▁how ▁lyr ical ▁meaning ▁can ▁be ▁supported ▁and ▁en hanced ▁by ▁a ▁ch ord ▁pro gression — al ong ▁with ▁the ▁mel ody ▁hook ▁which ▁also ▁provides ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁" a ▁sense ▁of ▁increasing ▁mel od ic ▁energy ▁that ▁comes ▁by ▁way ▁of ▁the ▁gradually ▁asc ending ▁line ". ▁Stephen ▁Down es ▁similarly ▁named ▁the ▁song ' s ▁" ton al ▁pl astic ity " ▁emphas ized ▁by ▁the ▁dis use ▁of ▁authentic ▁cad ences ▁and ▁root - position ▁ton ics ▁as ▁the ▁reason ▁for ▁its ▁" exp ans iveness ". ▁In ▁music ologist ▁Philip ▁Lam bert ' s ▁opinion , ▁the ▁song ' s ▁vocal ▁counter point ▁ev okes ▁the ▁sacred ▁trad itions ▁of ▁a ▁cant ata ▁by ▁Johann ▁Sebastian ▁Bach ▁or ▁an ▁or atorio ▁by ▁George ▁Fr ider ic ▁Hand el . ▁Andy ▁Gill ▁of ▁the ▁post - p unk ▁band ▁Gang ▁of ▁Four ▁describes ▁the ▁composition : ▁ ▁The ▁key ▁gravit ates ▁between ▁A ▁major ▁and ▁E ▁major , ▁while ▁the ▁bass - line ▁was ▁written ▁in ▁a ▁different ▁key ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁song . ▁The ▁music ▁the or ist ▁Daniel ▁Harrison ▁compared ▁the ▁song ▁to ▁an ▁earlier ▁Brian ▁Wilson ▁composition , ▁" Cal iforn ia ▁Girls ", ▁as ▁it ▁both ▁avoid s ▁a ▁root - position ▁t onic ▁and ▁suppress es ▁a ▁cad ential ▁drive . ▁It ▁also ▁contains ▁a ▁step - wise ▁desc ending ▁bass - line ▁like ▁Wilson ' s ▁other ▁compos itions ▁on ▁the ▁Pet ▁S ounds ▁album . ▁Domin ic ▁King ▁believed