B (3:29)

All right, Matt, why do you think that bridge stands out?

D (3:31)

What a great song.

B (3:32)

It is great.

D (3:33)

We are not. It's not a video podcast. So nobody got to see you dancing except for me, unfortunately. But that is what was happening. You know, there's so much. Honestly, I feel like the bridge is just the weirdo part of the song, you know, and obviously Andre 3000 has those inclinations, you know, so you got like, give me some sugar, you know, he's got his, you know, all right, all right, all right, all right. You know, it's all of this kind of random stuff, which is, like, it's getting you into, like, into his brain. It's giving him a moment to freestyle a little bit before you get back into the kind of twinkly chorus, you know, it gives you a break for a second to kind of go, hmm.

A (4:13)

Huh?

D (4:14)

And then he's like, all right. Right back to it, you know, like, you know, listen to James Brown, like, take him to the bridge. You know, it's like you get to be the announcer for the song for a minute and go. It's about to. It's gonna hit. You're waiting, you're waiting. You waking, you waitin'. Ah, there it is. You know, so I think he does that like, he's like your camp counselor Andrea 3000 in that moment, you know, like, this is gonna be the craziest, funkiest sing along you ever got.

B (4:37)

Listeners, now that you've heard a few examples of bridges, we're taking your calls, too. What are your favorite song bridges? Can you think of a song whose bridge you really love? Our number is 2124-3396-9221-2433. What bridge in a song do you really, really love? And we might make you sing it 212-433-9692. Joining me now is WNYC's culture editor, Matthew Schnipper. All right, so take your hat off for a minute. Why do they exist? What do they do? What do they do for the rest of the song?

D (5:15)

They refresh the song. You know, I've been thinking about this as I was. You know, we were talking about this show, and a lot of song structure as music has been kind of tiktokified, has just disappeared. Everything is the chorus, you know, because you need it to hit immediately. A bridge kind of lets the song have space to breathe. You know, as I said, I think it's fun when it does that in a kind of funky way, but it lets the song kind of give it some space, give it a little bit of, like, something sneaky, something a little weird before you get back into the chorus, which you kind of are gonna hear over and over. That's gonna be the kind of backbone of the song, honestly. It's like that kind of last bit of, you know, you finish your painting and then you're kind of like, nope, we need to color it in a little bit. We need a little bit of purple over here. That's kind of what it feels like to me.

B (6:03)

All right, let's listen to Shallow by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper from A Star Is Born. It was written by Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rosamondo, and Andrew Wyatt. You told this, told us this is your favorite bridge, one of your favorite bridges.

D (6:15)

I love this song, you know, and you'll hear Lady Gaga's bridge is not even. You know, it's. It's Gaga wailing kind of, you know, not, you know, her.

C (6:25)

Her.

D (6:25)

Her wiggly nonsense vocal stuff, which I love, you know, and I love the idea that's like, you don't need to write words. Just, you know, let's listen to Lady.

B (6:34)

G.

D (6:53)

There it is.

A (7:01)

I'm dying to do it.

D (7:03)

Do it.

B (7:24)

You know what that girl can say?

D (7:26)

She's pretty good at that. Yeah.

B (7:29)

Let's take a call. Let's talk to Tyler from Clifton, New Jersey. Hey, Tyler.

C (7:35)

Hey. How are you guys doing?

B (7:36)

Okay.

C (7:38)

Yeah. So I was gonna say, usually, man, anything Brian Wilson can do in the bridge always blows my mind. Like, usually, who do the key changes but Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys Experience, especially with God only knows, that little instrumental bridge. Dude, the best legend.

B (7:52)

Yeah. Thanks for the call. This says the bridge on In My Life by the Beatles. The Beatles did it a lot.

D (7:59)

Yeah. Masters, when you hit, what song did.

B (8:02)

You pick from them for us to listen to.

D (8:03)

You know, I picked a favorite song of mine from the Beatles, George Harrison song long, long, long from the White Album.

B (8:09)

Do you want to listen to it first?

D (8:10)

Sure, let's.

E (8:18)

You.

A (8:24)

How I love you. So many things I was searching. So many things I. Can feel.

B (9:14)

How do you think that moment changes the song?

