Not pickup lines, but opening lines to albums. Meaning the first words on the first song. The most important lines in the album--if you don't catch your listener in the first track, they might put the album down. Of course, that doesn't mean the first track has to have a great opening line, but it's got to have something. Some great first lines are poetic, some are funny, and some just do a damn good job of introducing the rest of the album.
Great opening tracks in general or great lines would be much wider nets, and the opening track idea has already been done in the seminal music snobbery movie High Fidelity. So we're going to focus on first lines. Here's what I got (and would also really appreciate suggestions):
Artist-Song (Album): Lyrics
Bob Dylan-Like a Rolling Stone (Highway 61 Revisited: Once upon a time / you dressed so fine / threw the bums a dime in your prime / didn't you? / people'd call / say beware doll / you're bound to fall / you thought they were all / a kiddin' you
Deer Tick-Ashamed (War Elephant): I am the boy your mother wanted you to meet / but I am broken and torn with heels on my feet / and with your purest lifeline won't you shine on me / why I shoulda' been an angel / but I'm too dumb to speak
Devin Davis-Iron Woman (Lonely People of the World, Unite!): It's hard to live in a basement / and not get carried away / when you're a caveman on the pavement / in the USA
Interpol-Untitled I (Turn on the Bright Lights): Surprise sometimes / I'll come around / I will surprise you sometime / I'll come around
Wilco-Misunderstood (Being There): When you're back in your old neighborhood / the cigarettes taste so good / but you're so misunderstood
Concretes-Say Something New (The Concretes): What a strange thing to say / as you passed me on / your way out / and all the things I had in mind / for you and me / well say something new
Kelley Stoltz-Wave Goodbye (Below the Branches): Find a thing that / makes you happy / find a thing that / gets you high / pack your worries / in a suitcase / send them off and / say goodbye
Kings of Leon-Knocked up (Because of the Times): I don't care what nobody says / we gonna have a baby / taking off in a coupe de ville / she buckled up on navy / she don't care what her mama said, no / she's gonna have my baby
Magnetic Fields-Absolutely Cuckoo (69 Love Songs): Dont' fall in love with me yet / we only recently met / true I'm in love with you but / you might decide I'm a nut / give me a week or two to / go absolutely cuckoo / then when you see your error / then you can flee in terror
Modest Mouse-Third Planet (The Moon and Antarctica): Everything that keeps us together is falling apart / I got this thing that I consider my only art / of fucking people over
The National-Fake Empire (Boxer): Stay out super late tonight / picking apples / making pies / put a little something in our lemonade / and take it with us
Bon Iver-Flume (For Emma, Forever Ago): I am my mother's only one / it's enough / I wear my garment so it shows / now you know
Silver Jews-Random Rules (American Water): In 1984, I was hospitalized for approaching perfection / slowly screwing my way across Europe / I had to make a correction
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson-Buriedfed (Self-Titled): This is my last song about myself
Avett Brothers-The Traveling Song (A Carolina Jubilee): Well I guess if my daddy hadn't brought me up / down a long dirt road in a pickup truck / I'd feel alright neath city lights / couldn't lead the city life / it just ain't right.
Beach Boys-Wouldn't It Be Nice (Pet Sounds): Wouldn't it be nice if we were older / then we wouldn't have to wait so long / and wouldn't it be nice to live together / in the kind of world where we belong / I know it's gonna make it that much better / when we can say goodnight and stay together
Bill Callahan-Jim Cain (Sometimes I wish we were an eagle): I started out in search of / ordinary things / how much of a tree bends in the wind / I started telling the story without knowing the end
Chad Van Gaalen-Willow Tree (Soft Airplane): Sleep All day / just waiting for the sun to set / I hang my clothes / up on the line / when I die / I'll hang my head beside the willow treee / when I'm dead / is when I'll be free
Neil Young- (Harvest): Think I'll pack it in / and buy a pickup / take it down to LA / find a place to call my own / and try to fix up/ start a brand new day
Of MOntreal-Doing nothing (Adhils Arboretum): Nothing / we're doing nothing / sitting and wondering / why nothing's happening?
