Form and harmony
Its verse is rarely sung in the 2020s, but the chorus has become a favorite with many jazz musicians. The chorus is a 36-measure AA2BA3 form with two twists on the usual 32-bar AABA song-form: A2 transposes the initial A section down a fourth, while the final A3 section adds an extra four bars.
Note: The harmonic analysis demonstrates a functional chord progression using the circle of fifths. This type of progression generally relies on the roots of the chords being a 4th apart. Taking the main key of measures 1 to 5 as A-flat major, the chords can be considered as vi–ii–V–I–IV in A-flat major. (Fm7 is the sixth degree in A♭; B♭m7 is second degree in A♭, etc.) Using a delay cycle, D♭ being the tritone substitution for G7, the last 3 bars of the A section modulates to the key of C major temporarily.
The chords of the A2 section precisely echo those of the initial eight measure A section, except the roots of each chord in the initial A section are lowered (transposed down) by a perfect 4th. Thus, Fm7 in A becomes Cm7 in A2, B♭m7 becomes Fm7, E♭7 becomes B♭7, etc. In the same vein, the melody sung over A2 is identical to the A section melody, though every note is also lowered by a perfect 4th.
The bridge of this piece, section B, is another example of a functional chord progression in the keys of G major and E Major. In bars 1-4 of this section, it is a simple ii–V–I progression. Using a common chord substitution, the F♯º chord in measure 5 functions as viiº in the key of G major and iiº in the key of E minor. Then using simple modal mixture, the B7 chord is used to bridge from E minor to E major in bar 7. (Note: although there is no E minor chord in the composition during this section, it is important to note the relationship of the F♯º chord to E major. Without the technique of modal mixture, the use of major tonalities and minor tonalities simultaneously, E minor & E major, the F♯ would have been simply minor and introduced an additional pitch, C♯ to the harmony.) The E major 7 voice leads smoothly to C7 altered; for example, lowering the B to B♭ forms Emaj7♭5, or rootless C7♯5♯9.
The first five measures of A3 are identical to the initial 8 measure long A and A2 sections. In the 6th measure, A3 takes a new path that does not come to an end until the 12th measure of the section. The G♭7 or D♭ minor chord in measure 6 is a borrowed chord from A♭ minor.
The modulations in this song are unusual for a pop song of the period and present challenges to a singer or improviser, including a semitone modulation that ends each A section (these modulations start with measure 6 in the A and A2 sections and measure 9 of the A3 section), and a striking use of enharmonic substitution at the turnaround of the B section (last two measures of the B Section), where the G♯ melody note over a E major chord turns into an A♭ over the F minor 7 of measure 1 of section A3.
Because of its combination of a strong melody and challenging but logical chord structure, "All the Things You Are" has become a popular jazz standard. Its changes have been used for such contrafact tunes as "Bird of Paradise" by Charlie Parker,[2] "Prince Albert" by Kenny Dorham, "All The Things That You Can C#" by Charles Mingus, and "Boston Bernie" by Dexter Gordon. "Thingin'" by Lee Konitz introduced a further harmonic twist by transposing the chords of the second half of the tune by a tritone.
The verses start with these lines:
- Time and again I've longed for adventure
- Something to make my heart beat the faster
- What did I long for, I never really knew
