In terms of chords and melody, Cough Syrup has complexity on par with the typical song, having near-average scores in Chord Complexity, Melodic Complexity and Chord-Melody Tension and below-average scores in Chord Progression Novelty and Chord-Bass Melody.
Cough Syrup is written in the key of D Major. According to the Theorytab database, it is the 2nd most popular key among Major keys and the 2nd most popular among all keys. Major keys, along with minor keys, are a common choice for popular songs. The three most important chords, built off the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees are all major chords (D Major, G Major, and A Major). See the D Major Cheat Sheet for popular chords, chord progressions, downloadable midi files and more!