The Music of "Black Widow"

"Black Widow" marks the first post-COVID return of the MCU, and it sure did it with a bang. It was the number one movie its opening week and the biggest opening week since "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker", grossing some incomprehensible amount of cash in the US and worldwide.

But we're taking a look at it for the music!

In addition to an excellent and thoughtful score composed by Lorne Balfe (the Hans Zimmer protege who also composed for "13 Hours", "Terminator: Genisys", "Mission Impossible: Fallout", and more), we get 3 songs: "Cheap Thrills" by Sia and Sean Paul, the classic "American Pie" by Don McLean, and a modern cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Think Up Anger w/ Malia J.

So, let's take a look at those songs!

"Cheap Thrills" was released by Sia in 2016 (from her 7th album, and the newest song, compositionally speaking, on our list) and it went right to #1 on the charts in over 20 countries and was nominated for a Grammy Award! WOW! 

"American Pie" was released way back in 1971 and charted in 9 countries (including #1 in 4 countries) and in 2017 entered the National Songwriting Registry (of the Library of Congress) for historical & cultural significance!

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" was originally released by Nirvana in 1991, where ushered in the era of grunge (and killed off the 80s hair metal bands that had dominated the rock scene for a decade). The song hit #1 in 5 countries (and charted almost everywhere else) and has since landed on "best of" lusts from Rolling Stone, Billboard, & more, and is a Grammy Hall of Fame song. The Malia J version borrows its pace from the 1990s cover by Tori Amos, but with a modern twist and heavily substituted chords.

Sooo....the song charts:

"Cheap Thrills" Sia w/Sean Paul (2016)

F#m - D - /A - E - /F#m - D - /A - E - /

repeat throughout

"American Pie" Don McLean (1971)

chorus

G - C - /G - D - /G - C - /G - D - /

G - C - /G - D - /Em - - - /A7 - - - /

Em - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" Nirvana (1991)

transposed to Em for comparison purposes

verse/chorus

Em - A5 - /G - C5 - /Em - A5 /G - C5 - /

repeat

transition

Em - - - /Em - - - /Em - - - /Em - - - /

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" Think Up Anger w/ Malia J (2021)

verse

Em - - - /C - - - /Em - - - /C - - - /

transition

Em - - - /Em - - - /Em - - - /Em - - - /

chorus

Em - - - /C - - - /G - - - /D - - - /

Em - - - /C - - - /G - - - /D - - - /

repeat

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THANX!

SUMMER NEWS!

QUICK NEWS.....

1) GIGS - Join me every Sunday about 1pm or so at Ranada's Kitchen (496 E High Street in Lexington) for some music fun! If you play or sing, jump on stage and play or sing - with me or without me! I'm easy!

Let me know in advance if you wanna sing or play or if you just have a song request for me to play for you and we'll make it happen for sure!

2) YOUR GIGS - I'm booking Ranada's for Friday & Saturday, as well as preshow for Woodsongs when they begin taping again. Drop me a line for details if you're interested!

3) LESSONS - Zoom & pre-recorded video for weekly lessons still BUT.....live in-person workshops, clinics, student recitals, field trips, and working on a monthly in-person performance class! Message me for details if you or anyone you know wants lessons of any kind!

Songs students are working on for July & August include classics by Rolling Stones, Bill Withers, the Beatles, & more....plus new hit songs from The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Maroon 5....and many in between, from Bob Dylan to Kansas to the Police!

4) SD MAGAZINE - New articles and interviews posted at SD Magazine (like my new "Guitar Gods" interview with Grammy nominated Jon Butcher of Jon Butcher Axis) and more on the way, including songwriting analysis of John Lennon's "Instant Karma" (part of our Sonic Sorcery series), and a bio of legendary artist Link Wray!

Remember, the "Guitar Gods" interview series is at over 80 interviews with unknown gurus to Grammy Award winners....from Steve Lukather to Donna Grantis (Prince) to Tommy Emmanuel to Steve Stevens to Muriel Anderson to Nuno Bettencourt to Steve Morse to Jennifer Batten and many more!

5) NEW ALBUM(s) - COVID derailed some of my recording plans for 2020, but hopefully we'll be back on track soon....with a new EP of old traditional songs and a new EP of all original material targeted for 2022. Listen to my last release from a few years back, called "Public Domain", HERE!

6) VIDEOS - Still adding songs to my "classic covers" series, which is up to over 100 songs now, mostly by request! Latest songs have been lots of blues: "I'm Ready" Muddy Waters, "Baby Please Don't Go" traditional, and "Sweet Home Chicago" by Robert Johnson....with several songs by Prince and NIN on deck! Check the playlist out HERE!

7) SUPPORT - As always, if you enjoy and want to support my work, you can give monthly or just once in my digital tip jars! 

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One-shot support: https://www.paypal.me/skinnydevilmusic​ or www.venmo.com/David-McLean-47 (Pay What You Will)


More soon...!!!

“The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.” - BB King