The Theory of Funkativity

Overview

Lyrics

Overview

Engineering

As summer is winding down, we thought it fitting to release a track that really captures the spirit of the season.

"Loving You" is a song full of nostalgia, so get yourself outside, kick back and relax in the sun, and reminisce about all the good times you've had this summer.

Speaking of good times, it's been a fun week in the Theory household. Sean and Michael teamed up in Monday Night Combat for Xbox 360 and set the number one score in the entire world. Check out the Odyssey post "Best in the World at Monday Night Combat" to see pictures, read about the adventure, and to view a tweet about us from the developers of the game.
By Sean
The whole set of lyrics for "Loving You" came together in about fifteen minutes. I remember sitting in the giant marble-floored entryway of a building, listening to Michael play the guitar tracks and immediately knowing what I wanted to write the lyrics about and how the vocal melody would sound. The lyrics evolved so fluidly, and as the sounds of Michael's guitar echoed in the entryway, I filled up several pages in my notebook with smooth, polished-sounding lyrics. The final lyrics heard in this song are the exact same words I wrote in that fifteen minutes, no revisions or additions. I felt like I came up with a great, catchy melody, and feel proud that it was used in the final version of the track.


"Loving You"
by The Theory of Funkativity

Verse:
Spring is long gone
And it's getting hot
Summer's the best time
For falling in love

We'll be foolish and reckless
And spend what we got
So carefree that we'll leave
Without second thought

You turn the radio
As loud as it'll go
Singing along with
The songs that you know

And making up words
For the ones that you don't
Laughing and hoping
That I won't catch on

Bridge:
I wish the summer could last forever
I'm in love and it feels like there's just nothing better

Chorus:
Than you
Than you

Verse:
A hand in mine
A hand out the window
Counting how many
More miles to go

We may be two people
But we got just one soul
Stop driving to kiss you
On the side of the road

I want a good girl
And you want a beau
Who'll never desert you
And you know that I won't

You're my someone to run with
My someone to hold
Let's never turn back
No let's never get old

Bridge:
I wish the summer could last forever
I'm in love and it feels like there's just nothing better
I wish the summer could last forever
Then you and I could spend more time together

Chorus:
Loving you
Loving you

Chorus:
Loving you
Loving you
Loving you
Loving you
By Michael
I approached the verse guitar as a progression where, rather than having a series of individual chords, the chords are interweaved by melodic embellishments and the crux of the part is that melody. I try to avoid purely chordal guitar lines. If a part can be entirely transcribed by writing a list of chords (ex. G-C-D-C), I feel it's less interesting to play and listen to.

That said, there are certainly times where simpler chordal parts are warranted, and the chorus of "Loving You" is one instance. Just as last week's song, "Still Life," seems to bounce back and forth between time signatures, the chorus of "Loving You" feels to me like it's floating between major and minor tonalities. Though the guitar is simple, the bass line is more complex. I wanted the bass to have a a high, sliding melody played on top of sustained open notes on the lower strings. The gap between these low and high parts makes for a deep but spacious harmony.

The verse, the chorus, and the verse-to-chorus transition each have distinct instrumental styles. For the transition, both the guitar and bass lines alternate between playing on low strings and high strings as they walk downward. At the conclusion of each phrase, they rise up into a two-chord ending. The first ending leads back into a repetition of the progression, while the second ending launches the song into the chorus. 
By Michael
I took a less-is-more approach (relatively speaking... most of our new songs have been busier than our old ones) to mixing "Loving You." I had a number of instrumental takes and vocal harmonies to play with during the chorus, but I ended up holding most of them back. I wanted the song to have a clean, intimate feel... for the listener to walk away feeling like they've gotten to know the one guitar, the one bass, the one drum kit, and the one vocalist.

I added harmonies during the transition in a call-response format with the lead vocals. In the choruses, I phased in harmonies one by one to help the song grow. The first chorus is completely dry with just the lead vocals. The second chorus has a low harmony, and the third chorus begins with a low harmony and acquires a high harmony half way through.