D (9:17)

You know, it's funny. I was listening. It's such a beautiful song. I'm a big George fan. The song really breathes in and out and that moment gives you a chance to exhale. It's a serious song and it's quiet, but you can feel the tension. And there's a moment where it goes. He's almost half mumbling, putting it in. His bridge is two lines, I think three lines, and they're almost half sentences. And it kind of gives him a chance to, you know, it's like he's, you know, it's a song about longing and love. And it's like he's about to hit the floor and he puts his arms down and kind of gently, kind of gracefully sits down instead of just sort of this big bottom drop. And so it's almost a rest for him and for the listener. So it doesn't necessarily have to be the moment before the fireworks, but it's kind of the moment before the moment, you know, and this song, instead of the bottom dropping out, you kind of get. Get seated down in such a kind, you know, kind hearted way. I think it's a lovely song.

B (10:26)

Let's talk to Diana from Montville, New Jersey. Hi, Diana, thank you so much for calling, all of it.

C (10:32)

Hi, thanks for taking my call.

B (10:35)

What's your favorite?

C (10:36)

So, yeah, my favorite is John Cougar Mellencamp, Jack and Diane. My husband's name is Jack. So we kind of make the song our own. And it's such a catchy sing along. And I don't know, I've just loved it for years.

B (10:54)

Thanks for calling in. John is calling from Hopewell, New Jersey. Hi, John. Thanks for calling, all of it.

C (11:00)

All right. Thanks for taking my call.

B (11:03)

Tell us what your favorite bridge is.

C (11:06)

My favorite bridge is in Barrytown from Steely Dam.

B (11:09)

Why?

C (11:12)

It's just a remarkable progression. The vocals are incredible and it just sort of comes out of nowhere. It changes the whole song. It's perfect.

B (11:21)

Thanks for calling in. And Martin is calling from West Windsor, New Jersey. Hey, Martin.

C (11:26)

Hello. I'm, as you can tell by my suggestions, I'm almost 80. Sophisticated lady by Duke Ellington and smoke gets in your eyes by Jerome Kern. And by the Way. George Gershwin coming praised Ellington for sophisticated lady love that.

B (11:42)

Thank you for calling in. This one says Backstabbers by the OJs has a legendary bridge.

D (11:51)

It's a great song. That song's gotten sampled so many times, too. You know, it holds up on its own. Just the bridge sometimes. Maybe you don't need the rest of the song. Bridges only.

B (11:59)

All right. I'm sorry. I'm not understanding what the control room's saying to me. Do you want me to go out on. They're trying to make their decision whether we should go out on another piece of music or it says we're going to go out on Frank Ocean. Because a song can still have a bridge even if it breaks the norm. We're talking about Frank Ocean as having that thinking about you. Anything you want to say about this song before we play it?

D (12:21)

This is a great song, and I would say this is one of the last songs that Frank even used. Really proper, strong structure. After this album, he went into Blonde, which was just, you know, in the stew. So if you really want to hear that, he can do it when he wants to do it. This is the song.

B (12:37)

Let's listen. This is Thinking about yout Frank Ocean.

A (12:47)

Yes, of course I remember. How could I forget how you feel? You know, you were my first time. A new feel it won't ever get old not in my soul, not in my spirit Keep it alive we'll go down this road Till it turns from color to black and white or do you not think so far ahead?

B (13:24)

We've been talking about musical bridges in songs, but what are the best songs about bridges and whether they have a bridge or not? We're going to talk about that next. Get ready to call in with your favorite bridge Songs at 212-433-W NY. This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart, and welcome back to the All Bridge Hour. I've been speaking to WNYC culture editor Matthew Schnipper. We've been talking about bridges as part of a song structure. Now we're going to broaden things out and talk about songs that are about bridges. Yeah, we are taking your calls. What's your favorite song about a bridge? Our number is 212-433-WNYC. 212-433-9692. We have to start with Simon and Garfunkel. They have two bridge songs. So which one are we going to play?

D (14:27)

I mean, we got to hear Bridge Over Troubled Water.

B (14:30)

Okay, you want to set it up a little Bit for why you like it, why you think it's emotional. What do you think?

D (14:35)

I mean, this. This is just one of their classic songs. I think we'd say this. And the boxer is kind of. Kind of it. You know, these are just eternals, Eternal, eternal songs. You know, I think about this in Bridge Over River Kwai, like two classical, the most classic bridges in pop culture history. In my mind.

B (14:53)

Here's Bridge Over Troubled Water.

