Written by Richard Leigh
Recorded by Crystal Gayle
 
Crossover Country Pop singer Crystal Gayle is well-known for three things: being the sister of Loretta Lynn, her iconic floor-length hair, and her huge hit “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.” It’s a song of love-gone-bad, nothing new here at Best Bridges Blog, but there are a few things that make this song special. Starting with the title – a colorfly poetic and perfect metaphor. And while the bridge may seem standard in composition and sentiment, there is something a little more fun happening with this song.
 
We learn that our protagonist’s lover has left her for another and all she’s been doing is crying. We’ve all been there and we’ve all written songs about it.
 
Don't know when I've been so blue
Don't know what's come over you
You've found someone new
Don't it make my brown eyes blue
 
Clocking in at a little over 2:30 minutes, the song quickly gets to the bridge.
 
Tell me no secrets, tell me some lies
Give me no reasons, give me alibies
Tell me you love me and don't let me cry
Say anything but don't say goodbye
 
Ok, she’s asking to be lied to. The truth is too painful and she’d rather be oblivious than be alone. The bridge is her safe place for denial. Decent bridge, right?
 
But when we get to the third verse, our protagonist is no longer in denial, and comes to reveal some hard truths about herself. She accepts the blame for her actions. She treated her lover poorly and took them for granted.  By the end of the song, her brown eyes are no longer turning blue because she’s been hurt, but because she’s regretful of how awful she treated someone she loves and she knows she's responsible for the end of their relationship.
 
The third verse of a pop song doesn’t often reveal new information. Frequently, the third verse is just a repeat of an earlier verse. But in this case, we not only get a nifty turn with the bridge, we enjoy a twist ending. Not a crazy twist, but not what I was expecting. What do you think? Leave a reply and don’t you leave my bridges blog blue!
 

Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Recorded by The Beatles
 
No Reply is a classic song about unfaithfulness, suspicion, jealousy and heartbreak. While more Lennon than McCartney, the song is a beautiful example of The Beatles' blossoming songwriting as they entered the mid-1960s.
 
Our protagonist is trying to track down his girl, but the gatekeepers that share her home (parents, roommates, landlady?) tell him that she’s not there. He’s called, he’s knocked on the door, but the answer is always “get lost.” But he knows she’s there. Not only can he see her through a window, he just watched arrive home – escorted, “hand in hand with another man!” My heart drops just thinking about it. She might as well have just walked across his face like the doormat she thinks he is. But is he? Does he somehow possess the strength to tell her exactly how he feels? Let’s go to the bridge!
 
If I were you, I'd realize that I
Love you more than any other guy
And I'll forgive the lies that I
Heard before, when you gave me no reply
 
We enter the bridge with a shift in instrumentation and arrangement, and there are a few things happening. The rhythm moves from a swingy bossa nova groove to a straight-up rock n’ roll beat, aided by hand claps on every beat and a driving piano part, courtesy of producer George Martin. McCartney’s intense and beautiful harmonies add to this clear and definite message: “Stop this deceit and listen to me! Can’t you see a good thing when it’s right in front of you?”
 
The pain is tangible, his message is commanding, but while the music remains this way throughout the bridge, does his message stray? Halfway through the bridge, he’s already promising her forgiveness? You can feel his confidence wane. And when we get to the word “before,” it’s all crystal clear: that pain has not gone away, and despite his pleas, he knows she will hurt him again. There is something about McCartney’s harmony on the word’s second syllable, “fore.” It’s so sad. I feel so bad for this guy.
 
And as soon as the bridge moves into the final verse, he’s back on the phone, he knows she’s there, but he’s once again informed that she isn’t home. Lies!
 
While “No Reply” has my favorite bridge from my favorite band, it doesn’t mean that it’s the best of the Best Bridges Blog, but it’s close. We have many more bridges to cross but for now, if you leave a comment, I promise, I will reply.  

-MJK

Written by Robert Pollard
Recorded by Guided By Voices
 
Bridges come in all shapes and sizes. Some of my favorites have numerous lines of lyrics and last for a few minutes – others are just one line, to the point, and emotionally massive. Let’s discuss the latter, and who better to provide a shining example than the masters of the get-in-and-get-out approach to music, Guided By Voices.
 
Calling GBV’s Robert Pollard prolific is an understatement. The man is a machine, but among his catalog, one of my favorites is Alien Lane’s “As We Go Up, We Go Down.” Witty wordplay often coats the harsh pill in Uncle Bob’s lyrics, and this song is a great example.
 
