Moby describes the structure of Why Does My Heart as verse and chorus song structure, where A is the verse and B is the chorus. Section A uses the male singer sample and B uses the female singer sample.

A1

0:00-0:19

Introduction on piano only in which the basic chord sequence is played as broken chords. The chord sequence is Am, Em, G, D. The key of the piece is A minor.

A2

0:19- 0:39

A sampled male voice is added. This has not been cleaned up but contains “electronic ghostings” of the backing singers from the original recording. The sample is taken from a 1953 recording of King Jesus Will Roll My Burdens Away sung by the Shining Light Gospel Choir. Moby intends the “electronic ghostings” to make the music sound less sterile.

A3

0:39- 0:59

With the addition of drum loops and a constant beat the song is now underway. There is a countermelody in synth strings and piano which follow the sequence of the chords. A synthesized bass completes the texture. Moby uses a drum machine as well as sampled breakbeats from an unknown hip hop track. There is also a pair of claves doubling the snare drum accents.

A4

0:59- 1:19

Octave sub-bass and synth string chords further thicken the texture. The music uses the Dorian mode but transposed onto the note A.

A5

1:19- 1:38

A more syncopated pattern appears in the piano chords. Some piano chords are altered.

Bx1

1:38-

1:57

The female sample is now heard over the chords C

and Am . The key is ambiguous because the two chords are

relatives, which means they share the same key signature.

By1

1:57-

2:17

The sample continues over new chords but is sometimes “re-triggered” to create canons and there are additional sampled shouts. The chords are

F and C which confirms the key now as C major.

A6

2:17-

2:37

Male voice resumes but a second version of the same voice creates a dialogue. This is like a call and response. The second voice is treated with two effects, Reverb

and EQ.

A7

2:37-

2:56

This is a repeat of A6.

2:56-

2:59

The music stops for a bar except for the dying echoes of the vocal. This is called a breakdown.

Bx2

2:59-

3:18

The female voice sounds distant. It is treated to EQ and reverb and is reduced in the mix. There are no drums or piano and the strings are also heavily treated with reverb. The lack of drums and piano makes the music sound still.

By2

3:18-

3:38

Drums lead into By2. The female voice sample is now clean and prominent in the mix, making it appear closer. As in section By1,

Moby creates canons by retriggering the sample.

By3

3:38-

3:57

An unexpected repeat of By2. In addition to canons in the vocals, Moby also adds shouts.

A8

3:57-

end

Male voice is unclean, like the intro, but without piano and drums and with just static synth chords. This section could be called the outro.

Sample A - the verse

Sample A is a male singer singing the lyrics, " When I should feel so sad, why does my heart feel so glad? Why does my heart feel so happy and gay?".  Moby manipulates the sample to become "Why does my heart feel so bad, why does my soul feel so bad?". He has completely changed the meaning of the words. 

The chords of the verse are A minor, E minor, G major, D major. Each chord is played for two days so that the chord pattern lasts for 8 bars. Looking at the bass part, we can see that these 8  bars consist of two pairs of falling fourths. The second pair is a tone lower than the first. This is called a falling harmonic sequence.  

Now consider the F# in the D major chord.

The chords of the verse use only the notes of the Dorian mode. Dorian mode is the pattern of white notes from D to D on the keyboard. Moby uses this pattern but transposes it to start on to A as seen above.

Modes have been around for many centuries. They are associated with European church music and western folk music. More recently, Classical composers have become interested in modes once more and they often crop up in jazz, rock and pop too.

Sample B - the chorus

Sample B is a female singer. She sings "When I pray he opens doors for me, doors I'm unable to see". This becomes, "These open doors". Sample B is set to two different chord schemes (Bx and By in your score). The first is C major, A minor. At this point we don't know for sure whether we are in C major or A minor. Then we have the same vocals set to the chords F major and C major. Now we are definitely in the key of C major. Notice how the F# of the verse has become F natural. The move from a modal minor to major tonality is uplifting and clearly marks the chorus out from the verse.