"Maybe tomorrow - Stereophonics", is my analysis right?

Question

I'm an amateur, self tought, musician whos's struggling to learn music theory without knowing solfège. I'm trying to make harmonic analysis of easy pop tunes to practice and learn.

This song in particular (as problably all) got several ways to think of it in terms of harmony.

Song chords are:

EbMaj7 - Cm - Gm - F - Fsus2

Searching the web I found an analysis on a page called "hooktheory" as follows...

IVMaj7 - ii7 - vi - V - Vadd9

But I tend to avoid thinking that there's no chord I ! (makes me a little nervous)

My first attempt was probably a very noobish one... I started with the belief that it starts on the I chord... so it would be:

IMaj7 - vi - iii - II - IIsus2

But that II is a non diationic chord. It could be a secondary dominant (V7/V)... but since it's not a dominant chord I believe it isn't right. is it?

And finally I realised I feel some kind of relief when it comes to Gm... so treating it as the i chord it would be...

VIMaj7 - iv - i - VII - VIIsus2

I know it may depend on someone's interpretation... just wanted to know what you guys think it's the most appropriate and any tips as general guidelines for aproaching the analysis of a tune.

Thanks in advance!, I love this site as it helps me a lot to read people here (at least the things that I understand). If my question is not allowed here, or needs to be changed let me know. It's my first question here, don't even know if i'm allowed to ask yet.

Answer 1

There does seem to be some 'home' feel to Gm. So for me that'd be i. Seems like you are more than capable off working out the rest from that! The bit that maybe doesn't seem to work is the lack of D7 - V7. But not every piece must have that dominant bit in it. That's reflected in the natural minor scale notes, which include the note F, rather than the almost expected F♯. Which means the 'dominant' chord is an Fmajor of some description. Here, it's not even major - there's lack of M3 (A) using note G instead of the expected A. Fsus2, most would say! Reference to a question a couple of days ago, if you'd like to look: Sus2 doesn't exist?

Answer 2

When I feel lost in this kind of analysis (mainly when it comes to signatures with flats), I transpose to a familiar key to check if there is any weird guest - in this case:

EbMaj7     - Fmaj7
Cm         - Dm
Gm         - Am
F (Fsus2)  - G (Gsus2)

Cool, everything is in order! The home chord is the third, then you can analyse it as Tim suggested (VI - iv - i - VII), or in the relative major (IV - ii - vi - V).

Of course you shouldn't do this always, or it will be a crutch.

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I confirm what Tim and topo said: in this style of rock, the dominant chord of the relative major is favoured over that of the minor one: in this case the progression ends on F, that is the V of Bb, whose relative minor is in fact Gm.

It makes sense because the progression doesn't even start on Gm, so there is no need for a D7 > Gm cadence.

(Love the song btw!)