographers, as well as multiple projects with other artists, Neko Case has built up a steady fan base and outstanding critical reputation since her first release in 1997. This song is the title track of Case's 2009 album, which debuted on the Billboard charts at #3. It was the highest debut on the Billboard album charts from an independent artist that year. Multiple media outlets, including Amazon.com, proclaimed it the best album of that year. Middle Cyclone was also nominated for Best Contemporary Folk Album and Best Recording Package (along with artist/designer Kathleen Judge). Her subsequent 2013 album, The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You was nominated for a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.
Analysis: The song makes use of multiple time signatures throughout. Meters change rapidly whenever Case is singing lyrics, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar. The meter of the song changes between asymmetrical simple meter and symmetrical compound meter. She makes use of 5/4, 3/4, 6/8, and 7/4 meters in the song, most reliably returning to 5/4. The only other instrument heard on this song aside from the guitar is a sort of music box chime, playing a melody in 5/4 time, and creating a rhythmic motif for the song.
Considerations for Teaching: The lyrics of this song are generally sentimental, reflective, and contain no offensive material or profanity.
Edited lightly for clarity on August 25th, 2020.