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6.11.3 "Carefree Highway" Chords: Chromatic ♭VII in the Chorus
The chord map of "Carefree Highway" below (Figure 93) reveals that Lightfoot uses conventional chords and chord progressions in the verse, firmly establishing tonality.
In the chorus, however, he reaches outside the harmonic scale for the same ♭VII chord that McCartney uses in “Hey Jude.” The chromatic chord, C major in this example, sticks right out and grabs the ear.
FIGURE 93: Chord Map of “Carefree Highway” (Words and Music by Gordon Lightfoot, 1974)
Wisely, Lightfoot brings in the chromatic chord for only one bar in each phrase in which it appears. Tonality remains firm.