What made "You set me free" by Michelle Branch a famous song that it was even chosen to be one of the songs in the movie "Ice Princess?"
The answer lies in the unique yet familiar style and matchable lyrics of the song.
The song starts with a simple, soft strumming of guitar, but in the midst of strumming, there's a phrase that is repeated. This repetition makes the listeners feel that the song is easy to follow. As the energetic voice of Michelle Branch enters followed by drum beats, the phrase repeatedly played by the guitar keeps on ringing in the listeners' minds. Harmony is added with more voices, making the music rich. This music gets built up as the guitar acts like the resolutor, bringing the melody back to the original and repeated phrase. When it reaches the apogee of build up in the end of the chorus, there is an off beat -- at "see, yeah" -- followed by sudden break out of music. This discontinuity of music at this point gives tension to the listeners. It is when the initial repeated phrase of guitar enters, the listeners feel the excitement of the song. That repeated guitar phrase is something they heard throughout the music and hence something they are very familiar with.
The overall tone of song is very light and optimistic. This is due to the major chords of the songs. According to Norman D. Cook of Kansai University in Japan, psychophysical explanation for "bright" mood of major chords is due to semitone decreasse of major chords, indicating strength and social dominance following sound symbolism of human languages (http://www.psycho.hes.kyushu-u.ac.jp/~lab_miura/Kansei/Workshop/proceedings/O-205.pdf). So, the lyrics talking about being "set.. free" perfectly matches the positive mood of the song. In fact, the emphasis is given to the phrase "You set me free" when the music stops as explained in the previous paragraph--creating tension. The lyrics arouse sympathy from the listeners with the use of familiar phrases such as "there's a will, there's a way" and "words can't explain."
There's also storytelling (one of the most powerful device to arouse audience's sympathy) involved at appropriate timing in the music. It appears when the familiar pattern of the music suddenly breaks after the second verse. From major, the song changes to minor key, which gives psychological affect of sadness. The lyrics in the minor chord phrase of the song talk about the time "when I was alone," indicating a time of loneliness and sadness. But when "[he] came around," the sadness was changed into happiness, expressed as change of minor chords to major chords in the music.
Finally, by going back to the initial phrases and familiar cut of music, the song ends with a single, abrupt, pleasure-giving voice.
The answer lies in the unique yet familiar style and matchable lyrics of the song.
The song starts with a simple, soft strumming of guitar, but in the midst of strumming, there's a phrase that is repeated. This repetition makes the listeners feel that the song is easy to follow. As the energetic voice of Michelle Branch enters followed by drum beats, the phrase repeatedly played by the guitar keeps on ringing in the listeners' minds. Harmony is added with more voices, making the music rich. This music gets built up as the guitar acts like the resolutor, bringing the melody back to the original and repeated phrase. When it reaches the apogee of build up in the end of the chorus, there is an off beat -- at "see, yeah" -- followed by sudden break out of music. This discontinuity of music at this point gives tension to the listeners. It is when the initial repeated phrase of guitar enters, the listeners feel the excitement of the song. That repeated guitar phrase is something they heard throughout the music and hence something they are very familiar with.
The overall tone of song is very light and optimistic. This is due to the major chords of the songs. According to Norman D. Cook of Kansai University in Japan, psychophysical explanation for "bright" mood of major chords is due to semitone decreasse of major chords, indicating strength and social dominance following sound symbolism of human languages (http://www.psycho.hes.kyushu-u.ac.jp/~lab_miura/Kansei/Workshop/proceedings/O-205.pdf). So, the lyrics talking about being "set.. free" perfectly matches the positive mood of the song. In fact, the emphasis is given to the phrase "You set me free" when the music stops as explained in the previous paragraph--creating tension. The lyrics arouse sympathy from the listeners with the use of familiar phrases such as "there's a will, there's a way" and "words can't explain."
There's also storytelling (one of the most powerful device to arouse audience's sympathy) involved at appropriate timing in the music. It appears when the familiar pattern of the music suddenly breaks after the second verse. From major, the song changes to minor key, which gives psychological affect of sadness. The lyrics in the minor chord phrase of the song talk about the time "when I was alone," indicating a time of loneliness and sadness. But when "[he] came around," the sadness was changed into happiness, expressed as change of minor chords to major chords in the music.
Finally, by going back to the initial phrases and familiar cut of music, the song ends with a single, abrupt, pleasure-giving voice.
