[Diamond Dog]

I love a good lyric. I can live without virtuosity but a lyric that lands with a thud just puts a damper on a tune for me. A great lyricist is a rare and awesome thing - your Costello's, your Lovetts, your Townsends and so on. If a song opens with a nice turn of phrase or some intriguing observation or a couple of lines which set the table, I'm in for the duration just to see where things go. What are your favorite first couple of lines from a song? Anything goes here from Cole Porter to Lemmy from Motorhead - if it grabs you, share it with us.

Here's one that I've always thought was just so cool:
 
" Hey kids ! Shake it loose together !
  The spotlight's hittin' something that's been known to change the weather..."

So let's see who can top Taupin. This could be fun!

D.D.

[SlushPuppy]

"On a hot summer night would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?"

Meatloaf - "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth"

OK, that was a (lame)  joke   

My real answer would probably be:

"In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines"

Bruce Springsteen - "Born To Run"

I always thought that was a great opening to a song 


Slush

[dflee]

When I was just a little boy, standin to my daddy's knee. My poppa said son don't let the man get ya do what he done to me,
cause he'll get ya now.
From the very first time I heard that, it drilled home. Great song, nuf said.

[jarcher]

"On a hot summer night would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?"

Meatloaf - "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth"

OK, that was a (lame)  joke   

My real answer would probably be:

"In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines"

Bruce Springsteen - "Born To Run"

I always thought that was a great opening to a song 


Slush

The Springsteen Born to Run line was EXACTLY what I had in mind.  How to top that...............?

Always liked Beck & Tom Waits lyrics. Just about anything from the Raindogs album. E.g. Last lyrics to Tom Waits "Singapore"

The captain is a one-armed dwarf
He's throwing dice along the wharf
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is King
So take this ring

[JerryM]

You're damn right I've got the blues. - Buddy Guy
Very *mood dependent*.  Cool Topic.    

[dflee]

From My head down to my shoes.
Same artist: Ya know I done got ouuld.

[jarcher]

As we're on blues :

Born under a bad sign
I been down since I begin to crawl
If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all

[Diamond Dog]

This one might be a little trickier :

"There's a green plaid jacket on the back of the chair-
It's like a moment frozen forever there.
Mom and Dad had a lot of big plans for their little man. So proud..."

You just want to hear the rest of the story. Sometimes you can get drawn in by one cheeky line:

" I've been working on a cocktail called grounds for divorce..."

There's some great stuff here ! What else have you got?

D.D.

[JerryM]

Jeremiah was a bullfrog...

[SlushPuppy]

"The problem is all inside your head", she said to me
The answer is easy if you take it logically
I'd like to help you in your struggle to be free
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover

Paul Simon - "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover"

Yeah, the rest of the song sounds like a silly schoolyard rhyme, but that opening line is pretty damn dark.

[ZLS]

    Back in Black Mountain, a child will smack your face
Back in Black Mountain, a child will smack your face
Babies cryin' for liquor, and all the birds sing bass

    Black Mountain Blues by Bessie Smith (covered by Janis Joplin)

[Diamond Dog]

Then there's the straightforward approach:

When the Devil came, He was not red. He was chrome and He said:
"Come with me. You must go."
So I went.


Sounds like something Shakey would have written. Now there's a guy I figured would've gotten a quote in by now...Maybe this one:

Look out Mama, there's a white boat comin' up the river with a big red beacon and a flag and a man on the rail.
I think you better call John 'cuz it don't look like they're here to deliver the mail...

D.D.

[neekomax]

This one might be a little trickier :

"There's a green plaid jacket on the back of the chair-
It's like a moment frozen forever there.
Mom and Dad had a lot of big plans for their little man. So proud..."

You just want to hear the rest of the story. Sometimes you can get drawn in by one cheeky line:

" I've been working on a cocktail called grounds for divorce..."

There's some great stuff here ! What else have you got?

D.D.

" I've been working on a cocktail called grounds for divorce..."

Such an awesome line in a song full of awesome lines. Elbow's lyrics are really good.

...

These are the opening lines of 'Homesick', by the Kings of Convenience. They're a Scottish indie-folk duo, and to me it sounds like they're singing about falling in love with an old Simon & Garfunkel record... and they sing this in perfect S&G harmonies.

I can relate. 

I lose some sales, so my boss won't be happy,
But I can't stop listening to the sound,
Of two soft voices rendered in perfection,
On the reels of this record that I found

[thunderbrick]

It's Been a Hard Day's Night....................

To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn..........

None Shall Sleep (Nessun Dorma).............

[dflee]

I see a red door and I want to paint it black
No colors anymore I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

[timind]

God is a concept, By which we measure our pain

John Lennon

[sonik]

 Living on the road my friend,
 Is gonna keep you free and clean
 Now you wear your skin like iron,
 Your breath as hard as kerosene.
 You weren't your mama's only boy,
 But her favorite one it seems
 She began to cry when you said goodbye,
 And sank into your dreams.

[simoon]

While good lyrics can enhance a piece of music for me, mediocre lyrics do not detract from great music in the least.

But it is great when it all comes together. I believe these opening lyrics from Genesis' "Dancing Out With the Moonlit Knight" suck the listener in -

"Can you tell me where my country lies?"
said the unifaun to his true love's eyes.
"It lies with me!" cried the Queen of Maybe
- for her merchandise, he traded in his prize.

[dflee]

When I was back there in seminary school
There was a person there
who put forth the proposition
that you can petition the lord through prayer
petition the lord through prayer
petition the lord through prayer
You can not petition the lord through prayer!
Can you give me sanctuary
I must find a place to hide

Soft Parade

[PRELUDE]

I am the one, Orgasmatron, the outstretched grasping hand
My name is of agony, my servants rape the land
Obsequious and arrogant, clandestine and vain
Two thousand years of misery, of torture in my name
Hypocrisy made paramount, paranoia the low
My name is called religion, sadistic, sacred whore.

I twist the truth, I rule the world, my crown called deceit
I am the emperor of lies, you grovel at my feet
I rob you and I slaughter you, your downfall is my gain
And still you play the sycophant and rebel in your pain
And all my promises are lies, all my love is hate
I am the politician, and I decide your fate.

I march before a martyred world, an army for the fight
I speak of great heroic days, of victory and might
I hold a banner drenched in blood, I urge you to be brave
I lead you to your destiny, I lead you to your grave
Your bones will build my palaces, your eyes will stud my crown
For I am Mars, the god of war, and I will cut you down.