Way over yonder in the minor key

by Susan M

I want to make a mix of songs in a minor key for a road trip to Vegas next week. Any suggestions?

I’ll post a couple to the radio.blog that I *think* are in a minor key. Correct me if I’m wrong:

“Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key” - Billy Bragg and Wilco featuring Natalie Merchant
“Gold Dust Woman” - Fleetwood Mac

11 Comments

  1. Depends on what you mean by minor key, but just about all metal is in E minor. Most rock is in a blues major/minor hybrid. It would be easier to select a group of songs that you like and then eliminate the ones in a major key.

    Comment by J. Stapley — January 21, 2008 @ 6:20 pm

  2. Listen to the songs I posted and you’ll get an idea. Sad/ominous sounding.

    Comment by Susan M — January 21, 2008 @ 6:32 pm

  3. Radiohead — Exit Music for a Film
    Elliot Smith — King’s Crossing
    Dire Straits — Brothers in Arms
    Cowboy Junkies — December Skies
    Elliot Smith — Between the Bars
    Johnny Cash — Hurt (NIN cover)
    Tool - Reflection
    A Perfect Circle — 3 Libras
    Damien Rice — Accidental Babies
    Elliot Smith — Angeles
    Jeff Buckley — Hallelujah

    Susan, you’ll thank me for every one of these (assuming you don’t already know them). They’re not all technically minor key, but each in its own way is a combination of melancholy, sad, beautiful, ominous, tortured, exquisite, etc.

    Comment by Scudworth — January 21, 2008 @ 9:03 pm

  4. I know some of them, thanks. I’ll see if I can scrape up any of the rest.

    “Accidental Babies” isn’t my fave Damien Rice tune. Rule #1 for writing heart-wrenching songs: don’t be putting lines about toothbrushes in them.

    Comment by Susan M — January 21, 2008 @ 9:58 pm

  5. Toothbrushes notwithstanding, the anguish of absent love gives me the willies.

    Comment by Scudworth — January 21, 2008 @ 10:12 pm

  6. How about:

    The Flaws - Slow Dance
    Kings of Leon - Arizona
    Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body, What Sarah Said

    Comment by MCQ — January 21, 2008 @ 11:44 pm

  7. More:

    The Weepies - World Spins Madly On
    REM - Nightswimming, You Are The Everything
    Wheat - Don’t I Hold You
    Toad The Wet Sprocket - Fly From Heaven, Crowing, Windmills
    Counting Crows - Anna Begins, A Murder of One, Sullivan Street
    Air Traffic - No More Running Away

    Comment by MCQ — January 21, 2008 @ 11:55 pm

  8. Also (Some songs I find haunting):

    As Tall As Lions - Ghost of York
    Band Of Horses - Is There A Ghost
    Psychedelic Furs - Ghost In You

    Comment by MCQ — January 22, 2008 @ 12:03 am

  9. Or what about:

    Carey Brothers - Jealosy
    Cherry Ghost - People Help The People
    The National - Fake Empire

    Comment by MCQ — January 22, 2008 @ 12:15 am

  10. Valerie loves me - Material Issue

    Comment by gibbyg — January 22, 2008 @ 7:34 am

  11. Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key is one of my all time favorite songs. BTW - have you listened to any of Holy Cole Trio? She’s Jazz and actually from my home town of Halifax. I don’t know if she’s still around but she had some great albums in the 90’s. Don’t Smoke in Bed is a fantastic album and sounds like exactly what you are looking for.

    Also don’t forget about the Cowboy Junkies and the Trinity Sessions.

    Comment by Clark — January 22, 2008 @ 10:49 am