How Dry I Am - the musical origins of Smile?????

[desmondo]

The "How Dry I Am" pattern could just as well be known as the "You Are My Sunshine" pattern. When Al Kooper heard "H&V" in May of 67 it was what he called the "You Are My Sunshine" version.

That being said the idea of "How Dry I Am" is an intriguing one especially when one considers the "I could really use a drop to drink" line from what's arguably the climax of BWPS.

Another interesting thing to consider is that the majority of "How Dry I Am" numbers are from the first movement of BWPS. This is also the movement which contains the most fire references (from 'fanned the flame of the dance,' 'steamed upon Hawaii,' 'the cook is chopping lumber,' 'fire mellow,''who ran the iron'). Steven Desper disclosed that "H&V" & "Fire" were mystically connected in Brian's mind. Also Philip Lambert connects the "Who Ran The Iron Horse" music to that of "Fire."

The general idea would be that being in a fire can really dry you out.

Bill

The musical connections throughout Smile are many for example

A. Who Ran The Iron Horse AND MOC (first section) - both feature F/Bflat major/F progression

B. H&V chorus (C sharp maj/D sharp dom 7th/G sharp dom 7th/C sharp major) and IBH - 1st verse second section (C major/D major/G dom 7th/Cmajor)

C. The Elements

 - Vegetables beginning of 1st verse (E major/A major/E major)
 - MOC first section (F/B flat/F)
 - IBH - transition and beginning of second section (G/C/G)

I am sure there are more ......

[hypehat]

The "How Dry I Am" pattern could just as well be known as the "You Are My Sunshine" pattern. When Al Kooper heard "H&V" in May of 67 it was what he called the "You Are My Sunshine" version.

That being said the idea of "How Dry I Am" is an intriguing one especially when one considers the "I could really use a drop to drink" line from what's arguably the climax of BWPS.

Another interesting thing to consider is that the majority of "How Dry I Am" numbers are from the first movement of BWPS. This is also the movement which contains the most fire references (from 'fanned the flame of the dance,' 'steamed upon Hawaii,' 'the cook is chopping lumber,' 'fire mellow,''who ran the iron'). Steven Desper disclosed that "H&V" & "Fire" were mystically connected in Brian's mind. Also Philip Lambert connects the "Who Ran The Iron Horse" music to that of "Fire."

The general idea would be that being in a fire can really dry you out.

Bill

The musical connections throughout Smile are many for example

A. Who Ran The Iron Horse AND MOC (first section) - both feature F/Bflat major/F progression

B. H&V chorus (C sharp maj/D sharp dom 7th/G sharp dom 7th/C sharp major) and IBH - 1st verse second section (C major/D major/G dom 7th/Cmajor)

C. The Elements

 - Vegetables beginning of 1st verse (E major/A major/E major)
 - MOC first section (F/B flat/F)
 - IBH - transition and beginning of second section (G/C/G)

I am sure there are more ......

Yep - F - Bb is also He Gives Speeches, and the verses of Do You Like Worms.

[Ebb and Flow]

A. Who Ran The Iron Horse AND MOC (first section) - both feature F/Bflat major/F progression

I've always found the Who Ran The Iron Horse section to be VERY similar to the bassline/rythm of one of the unused sections of Good Vibrations heard at 3:30 on Disc 5/Track 8 of the Good Vibrations box.