Thread by @RobKendt

So because I was curious I went ahead and tallied up Fiona Apple songs in a triple meter. It's a definite thing with her! Main takeaway: Of the 56 songs she's released on her 5 albums, 36 have (or are underpinned by) some kind of triple meter (3/4, 6/8, or 12/8).

What might be thought of as her signature rhythm, which is most prevalent, is a kind of galloping 12/8. This is maybe the best illustration but there are tons of them ("Shameika" is another, in a more intense mode)

But there are also lots of more or less straightforward waltzes, including one of my favorites.

Songs like "Fast as You Can" and "Relay" go back and forth from 4/4 to a version of 6/8.

There are some borderline cases where I can feel a 12/8 or 6/8 under the 4/4: "Every Single Night" and "Oh Well" and "On the Bound" and "Window."

Speaking of "Window," a theory: Fiona recently confessed to @emilynussbaum a predilection for love triangles, both in life and song. Love triangles were also the reason Sondheim wrote "Little Night Music" in triple meters. #greatminds