I can't terrorize, I see terror in your eyes
As we go up, we go down
I can't socialize, I'll be institutionalized
As we go up, we go down
 
The protagonist struggles with how to fit into a world that has no place for him. He seeks connection, but all he finds is deceit and manipulation. As per the chorus:
 
…the truth is just a lie
 
Clocking in at 1:37, the song gets to the bridge quickly, and this is where we get to the heart of our protagonist’s angst, and his resolution:
 
I speak in monotone, "Leave my fucking life alone!"

What more can one say after that other than “as we go up, we go down?” Guided By Voices may not be a household name and not nearly as popular as most other artists covered in this blog, but behind the lo-fi indie guitar rock is some of the best songwriting of the last four decades, and usually in two minutes or less.  

​-MJK

Written and Recorded by Bob Dylan
​
Bob Dylan has blessed us with a tremendous catalog of music, but the majority of these songs do not follow a traditional pop song format, and hence, no bridges! But, there are a few Dylan classics that do feature wonderful bridges. So, if you’d like to read more, please, stay lady stay…
 
“Lay Lady Lay” tells the story of a man who can’t quite convince his gal that he’s the one. Our narrator is head-over-heels for this woman, but she’s a bit more ambivalent about her feelings for him, or if she even wants to settle in with one lover at all.
 
Dylan was deep into his country music period in the late 60s and Nashville Skyline provided us with plenty of on-brand references, lyrics and music beyond the album title. The country themes often harken back to the cowboy days of the Old West, so if you’re going to have a bed, it should be big and brass. But, our protagonist is offering his object of desire more than just a romp in the hay:
 
Whatever colors you have in your mind
I'll show them to you and you'll see them shine
 
And he promises her that he’s worth the time – he’s not just another cowboy looking to love ‘em and leave ‘em.
 
His clothes are dirty, but his hands are clean
And you're the best thing that he's ever seen
 
But perhaps his sales pitch is not being well-received and she’s still not convinced. So it’s time to get into her head to keep her in bed. And this is when we get to the bridge.
 
Why wait any longer for the world to begin?
You can have your cake and eat it too
Why wait any longer for the one you love
When he's standing in front of you?
 
These are excellent questions, and I hope our protagonist can get some answers, because he seriously longs for her. These questions seem straightforward and simple, but does the music tell a different story?
 
The rest of the song is arranged with a simple rhythmic approach. Congas, an on-brand cowbell, limited drums and a sparse bass part focused on root notes. But in the bridge, we find further syncopation and a more active bassline. Is this a product of the studio sessions and a coincidence, or indicative of the complications of relationships?
 
Either way, it’s a lovely bridge, and a relatively rare one within Dylan’s body of work. There are a few more, and perhaps I’ll get them in the future. But for now, I’m tired – time for a nap on that big brass bed!

​-MJK

Written by Simon Climie and Dennis Morgan
Recorded by Aretha Franklin and George Michael
 
There are many amazing Aretha Franklin songs with outstanding bridges, and I hope to get back to those – but why start with this one? I honestly have no good reason other than I recently heard the song and said, “hey, that’s a nifty bridge!”
 
The Queen of Soul and The Careless Whisperer himself, pop icon George Michael are both gone – but this shiny pop duet lives on. The song tells the tale of a couple who each spent years battling through bad relationships and romantic letdowns, but were motivated to endure, knowing that someday, they would meet their true love: each other.
 
After taking the lead on alternating verses, Aretha and George join voices in the chorus and songwriters Climie and Morgan pay tribute to one of the greatest pop duets of all time, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
 
When the river was deep, I didn't falter
When the mountain was high, I still believed
When the valley was low, it didn't stop me,
I knew you were waiting, I knew you were waiting for me.
 
After some more verses and another chorus, we get to the bridge. Lyrically, the bridge doesn’t offer us too much new information. It’s more of a summary or exclamation point to what they’ve been through individually and where they are now:
 
So we were drawn together through destiny
I know this love we share was meant to be…
 
But there’s something musical that I love about this bridge, and something that adds to the story more than the words themselves. The bridge begins with a subtle rhythmic change, thanks to some triplets. This allows things to get a little funky, but still, so smooth. Despite a musical departure from the chorus, the song moves into the bridge easier than walking through a doorway, and then, wham!, we’re seamlessly right back into a chorus and into the good time celebration of this song. 
 
Franklin and Michael are two of the greats of the Twentieth Century, and while this duet doesn’t surpass their individual efforts, it’s a great song with a wonderful bridge. Some readers might dismiss this song, but for those of you who appreciate it, I knew you were waiting, I knew you were waiting for me.
 
-MJK