Songwriter Theory Podcast: Learn Songwriting And Write Meaningful Lyrics and Songs · Joseph Vadala

100 Years | Parallelism, Borrowed Chords, 2 Bridges, Non-Lazy Songwriting, and more

·1 hr 22 min·5 clips

One borrowed chord can matter. The host uses 100 Years by Five for Fighting to talk through lyric parallelism, borrowed chords, alternate song structures, and non-lazy songwriting without turning the whole thing into a theory flex. The example stays grounded. The song has been living in G major, so an F natural in the bridge can feel like a color change even if the listener has no name for it. That is the point. The move is small, but it lands. He keeps pushing against the lazier version of the trick, where a writer throws odd chords around because they can. Novelty is not the same as craft. A bridge is a smart place for the flat seven because it only appears once, or comes back in a limited way, so the song can handle the turn without wobbling. In this case, the borrowed chord gives the section a different shade while still fitting the song around it. Then the major five pulls things back toward the one, and the return home feels clearer. The same standard applies to structure and lyrics. Breaking out of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus does not mean much unless the shape helps the song. Parallelism works when meter, emphasis, and return are doing something. Used by habit, it is padding. The episode is warm, direct, and a little blunt: do the harder thinking, make the choice earn its place, and stop mistaking extra moves for better writing.

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A steady craft lesson that makes one borrowed chord feel like a real decision.

This episode frames Five for Fighting's 100 Years as a clear lesson in how songwriting choices actually work. Joseph Vidala stays with the practical question of what makes a shift feel earned, and the discussion keeps returning to the song itself instead of drifting into theory…

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Want a practical listen on borrowed chords, bridge choices, and alternate song structure?

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