Why does this sound like “Dire, Dire Docks?”

That question is rhetorical, but I’m using it to make a point. I was listening to “After All” by Elton John and Charlie Puth and that was the question in my head.

I knew the answer right away.

The chord progression is bVII | bVI | I in a major key. bVII and bVI are not diatonic to major scales. They’re modal interchange chords from the minor scale.

“Dire, Dire Docks” from the Super Mario 64 soundtrack has a very similar chord progression. It’s in a major key and has both bVII and bVI. It also has a similar descending line cliche in another section of the song.

The chorus for “After All” is IV I I/3 | ii-m | V. These chords also appear in “Dire, Dire Docks.”

These aren’t specifically unique chord progressions, but the first song I heard both of them in was “Dire, Dire Docks”, so that’s the song I associate them with.

The more you listen to music and the more music you listen to the more this will happen. The closer you pay attention and the more detail you hear in will also make this happen more. You’ll start to hear more songs that are similar, even if they’re similar only in a few beats.

ISJ