Ebony and Ivory (Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, piano vocal cover)

It's easy to dismiss this McCartney-penned song as somewhat twee. Musically, the theme of racial harmony wasn't new at the time and the theme is alive and well today, surfacing in popular hits or on significant albums.

Songs like En Vogue's "Free Your Mind", Michael Jackson's "Black and White", Peter Gabriel's "Biko" and Midnight Oil's "Beds are Burning" are probably familiar (if you're in your 30s). If you're older maybe even Blue Mink's "Melting Pot" and Three Dog Night's "Black and White" - the oldest examples that come immediately to mind for me. You almost certainly know the latter (even if you don't realise it). But there are a wealthy of lesser-known songs to consider: They Might Be Giants' "Your Racist Friend" and Bob Marley's "War" to pick just two of too many examples.

Whilst the lyrical idea behind the chorus is a simple stroke of genius, the verse lyrics aren't particular poetic or brilliant. But such is McCartney's style. Generally speaking he doesn't seem to be a lyrical show-off and favours simple words.

However, the chorus melody is unusual and wonderful. As a piano-player, figuring out the melody on a keyboard for the first-time (and trying to sing harmonies to it) was a source of joy and wonder. As I perform it, the whole chorus fits nicely over a repeated 4-chord sequence.

The verse is amazing in a different way - one long non-repeating chord sequence with some interesting chord-changes.

Of course, I make these comments based on MY interpretation of the song. Like most of my interpretations I've learnt the melody fairly accurately (although I've probably altered it a little in making the song my own) whilst deliberately ignoring the accompaniment of the original. I've then fitted my own chords and arrangement which may or may not coincide with the original. I hope you enjoy it.

Incidentally, Paul McCartney was inspired to write the song after hearing Spike Milligan say "black notes, white notes, and you need to play the two to make harmony folks".

The lyrics below are as I perform it. The words are exactly as McCartney's but arranged differently. For example, the "ebony, ivory, living in perfect harmony" bit features in the middle as well as at the end in McCartney's version. It is preceded (I think) by an instrumental part which I couldn't quite recall. My playing that near the end (which, typical of a lot of McCartney's songs is in a different key - 1 tone higher) was just me trying (and failing) to remember the melody of the instrumental line. I wasn't intending this to be my final take - I intended to learn the instrumental melody - but I thought this version was more an "original cover".

I first played about with this song just after downloading some free mixing-desk software (audacity). This just happened to be a song that was on my mind when I was playing around recording vocal harmonies. I didn't get very far then because I didn't give it too much time and couldn't recall the verse lyrics. My "a capella" attempts from that time can be found in the middle of this vlog entry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNUDghCsPBA

I hope one day to spend more time on producing my own one-person multi-track barbershop/doo wop/a capella versions of songs. More for the fun of it than anything else as I have no real experience to speak of in harmony singing.

***

Ebony and ivory
Live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard
Oh lord, why don't we?

We all know
That people are the same wherever you go
There is good and bad
In ev'ryone,
We learn to live,
When we learn to give each other
What we need to survive
Together alive.

Ebony and ivory
Live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard
Oh lord, why don't we?

Ebony and ivory
Live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard
Oh lord, why don't we?

We all know
That people are the same wherever you go
There is good and bad
In ev'ryone,
We learn to live,
When we learn to give each other
What we need to survive
Together alive.

Ebony and ivory
Live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard
Oh lord, why don't we?

Ebony, ivory, living in perfect harmony
Ebony, ivory, living in perfect harmony
Ebony, ivory, living in perfect harmony
Ebony

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ebony
• and
• ivory
• paul
• mccartney
• stevie
• wonder
• piano
• vocal
• cover
• racial
• harmony

[FootballMM52]

you need to make a tutorial! this song sounds so easy to play, and ur a great player not to mention singer!

[BeetrootChessElf]

The chorus is pretty easy (my arrangement at least), but the verse is one long chord sequence so relatively tough (at least if you play from memory like me)...

Thanks for the thoughtful comment. I've been wondering about doing tutorials, but haven't got around to trying any. It's quicker and easier just to perform!

[jazz60spop70s80s]

wow! your'e cool! is this also the verse how paul mccartney played this on the piano?

[TheTylerKH]

Can you make a tutorial for this?

[peter18cullum]

beautiful piano! nice cover

[turntapzap]

I love what you did with the bass line.

The chord at 1:02 almost made tears flow for some reason.

Absolutely beautiful.

[eltonjohnfan100]

wow love this piano does it have the birdcage action?

[BeetrootChessElf]

LOL (-:

... so how did you end up being here listening to it?!

[Violiniiist]

It's great (:

I like your voice so keep on practising ;D

[alexn882]

You did Great!! I love this song. I think I'm gonna do a cover of this, too.