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Traveling Husbands (1931)

Home > Film: Traveling Husbands > Theme: There's a Sob in My Heart > Instance: 0:00:00



Instance
Theme name: There's a Sob in My Heart
Borrowed from: Transgression (1931)
Start time: 0:00:00
End time: 0:00:52
Total duration: 0:00:52
Page #: no score available
Measure #: no score available
Scene: no score available
Key: Ab
Meter: 4/4
Tempo (bpm): 160
Instrumentation: dance band
Description
On-screen: A rushing train under the opening credits
Description: Steiner's song "There's a Sob in My Heart" is played over the opening credits, along with a rushing train and its sounds (train whistle, clattering wheels); the tempo of the song is upbeat, matching the rapid pace of the train; it is played through twice; Steiner had wanted this to be a hit song that would allow him to sell sheet music or recordings, but the film was a flop and the song was overlooked; the tune was played by the hot jazz band of Gus Arnheim
Analysis: This song has a simple a-a-b-a phrase structure and is based on two recurring motives X and Y; X = the initial six-note motive (which is immediately transposed to the dominant); Y = the slower three-note motive that follows; the b phrase is based on an ascending three-note fragment from motive X
Tags

AABA structure | opening title sequence | popular song | syncopation | train | transcribed by ear | traveling | upbeat

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