HELLVIS'S TOP 6 OPENING LYRICS: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOURS?
November 15th 2006 04:00
A while ago Tracy posted a list of the greatest movie openings on her Movies And Life blog.
Openings are important. It’s an increasingly busy world out there, and in the world of entertainment, or culture (i.e. entertainment that no one is interested in) time is money. More and more, artists are required to get their message across quickly if they’re gonna last in these ADD times, and the opening lines to a song can be crucial in deciding whether you will listen to the rest of it or go back to slopping the pigs and shucking the corn, or whatever else it is that people do these days.
Below are some of my favourite opening lines to songs, the ones that really grabbed me by the gonads from the first few bars and made damn well sure I sat down and listened.
So what are your favourite opening lines to a song? What lyrics grabbed you from the start (either from the gonads or some other part of your body) and demanded that you listen?
1) The Go-Betweens “Man O’ Sand To Girl O’ Sea”
from Spring Hill Fair (1984; Beggars Banquet)
‘I feel so sure about our love / I wrote a song about us breaking up.’
This is my favourite Go-Betweens song at the moment. It has a kind of surreal nervous edge like the Pixies, but a few years before they even started--and they’re from Brisbane. And what an opening lyric! This opening line let’s you know that Robert Forster probably wasn’t paying enough attention to his partner, and probably went and did something stupid like writing a song about them breaking up without even realising that they already were. This opening line sounds like Forster tempting fate.
2) Tom Waits “Temptation”
from Franks Wild Years (1987; Island)
‘Rusted brandy in a diamond glass / everything is made from dreams / time is made from honey slow and sweet / only the fools know what it means.’
Picking a favourite opening line to a Tom Waits song is like picking a favourite child. This is because Tom Waits is the greatest lyricist of all time. This one struck me lately which is why I picked it, but many of his opening lyrics could be quoted here. It’s got Tom’s usual beautiful use of imagery and is kinda surreal and sexy at the same time, preparing you for the tune itself which evokes the foolishness and weakness of a man’s will in a Turkish harem or a South American whorehouse (I can’t decide which). It’s also got Tom singing in what he calls his ‘Prince Voice’: a high husky warble.
3) Nomeansno “Everyday I Start To Ooze”
from 0&2=1 (1991; Alternative Tentacles)
‘I guess you heard my head turned brown / I lost several pounds and just looked terrible.’
The entire lyrics to this song are great. It includes the memorable and true observation ‘If every fifth animal in the world is a beetle, perhaps every fifth person is a DUMB FUCK.’ But this opening line sums up the song’s meditation on the gross, fragile sack of fluids that we all get around in: the human body. It’s all propelled by a wonderful wobbly bassline by Rob Wright and proclaimed in his booming, everyguy voice.
4) The Dictators “Teengenerate”
from Go Girl Crazy! (1975; Epic)
‘Who’s that boy with the sandwich in his hand?’
This line from Andy Shernoff perfectly sums up what punk used to be about. These guys were taking rock ‘n’ roll back to its roots before the Ramones, and even though it was a lot slower than the breakneck speed of most of what was to follow, they nailed the trashy pop culture aesthetic that would be taken up by so many other bands. That boy with the sandwich in his hand is a no-good layabout juvenile delinquent, who could really make something of himself if he just applied himself. He’s your favourite teengenerate, and the essence of punk. Great tune too, with a lovely chimy guitar line and some ‘ooh la la las’ in the background.
5) X “The Once Over Twice”
from Wild Gift (1981; Slash)
‘I just heard a sad song by another band / sung by another man, he gave me the once over twice.’
X’s lyrics are generally full of cool little twists on words (see also “The Phone’s Off The Hook, But You’re Not”). This one stands out for its flow and its wonderful play on words; and captures the band’s literate take on the tough-living, romantic, Dionysian spirit. It’s a duet between troubled lovers, with Exene Cervenka singing gutsy lead vocals with husband John Doe providing backup, and its supported by the band’s punky takes on rockabilly.
6) Guided By Voices “Hit”
from Alien Lanes (1995; Matador)
'This is called the coming of age / coming into town with the giggling faggots.'
This song is over almost as soon as it begins but is another mini lo-fi pop gem on Guided By Voices’ Alien Lanes album. These lyrics from Robert Pollard always make me laugh for some reason. It seems to be about a young person’s first decadent night on the town with, well, some giggling faggots, who can probably show you more about the world than your boring-ass straight friends. Now that’s a hit.
The BBC have also compiled a list of the Greatest Opening Song Lines.
***
IMAGES
pringHillFair.jpg" target="_blank">Spring Hill Fair*
Franks Wild Years*
0 2=1*
Go Girl Crazy! *
Wild Gift*
Alien Lanes*
(album covers used under fair dealing)
* images on this page were taken from the following Wikipedia and All Music Guide pages:
Spring Hill Fair
Franks Wild Years
0 2=1
Go Girl Crazy!
Wild Gift
Alien Lanes
Openings are important. It’s an increasingly busy world out there, and in the world of entertainment, or culture (i.e. entertainment that no one is interested in) time is money. More and more, artists are required to get their message across quickly if they’re gonna last in these ADD times, and the opening lines to a song can be crucial in deciding whether you will listen to the rest of it or go back to slopping the pigs and shucking the corn, or whatever else it is that people do these days.
Below are some of my favourite opening lines to songs, the ones that really grabbed me by the gonads from the first few bars and made damn well sure I sat down and listened.
So what are your favourite opening lines to a song? What lyrics grabbed you from the start (either from the gonads or some other part of your body) and demanded that you listen?
1) The Go-Betweens “Man O’ Sand To Girl O’ Sea”
from Spring Hill Fair (1984; Beggars Banquet)
‘I feel so sure about our love / I wrote a song about us breaking up.’
Spring Hill Fair (1984)
2) Tom Waits “Temptation”
from Franks Wild Years (1987; Island)
‘Rusted brandy in a diamond glass / everything is made from dreams / time is made from honey slow and sweet / only the fools know what it means.’
Franks Wild Years (1987)
3) Nomeansno “Everyday I Start To Ooze”
from 0&2=1 (1991; Alternative Tentacles)
‘I guess you heard my head turned brown / I lost several pounds and just looked terrible.’
0&2=1 (1991)
4) The Dictators “Teengenerate”
from Go Girl Crazy! (1975; Epic)
‘Who’s that boy with the sandwich in his hand?’
Go Girl Crazy! (1975)
5) X “The Once Over Twice”
from Wild Gift (1981; Slash)
‘I just heard a sad song by another band / sung by another man, he gave me the once over twice.’
Wild Gift (1981)
6) Guided By Voices “Hit”
from Alien Lanes (1995; Matador)
'This is called the coming of age / coming into town with the giggling faggots.'
Alien Lanes (1995)
The BBC have also compiled a list of the Greatest Opening Song Lines.
***
IMAGES
pringHillFair.jpg" target="_blank">Spring Hill Fair*
Franks Wild Years*
0 2=1*
Go Girl Crazy! *
Wild Gift*
Alien Lanes*
(album covers used under fair dealing)
* images on this page were taken from the following Wikipedia and All Music Guide pages:
Spring Hill Fair
Franks Wild Years
0 2=1
Go Girl Crazy!
Wild Gift
Alien Lanes
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