Tonal Pairing and the Relative-Key Paradox in the Music of Elliott Smith

Example 1. The opening guitar tattoo of "Speed Trials" as played by O'Riley (a) in its original form; (b) in an E minor harmonic context; and (c) in a C major harmonic context(click to enlarge and listen)[1] In an interview for the National Public Radio program All Things Considered (June 13, 2006), classical pianist Christopher O'Riley describes the American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith's (1969-2003) song "Speed Trials" (Smith 1997) as follows:One of the things. . . in the lyrics and in the music, [there] is an ambiguity in Elliott's music, and in particular in "Speed Trials." You don't really have a sense of whether it's a happy song or a sad song. I mean if, for instance, I play the opening, as he did [plays Example 1a], you don't really know, it could be in E minor [plays Example 1b]. . . in which case it would be quite sad, or it might be in C major [plays Example 1c]. . . you really don't know, and he doesn't really give it up for quite a while. . . .(1)O'Riley thus attributes the song's ambiguous mood to the phenomenon of tonal pairing, which applies to music based "not on one stable sonority, but on the tension between two tonal centers" (Kinderman 1980, 106).(2) As O'Riley aptly demonstrates at the piano, the lack of a chordal accompaniment-and thus tonal context-in the guitar "tattoo" renders it plausibly construed as either in E minor or in C major.(3)Example 2. Rhythmic reduction and formal scheme of "Speed Trials"(click to enlarge and listen)[2] O'Riley also indicates that the pairing of C major and E minor in "Speed Trials" extends beyond just this introductory figure. As seen in the rhythmic reduction displayed in Example 2, the verse begins with a modified form of the tattoo that features a root-position C major chord on the opening strong beat. This in itself would seem to establish C major as tonic; however, the motion from the preceding B-E dyad that closes the tattoo instead implies deceptive motion to VI in E minor. After three iterations of this figure, a cadential gesture featuring harmonic motion from Amajor to an implied Gsus4 chord occurs, indicating that C major is in fact the governing tonic after all.[3] C major's tonic status is not truly confirmed, however, until the chorus, which features a metrically accented root-position C major harmony (preceded by the dominant sonority that closes the verse) and a clear, well-defined progression to its dominant, G. Nevertheless, E minor still maintains a shadowy yet palpable presence throughout. As also seen in Example 2, the vocals quickly proceed in stepwise fashion to a high E, which is sustained through the subsequent motion to II and IV in a protracted articulation of the titular lyric. This generates a prominent harmonic dissonance of a ninth and seventh, respectively. C, on the other hand, is treated merely as a passing tone in the ensuing descent to B. The outro proceeds in similar fashion, presenting a melodically varied and twice-reharmonized version of this material that continues to emphasize the high E while remaining harmonically grounded in C major until the song fades out.[4] Although O'Riley does not elaborate on the lyrical content of "Speed Trials," the happy/sad ambiguity that he asserts based on the pairing of C major and E minor does indeed resonate with the various musically ambiguous elements of the song.(4) In verse one, the singer describes a cathedral with stained-glass windows that are black, and high notes that are sweet yet destructive. The chorus begins with the image of a smile, but one that the singer carefully qualifies by emphasizing its brevity and relative insignificance. The subject appears happy to be running, but is limited by the fact that he/she can only do so while standing in place. In verse two, the singer further elaborates on the subject's various character flaws, which seem to be largely self-imposed, leaving it unclear whether he/she deserves the listener's empathy or contempt. …