 I've always loved the game over theme from Super Mario World. So I made a video about it. You might be wondering why I'm making an entire video about a song that is no more than seven seconds. Well, I think there's actually a lot to say about this song. Clearly, this little jingle has stuck with people. If you've spent any time in the video game music community, you might have noticed that people like to remix this theme. A lot. I don't think there's any other game over theme that gets this much attention. It made me think, what makes this theme so special? Why are people so drawn to this simple short tune? Well, I've partially answered my own question. It's because of its simplicity. Super Mario World's game over theme is a variation on one of the most common chord progressions in music, the 2-5-1 progression. This is a cadential chord progression common in jazz music. For those who haven't heard the term, cadential refers to the fact that it acts as a cadence, a harmonic progression that instills a sense of resolution. It has this feeling of finality, making it perfect to conclude a musical phrase, section, or entire piece. This is why it's such a common turnaround in jazz music. Let's listen to it again and then I'll explain. We start in the second degree of the diatonic scale. This degree is called the supertonic. Think of this as the second chord, or one step above the tonic or root chord. The supertonic chord is also known as a pre-dominant chord. What this means is that it just has this natural tendency to gravitate towards the fifth or the dominant chord. On its own, it sounds incomplete. It just sort of wants to move up to the fifth. Listen to this. But that doesn't sound complete yet, does it? That's because we're still left hanging on the dominant chord, which has a naturally unstable or unfinished sound. Again, we have a chord that just wants to go somewhere else. In this case, it needs to resolve to the tonic, or the root chord of our key. Ah, now that sounds satisfying. Now we have a complete cadential progression. The fifth to root jump at the end is called a perfect authentic cadence. One of the most tonal sounds in all of music. Taken together, these three chords imply a very harmonically pleasing tonality and just have that conclusive sound. Set aside all the music theory jargon and ask anyone how it sounds. For most people, it just sounds right. Now the Super Mario World Game Over theme takes things a step further and jazzes it up a little. Instead of the basic two-five-one chords, Koji Kondo adds all sorts of jazzy flavor enhancers, such as seventh or ninth notes. I'll spare you the details, just take a listen. Sounds pretty jazzy, doesn't it? All in all, this is a remarkably simple chord progression and has a naturally satisfying sound. Anyone, even if they have no knowledge of music theory, can listen to it and just get it. You can also extend this progression by simply adding a sub-mediant or sixth chord, which allows the whole thing to loop smoothly and satisfyingly. The fact that it's so easily adapted into a short loop might be why it's such an enduringly popular sample in the lo-fi hip-hop and electronic remixing community. Now where does this theme fit into the context of previous Mario soundtracks? Well, past Mario Game Over themes have a more light-hearted sound. I'd describe the tone as goofy, silly, or clumsy. They add a cartoony feel, making the act of dying in-game feel inconsequential, which fits the happy-go-lucky tone of the Mario series. These Game Over themes feel like a shrug to me. They just shrug off your loss and move on. But Super Mario World's Game Over theme carries more complex emotions. There's a sadness to it, for sure. It's a little melancholic, but it's not absolutely miserable. Again, we can thank the chord progression. Within the short span of seven seconds, this theme uses harmony to convey a mixture of emotions. As it starts on a minor chord, it has that naturally sad sound. But the five-to-one resolution quickly turns that frown upside down and ends on a more hopeful note. I think that's the best way to describe the emotions captured in this little tune. Sad, but hopeful. To me, this theme says, you lost, and yeah, that is a little sad, but you can try again. You got this. Rather than a carefree shrug of the shoulders, this Game Over theme feels like a reassuring hug. It's like auditory comfort food. But it isn't just the chords and harmony that give this theme its special quality. Something about the instrumentation has a really warm and comforting vibe. The Super Nintendo's sound chip is emulating a keyboard or electric piano. It particularly sounds like a Rhodes piano. I'm not the only one who's reminded of classic TV shows from the 70s. A lot of people have pointed out that it sounds like a late-night talk show host is signing off at the end of a show. This gives it an extra comforting, reassuring feel due to the nostalgia factor. I'm always reminded of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood when I hear this theme. It sounds like the very ending of his song, Tomorrow, which he sang at the end of every episode. Tomorrow, tomorrow, it soon will be tomorrow and be our day. We will say a very happy tomorrow to you. And anything relating to Mr. Rogers is going to be infused with a nostalgic, wholesome and comforting vibe. I think this all goes to show the power of video game music. A 7 second song written using fairly primitive audio technology almost 30 years ago still conjures such a special feeling in the hearts of players to this day. Video game music just has this magical quality. I totally get why people are drawn to this little song. I am too. In an increasingly busy and stressful world, as we grow older and further away from the days of having endless free time to play games, the simplest things can really soothe the soul. That's what Nintendo has always represented to me, and Mario especially. The beauty of simplicity. The joy we can find in the little things. And even the ubiquitous game over helps remind us that no matter where or when we fall, we can always get up and try again. Thank you for watching.