Robert Schumann - Du bist wie eine Blume

Du bist wie eine Blume,                 You are like a flower,

   So hold und schön und rein;           So lovely, fair and pure;

   Ich schau' dich an und Wehmut      I gaze at you and wistful

               Schleicht mir ins Herz hinein.          Melancholy slips into my heart.

         Mir ist, als ob ich die Hände           It's as though I ought to place

    Aufs Haupt dir liegen sollt',             My hands upon your head

             Betend, daß Gott dich erhalte         And pray God to ever keep you

  So rein und schön und hold.             So lovely, fair, and pure.

(Text and lyrics from www.nuspel.org)

Instead of presenting an analysis of a pop song, I will to write about Schumann's "Du bist wie eine Blume." I've been caught up with analyzing the last three bars of this song. 

Last three bars with pickup. Melody in blue and bass in red.

In order to provide Roman numerals for this section simply looking at chords vertically will not work. We have to understand how the notes are related horizontally. Below is a diagram showing the voice leading of this section. By following the destination of the green notes, we can find out the basic chord progression.

Simplification of last three bars.

Chord 2 is a V4/3 in the key of Ab. Schumann interrupts the resolution of this chord by visiting a G half diminished chord and C major chord. I did not label these chords because it would not really make sense here (especially the C major chord...this would be a V/V/ii). Figuring out the destination of the green notes shows us that the basic chord structure here is V4/3-ii-vi-ii6-V7-I. Another interesting section is Chords 5,6,7. There is a voice exchange in the upper and lower voices, which I illustrate in the diagram below.

Voice exchange in chords 5,6,7.

This postlude sounds a little odd and the main question is why Schumann did not resolve the V4/3 (Chord 2). I think Schumann wanted to express his fear of losing the love of his life, Clara Schumann. Schumann lost close family members and friends at an early age and it seems like the idea of losing loved ones has always haunted him. I think that the postlude has a direct connection with the lyrics "And pray God to ever keep you" and illustrates the uncertainty of having his precious Clara for ever.