Song: Get Lucky Artist: Daft Punk (Originally published August 12, 2013)

The first couple of times I heard this song, it was just the chorus and it didn’t strike me in any particular way.  But at some point later, I heard the pre-chorus, which is what piqued my interest.  It sounded familiar in some way, but I couldn’t really figure out why.

Then, hearing it in the car on another occasion with my daughter present I realized what it was; she said “it’s got that disco sound, doesn’t it?”  Ah yes, the “familiar” I was experiencing was in the vocal harmonies in the pre-chorus and the guitar playing throughout.  It wasn’t until I researched the song that I found out the guitar player that I heard was Nile Rodgers, a member of the 70’s disco band “Chic”.  Ah hah!

“Get Lucky” is, admittedly, not all that lyrically inspired as is often true with pop songs.  And, as is also often the case with pop, there is a repeated pattern of chords throughout.  In this case it’s Bm7, D, F#m7 and E.  When Nile was recording his tracks, he basically just asked for the drums to be up front and the rest of the mix to be lowered, and he came up with his strumming pattern from there.

From a songwriting standpoint, the challenge of writing a song that has the same chord pattern repeated through a whole song is to find some way to create contrast.  Of course, that is often created in the production, which is used here, but the real contrast is created in the melody and meter, taking a different turn when it gets to the pre-chorus and then, even more when it gets to the chorus.

Have a listen to the song in the YouTube video below. Here are the lyrics:

Like the legend of the phoenix
All ends with beginnings
What keeps the planet spinning
The force of love beginning

PRE-CHORUS:
We’ve come too far to give up who we are
So let’s raise the bar and our cups to the stars

CHORUS:
She’s up all night ’til the sun
I’m up all night to get some
She’s up all night for good fun
I’m up all night to get lucky
We’re up all night ’til the sun
We’re up all night to get some
We’re up all night for good fun
We’re up all night to get lucky
We’re up all night to get lucky
We’re up all night to get lucky
We’re up all night to get lucky
We’re up all night to get lucky

The present has no ribbon
Your gift keeps on giving,
What is this I’m feeling?
If you wanna leave I’m ready

[repeat PRE-CHORUS and CHORUS]

…and you pretty much get the idea 🙂

So just as a comparison, here is that great 70’s hit, “Freak Out” by Chic, and featuring Nile Rodgers on guitar:

…see what I mean about that distinctive guitar sound? Below is the video for Get Lucky if you want to compare.

IJ