Whiskeytown-The Ballad of Carol Lynn (Pneumonia): Loving You / has gotten weird
White Stripes-You're Pretty Good Looking for a Girl (De Stijl) Oh yeah / you're pretty good looking / for a girl
Weezer-Tired of Sex (Pinkerton): I'm tired / so tired / I'm tired of having sex
The Velvet Underground-Candy Says(The Velvet Underground): Candy says / "I've come to hate my body / and all that it requires / in this world"
The Shins-Caring is Creepy (Oh, Inverted World)- I think I'll / go home and mull this over / before they cram it down my throat
Spoon-Everything Hits at Once (Girls Can Tell): Don't say a word / the last one's still still stinging
The Wrens-The House that Guilt Built (Meadowlands): Its been so long / since you’ve heard from me / got a wife and kid / that I never see / and I’m nowhere near / what I dreamed I’d be / I can’t believe / what life has done to me
Thunderclap Newman-Something in the Air (Hollywood Dream): Comb out the instigators / because there's something in the air / we've got to get together sooner or later / because the revolution's here
Ok...that's all I could come up with. Your turn.
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9 comments:
Like the choice of "Misunderstood," but it's hard not to go with "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart":
I am an American aquarium drinker / I assassin down the avenue / I'm hiding out in the big city blinking / What was I thinking when I let go of you?
Sorry to rag on one of your picks, but I HATE that Kings of Leon album--in large part because of the opening song. Had to say it. Loved the Kings when they were just the Kings, not the Kings trying to be U2.
Travis, you totally left out an extremely important one.
Miley Cyrus: "The Climb"
I can almost see it/those dreams I'm dreaming/but/ there's a voice inside my head saying/ you'll never reach it.
Hello? Hit number four on Billboards Hot 100.
And yes, my staff created this stupid blog while in Chavies-oh boy.
Fran--
Fair, I struggled over that one and oscillated back and forth for a few minutes. They're both great, and both in a way signaled a new direction for Wilco. Misunderstood just felt a little more personal, so I decided to go with it.
As for the Kings of Leon--I think the rest of that album is shit. In fact, anything after Youth and Young Manhood was pretty bad at best. But, that song is great in an audacious and weird way. I can't explain my obsession with it, other than just being impressed with how they made a song about redneck teenage pregnancy that is funny and listenable. Ok, I'm more confused than when I started writing this, but it really is great. Yeah.
Wow. That made me laugh out loud! So I guess it's a good thing that song made your list...
"cardinal song" off sad songs for dirty lovers
Never look her in the eyes/
never tell the truth/
if she knows your paper/
you know she'll have to burn you
i'm partial to bad religion's 'generator'
Like a rock,
like a planet,
Like a fucking atom bomb,
The Stranglers - Peaches
Strolling along minding my own business / there goes a girl and a half / she's going me going up and down / she's got me going up and down / walking on the beaches looking at the peaches
Gang of Four - Damaged Goods
the change will do you good / I always knew it would / sometimes I'm thinking that I love you / but I know it's only lust / your kiss so sweet / your sweat so sour
Broken Social Scene - Lover's Spit
all these people drinking lover's spit / sit around and clean their face with it
edit : she's got me going up and down
Cass Mccombs, "Lionkiller" off of "Dropping the Writ:
I was born in a hospital/that was very big and white/The hands of a male doctor/pulled me into the light/My grandmother cut/the umbilical cord/and I took my first breath/in a maternity ward.
Also Notable are the last lines in this song:
Stick a needle in my eye/I'm middle class 'til the day I die
Bman--good fucking call on Cardinal Song. Can't believe I missed that one.
Allyson--do you like the new Cass McCombs? I'm a fan of a lot of it.
Lauren--Email me those songs plz?
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