A (14:56)

When you're down and out.

B (15:01)

When you're.

A (15:02)

On the street when evening falls so.

E (15:11)

Hard.

A (15:14)

I will comfort you. I'll take your part O when darkness comes and pain is all around Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay thee down Like a bridge over trouble Wanna. I will lay me down.

B (16:10)

Let's talk to Michael in Franklin, New Jersey, who also loves this song. Hi, Michael.

C (16:16)

Hi, how are you?

B (16:18)

I'm doing well.

C (16:19)

Thank you so much for taking the call. Yeah, I think it's a really wonderful song. I think it helps us be better people as human beings, makes us think about helping others. That's what kindness is about. And that's one of the reasons that we, you know, we try to learn how to love on this earth.

B (16:39)

Thank you so much for calling in. I'm going to take that with me for the rest of the day.

D (16:43)

That's so sweet.

B (16:44)

We're going to talk about the Red Hot Chili Peppers. We're going from over the bridge to under the bridge. Why did you want to play the Red Hot Chili Pepper song?

D (16:52)

This was. I mean, I am a geriatric millennial, you know, and this was. This was it for me, you know, And I think the metaphor of under the bridge, I mean, you. Excuse me, you have the metaphor of bridge over troubled water, and then you have the. Literally under the bridge of this song. And I think, you know, I was thinking about what does a bridge mean, you know, in a bridge over troubled water? It's almost biblical the way that that song expresses itself. And then the idea of under the bridge, you know, in the 90s in America, and a song really about doing heroin, it's a much more intense thing. The bridge does not get quite as an elevated status in the song, but it's still a very powerful image.

B (17:37)

Yeah, we got a Texas under the Bridge by the Chili Peppers. I was homeless in New York City, not la, but that song carried me. It's a twofer because the songs bridge ain't bad either.

D (17:47)

Okay, let's listen.

A (17:55)

Take me to the place I love Take me all the way I don't ever want to feel like I did that day or take me to the place I love Take me all away oh, yeah. I could not get enough.

B (18:51)

I love Chad Smith as a drummer, by the way. Curtis, you wanted to weigh in on this.

F (18:58)

Yes, yes. I'm a black guy of a certain age, grew up listening to hip hop in New York City. And I recently, when I say recently, maybe like almost seven years ago. I was a passenger van driver, and one of the guys who would. I was driving back and forth to work. His name is Jeff Stevens. I'll never forget this guy. He winds up being one of my best friends. Now. He explained to me what that song meant, and I never knew what the song meant. I, I, I, I could sing the song. I know the lyrics to the song. I have fun singing the song. And he heard me singing one day. It was just me and him in the van and he's like, yo, dude, you know what that song's about? I was like, no. He explained to me and it blew my mind because I'm not a Red Hot Chili Pepper fan by any means. I just like the song.

B (19:53)

You should, you should definitely check them out, by the way. I'm just saying. Let's talk to Connor in Manhattan. Hey, Connor, thanks for calling, all of it.

C (20:00)

Hi, thanks for having me. Not a song, necessarily, but the Bridge album by Sonny Rollins. Apparently, Sonny Rollins used to live on the Lower east side in the early 60s. And I guess not to annoy his neighbors, he would go out on the Williamsburg Bridge and practice. And you know, we've all crossed the bridge at some point when you reach the apex, you might encounter some kind of character there. One can only imagine encountering Sonny Rollins practicing his saxophone. But, yeah, I believe the title track is very hectic. So I think the title track kind of captures the energy and the chaos of the bridge, which he may have experienced.

B (20:47)

Thanks so much for calling. We are talking about your favorite songs that mention bridges with WNYC's culture editor Matthew Schnipper. Our number is 212433 WNYC. 212-433-9692. We've heard a couple of songs that show how bridges can be used as metaphors for being safe from trouble or being in trouble. The next track we're going to hear uses bridges differently. London Bridge from Fergie.

D (21:16)

Thank you for letting me come on public radio and play Fergie. London Bridge. I mean, what a dumb, amazing song. You know, I'm often a fan of the dumbest idea wins and I Feel like maybe they were too with this one.

B (21:32)

Let's listen.

A (21:45)

You got that?

B (21:47)

I got the base.

A (21:49)

How come every time you come around my London London bridge wanna go down like London London London wanna go down like London London London be going down like. How come every time you come around my London London bridge wanna go down like London London London wanna go down like London London London.

