8/18/2019 Song Analysis - one second in a million miles

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Song Analysis & Presentation Assignment

One Second In A Million Miles

 This song places itself towards the start of Act 2 of “The Bridges Of

Madison County.” The character Francesca has just cheated on herhusand Bud with a !ational "eographic photographer called“#oert” who tra$elled a great distance fro% &ashington 'C tocapture a shot of the “Co$ered Bridge” in Madison. This song is asong aout passion and lo$e and ad$enture( #oert is as)ing her toescape with hi%( to runaway( fro% her fa%ily * +e doesn,t reallyha$e a plan( just the idea( and - thin) that is strongly indicated inthe %usic. The %usic opens co%pletely acapella( just $ocals( #oert is singingaout a new eperience in his life( how it,s all new( and this re/ectsin the lac) of %usic. -t,s al new( it,s all a %ystery( there,s nostructure( no plan( so he is singing lind( singing without supportunderneath hi%( also the lac) of %usic accentuates e$ery word he issaying( it,s not aout the %usic( it,s aout the words he is singing. The %usic )ic)s in on the phrase “Co%e with %e” and it is a guitarchord( along with a repeated single note on the piano. There is asustained cello( or ass( which - thin) signi0es the danger of it all(this recurring noise of self dout and actually the fact it is wrong(%aye the “1oice of Bud” * +owe$er the guitar that is referencedearlier in the show that is #oerts is also stru%%ing each chord inloc)s. - thin) this shows that there is gli%%ers of hi%( and that he

is leading her( that although ud is there( #oert is pushing through(especially as the guitar starts to eco%e %ore pro%inentthroughout( until it is actually stru%%ing fully throughout and not just once e$ery archord change. This tends to e the case in thechorus( and in a %iddle it of %usic in3etween the chorus and$erse 2 it drops ac) into just the stru%( and the ass co%esthrough again. +owe$er as soon as he sings $erse 2 it co%es ac)in( this could %ean that gi$en the ti%e to thin)( it,s co%pletelywrong and it just wouldn,t happen( ut as long as they )eep tal)ingand just act instead of thin)( then it could wor). Also the pianoeco%es %ore pro%inent throughout the chorus and $erse 2( which

- thin) could e her thought process( that she is now with hi%( she,snot just playing 4 note any%ore( she is playing chords andin$ersions and %elodies( showing that he is ta)ing her on this ridewith hi%( and she,s letting hi%. The $iolin starts to co%e in on $erse2 and then pic)s up throughout( showing the ro%anticis% of it all(how dangerous and how incredile it is( an escape( har%oni5ingwith oth of the%( uilding the% up. The rest of the song dips in andout of this %usic( showing dout ut also ecite%ent and willing.