Musical Analysis #2 - Camryn Williams

End of The Road - Boyz II Men, June 30, 1992, USA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDKO6XYXioc 

     Starting out as Unique Attraction, they formed together in the mid 80s. In 1988, they changed their name to Boyz II Men. When they signed with Motown Records, they immediately became a hit group. A year after their first album, Cooleyhighharmony, it hits quadruple platinum. Babyface and LA Reid, the producers of End of the Road,  also wrote the hits, I'm your Baby Tonight by Whitney Houston and Baby-Baby-Baby by TLC. 

    I've been listening to this song for as long as I can remember. I feel like the lyrics engraved themselves automatically. End of the Road has always been a family favorite as well as Boyz II Men. I personally love when artist talk in their songs and Boyz II men usually do so. This could kind of be considered as adlibs. I also love the album cover of Cooleyhighharmony because one of the group members wears a STL Cardinal hat.  (My family is from St. Louis)

    This song is about the end of a relationship. Two lovers are approaching the end but cant let go of each other. The lover is begging for the relationship to rekindle. The lovers are hurt due to the feeling of the love drifting away. 

Tempo - 

End of the Road provides a tempo of 150 BPM, beats per minute. It is faster than my previous analysis... When Doves Cry by Prince at 140 BPM. Although End of the Road seems slower, the tempo is still faster. 

Beat -

While listening to the instrumental version, I noticed a 1-2-3 beat count. The beat stays the same throughout the entire song, even when there is a change in melody and instruments. 

Instrumental Version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ednUl49GAao 

Melody/ - 

The melody is simple and distinct. The group harmonizes and sings in a softer, lower tone. At around 2:38 and 4:13, there is a change in the melody. When this happens, there is a clear difference in their voices. It sounds like there is more emotion coming from the group. When the songs slows down again, the beginning melody comes back. The melody really supports the group's vocals. Due to the simple and distinct melodies, the group can expand and show off their vocals, adding more power to the song. 

Scales - 

The scales in this song increase the pitch in the melody. When the melody changes, the scale changes as well. The scales in the song help us identify, build, and hear the beat, rhythm, tempo, and melody. Scales help produce flow in the song. 

Harmony/Harmonic Texture - 

End of the Road provides lots of harmony, vocally and instrumentally. Personally, I feel like this song shows off the groups vocal harmony well. The group follows the melody. When the melody changes, their harmonic structure changes as well. The chorus is a great example of them harmonizing. If you separate their voices, there is a clear distinction. Even if only one person is singing, the other members are in the background adding onto the song. 

All these elements allow everything to flow together to produce this iconic song. 

Sources: 

“BPM and Key for End of the Road by Boyz II Men: Tempo for End of the Road.” https://songbpm.com/@boyz-ii-men/end-of-the-road#:~:text=End%20Of%20The%20Road%20is,of%203%20beats%20per%20bar. 

“Elements of Rock Music Vocab. Flashcards | Quizlet.” Quizlet, 

https://quizlet.com/53478560/elements-of-rock-music-vocab-flash-cards/Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.

“End of the Road (Boyz II Men Song).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Sept. 2024, ehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_of_the_Road_(Boyz_II_Men_song)

“Meaning of ‘End of the Road’ by Boyz II Men.” Songtell, 

www.songtell.com/boyz-ii-men/end-of-the-road. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

“The Number Ones: Boyz II Men’s ‘End of the Road.’” Stereogum, 24 Jan. 2022, www.stereogum.com/2173589/the-number-ones-boyz-ii-mens-end-of-the-road/columns/the-number-ones/.