B (22:13)

It's like magic. Let's talk to Salvador from Greenwich Village. Hi, Salvador. You are on the air.

C (22:23)

Hey, hey, hey. Nice discussion here. I want to say Build the Bridge by D Light. The band D Light. And the bridge is a sample of our band, Liquid Liquid.

B (22:34)

Nice.

D (22:34)

Oh, Sal Principado. How are you?

B (22:37)

Oh, Sal Principado.

C (22:39)

Hey, what's up?

D (22:40)

That's cool.

C (22:41)

How you doing?

B (22:43)

We're both like, what?

C (22:44)

I had to chime in. I had to chime in on that one.

D (22:46)

Oh, my gosh. The legend on the line.

B (22:48)

Thanks for calling in. As we get ready to wrap up this bridge hour, is there anything that you wanted to talk about before? We. We got about a couple minutes left.

D (22:57)

I'm still a little shocked by, you know, our. Our legendary calling line. No, I mean, I think, you know, the Bridge is Over is our, you know, a song that, you know, that we. That I think is worth always mentioning in the context here. The. The Boogie Down Productions diss track about Queensbridge. The Queensbridge rap crew. It's awesome.

B (23:16)

The bridge is over. Let's listen.

E (23:20)

I said the bridge is over. The bridge is over. The bridge is over. The bridge is over.

A (23:25)

Hey, hey, hey.

E (23:26)

The bridge is over. The bridge is over. The bridge is over. The bridge is over. You see me coming any dance with the slipper sensei down with the sound called bdp. If you want to join a crew, well, you must see me. You can't sound like Shan or the one Molly, because Shannon, Molly, Marla, my rhyming like the gay picking up the mic man Them don't know what to say Saying hip hop started out in Queensbridge Saying, l like that, man, you know them can't live so tell them again Come to tell them again. Tell them again. Me come to tell them again Tell them again. Me come to tell them again Tell them again. Me come to tell them.

B (24:03)

And real quickly, what's the story behind this track?

D (24:05)

This is a diss track. KRS1 dissing the Marley Marl, the Juice Crew, and a whole group of Queensbridge rappers. And it sampled part of their own song, used it against them. Terrible. I do want to just say, you know, just to draw a bridge to the future from this song. Ten years or so after this Mobb Deep came out of Queensbridge and sort of, I think since then, I really owned that bridge. Just to keep bridging the gap from there to here.

B (24:36)

You have to leave now. My guest has been WNYC culture editor Matthew Schnipper. Hey, Schnipper. This was a lot of fun.

D (24:43)

Thank you for having me.

B (24:44)

Shout out to Fergie and to Justin.

D (24:46)

Justin.

A (24:50)

Show me a honey.

B (24:52)

Nope, that's not it.

C (24:54)

There we go.

B (25:05)

Baker, start your engines. It's holiday season coming up. Von Vreeland in the studio. He's here. His new cookbook is Cookies the Best Recipes for the Perfect Anytime Treat. He joins us to share his tips. That's next. Hey, guys.

D (25:23)

Back at the playground again, huh?

A (25:25)

Yep. You know what this playground could use?

B (25:28)

A wine country.

E (25:30)

Heck, yeah. And some waves so we could go surfing.

C (25:35)

Love that.

D (25:36)

A redwood forest would be cool.

A (25:38)

I'm in ski slopes.

D (25:40)

Let's do it.

B (25:40)

Um, 10 a girl goes shopping.

A (25:42)

Yeah, baby.

F (25:43)

Wait, did we just invent California?

B (25:47)

Discover why California is the ultimate playground@visitcalifornia.com.

F (25:51)

The who's down and who Newville were.

A (25:53)

Making their list, but some didn't know. Walmart has the best brands for their gifts.

C (25:58)

What about toys?

D (25:59)

Do they have brands kids have been wanting all year?

A (26:01)

Yep. Barbie, Tony's and Lego. Gifts that will make them all.

B (26:04)

Cheers.

D (26:05)

Do you mean they have all the brands I adore?

B (26:07)

They have Nintendo, Nespresso, Apple and more.

A (26:11)

What about so the who answered questions from friends till they were blue? Each one listened and shouted from Walmart. Who knew? Shop gifts from top brands for everyone on your list in the Walmart.

D (26:21)

Applause.