I've been playing Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears on some gigs recently and was reflecting on how brazen that open line is.
Everybody Want to Rule the WorldEverybody Want to Rule the World
"Welcome to your life. There's no turning back."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGCdLKXNF3w
Dude! That's such a bold lyric right out the gate. It got me thinking, what are some other examples? I'm not asking for songs with just a good opening line. What are some songs that start employing extreme shock and awe strategy right with the first few words?
Here's a couple that come to mind immediately for me:
Voodoo ChildVoodoo Child
"I'm standing next to a mountain; chop it down with the edge of my hand."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8djegJMBcXs&list=RD8djegJMBcXs&start_radio=1
I mean, dude!
The Book of Right OnThe Book of Right On
"And I killed my dinner with karate. Kick 'em in the face; taste the body. Shallow work is the work that I do."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4dypyJ9BuU&list=RDi4dypyJ9BuU&start_radio=1
...and this tune only gets more menacing and sinister from there! I know that's not technically the first lyric, but it's the first verse.
Bombs Over BaghdadBombs Over Baghdad
"Inslumnational, underground, thunder pounds when I stomp the ground. Like a million elephants on silverback orangoutangs, you can't stop a train.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVehcuJXe6I&list=RDlVehcuJXe6I&start_radio=1
I'm gotta get back to work, but some others that come to mind are: I Ain't No Joke by Rakim, Maggot Brain by Funkadelic, Loser by Beck, and Gin and Juice.
Not an opening line but I always feel a pang in my gut whenever I hear these lines:
The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't (Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen by Baz Luhrmann)
"I read the news today, oh boy..."
A day in the life by the Beatles
Classic song, and powerful opening line.
Feels permanently relevant.
Sets the frame well for the rest of the song which seems to be a commentary about some current events.
Instantly gets listeners attention.
Classic
'There must be some kind of way outta here!''There must be some kind of way outta here!'
Said the Joker to the Thief,Said the Joker to the Thief,
'There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief...''There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief...'
Excellent choice.
LOOK AT THIS PHOTOGRAPH
Ooh, a storm is threatening
My very life today
Gimme Shelter
The Rolling Stones
this one and the sympathy song, gosh that one is crazy
Yes. Great, scary stories.
Anything by Kanye, he usually is over the top.
"She don't believe in shootin' starts, but she believe in shoes and cars."
That one definitely takes the wind out of you. Big punch to the gut, right out the gate.
ya that one and can't tell me nothing def comes to mind
Rich Men North of Richmond
"I've been selling my soul, working all day"
I knew that one would be one of the first to come out with this crowd! Yeah, killer opening line to the perfect song for the era.
haha yea there's a reason the song went mega viral
If you had shot, one opportunity...
Hell yeah! Although where you stopped with it, I'm not sure if you are referring to Lose Yourself or Couch Potato... :)
wth is "couch potato"?!
lol, didn't know about that!!
#weirdaldeepcuts
If I were the devil, first thing that'd I'd do
Is I'd come off like I ever gave a damn about you
I'd let you catch a peak of all your greatest desires
And I'd watch the flames in your eyes burning like hellfire
Let me tell you how it will be, there's one for you, nineteen for me.
Taxman - The Beatles
Amish Paradise
"As I walk through the valley where I harvest my grain
I take a look at my wife and realize she's very plain"
" I ain't got no motherfuckin' friends (sucka-ass)
That's why I fucked yo' bitch, you fat motherfucker"
Tupac - Hit em Up
Manic Street Preachers has a few:
“I am an architect, they call me a butcher” from “Faster”
“Libraries gave us power, then work came and made us free” from “Design for Life”
I'm so happy 'cause today I found my friends
They're in my head
- Lithium by Nirvana
Easy money
It's about to be a surgical summer
Chop the tops off the coupes
The cuatrocientos ochenta y ocho
The Spider joint
And you know we gotta cut the heads off these snakes, right?
Watch the body drop
The Story of Adidon - Pusha T
From distant memory...
Alright stop. Collaborate and listenAlright stop. Collaborate and listen
Remember?
1990 was such a wild year…