Best. Opening Lyrics. (ever)

[arniejolt]

This list comes from AOL's Spinner (http://www.spinner.com/2007/08/06/best-opening-lyrics-no-25/), Some of these are obvious while some you might question so your personal list will vary from theirs.

25.
"You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar"
--Human League's 'Don't You Want Me'
Thanks to lyrics that crack like silver-screen dialogue, the New Wave adaptation of 'A Star Is Born' is a classic in its own right.

24.
"I've been a bad, bad girl"
--Fiona Apple's 'Criminal'
This great, great line should have warned us that a naughty, naughty MTV awards speech was coming.

23.
"You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips"
--The Righteous Brothers' 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin''
DJs first thought Bill Medley's brooding vocals were playing at the wrong speed. The song became the most played in radio history anyway.

22.
"Go, shorty. It's your birthday"
--50 Cent's 'In Da Club'
These words have spread way beyond da club: Uncles now shout them out at da bar mitzvah.

21.
"Hello, Darkness, my old friend"
--Simon and Garfunkel's 'The Sound of Silence'
It reads like Dante's 'Inferno,' but it's forever linked to the equally sinister imagery of Dustin Hoffman floating in a pool.

20.
"I am an Antichrist"
--Sex Pistols' 'Anarchy in the UK'
These four words say it all, and the Sex Pistols could have stopped right there. Actually, they pretty much did.

19.
"Well, I guess it would be nice if I could touch your body"
--George Michael's 'Faith'
Sing these words in a recording studio, and you win Album of the Year. Say them in a public bathroom, and you get busted.

18.
"We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee"
--Merle Haggard's 'Okie From Muskokee'
Hippie haters took this line a little too literally. Heck, for all we know, the Hag was stoned when he wrote it.

17.
"I was dreaming when I wrote this"
--Prince's '1999'
Sung in unison by backup ladies Wendy and Lisa, this trippy line foretold all of the Purple One's eccentricities.

16.
"Pigs, they tend to wiggle when they walk"
--Pavement's 'Stereo'
So, so true. Don't overthink this one, people.

15.
"She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene"
--Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean'
From the time when the weirdest thing about him was his spangly glove.

14.
"There must be some kind of way out of here, said the joker to the thief"
--Jimi Hendrix's 'All Along the Watchtower'
Dylan may have written these words, but even he agreed that Hendrix owned them.

13.
"What's with these homies dissin' my girl?"
--Weezer's 'Buddy Holly'
And with these words, Rivers Cuomo became the dorkiest rock star since, well, Buddy Holly.

12.
"A candy-colored clown they call the sandman tiptoes to my room every night"
--Roy Orbison's 'In Dreams'
Beautifully haunting by itself, chillingly twisted in 'Blue Velvet.'

11.
"Oh, I just don't know where to begin"
--Elvis Costello's 'Accidents Will Happen'
Even when he's at a loss for words, rock's walking thesaurus can turn a phrase.

10.
"Tommy used to work on the docks"
--Bon Jovi's 'Livin' on a Prayer'
In eight blissful syllables, Jon Bon Jovi out arena-rocked that other dude from Jersey.

09.
"Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine"
--Patti Smith's 'Gloria'
The rock poet explained her famed line to us last year: "I didn't want anyone having to die for my sins."

08.
"Well, it's one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go, cat, go!"
--Carl Perkins' 'Blue Suede Shoes'
A car accident prevented Perkins from belting out these iconic words on national TV. And, while he was laid up in a hospital, he had to watch Elvis do it.

07.
"In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey"
--Beck's 'Loser'
And in the time of grunge devotees, he was real funky.

06.
"Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?"
--The Carpenters' 'Close to You'
Penned by Burt Bacharach's wordsmith Hal David, this line is still the envy of Hallmark scribes.

05.
"Don't call it a comeback"
--LL Cool J's 'Mama Said Knock You Out!'
And, ironically enough, these words announced hip-hop's first major ... er, rebound.

04.
"Well, she was just seventeen -- you know what I mean"
--The Beatles' 'I Saw Her Standing There'
And with that, screaming girls across the globe had hope.

03.
"Hey, ho, let's go!"
--The Ramones' 'Blitzkrieg Bop'
The four words that spark late-inning rallies at Yankee Stadium are also the words that started punk rock.

02.
"I was born in a cross-fire hurricane"
--The Rolling Stones' 'Jumpin' Jack Flash'
We don't know if they're referring to World War II England or if this is another drug reference. Either way, it's pretty tough.

And Finally...

01.
"She's a very kinky girl"
--Rick James' 'Superfreak'
And he was a very kinky dude: The funk legend would later go to prison for forcing a woman to be his sex slave.

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[Chthonic]

The real #1:

"Put down that chainsaw and listen to me."
-Weird Al, 'Dare To Be Stupid'

[Rev0lver]

i also like rammstein's Buck Dich

"buck dich, befehl ich dir"

which translates to

"bend down/over, i order you"

[WingsOfSteel]

"Carry on, my wayward son..."

Where was that? It should have been there.

[sa_nick]

"I hurt myself today"

OMG, sa_nick posting NIN lyrics, crazy! lol

[Akaymay]

i also like rammstein's Buck Dich

"buck dich, befehl ich dir"

which translates to

"bend down/over, i order you"

Oh, those Germans, and their anger/genocide....

[psyborg]

Annies 12 years old and tomarrow she'll be a whore, nobody ever told her its the wrong way... - Sublime

your world is an ashtray...
- Manson

and similiarly;

the world is a vampire...
- Pumpkins

[FallenAce]

"I see nothing in your eyes; and the more I see, the less I like"
-Breaking Benjamin

[tucsonovernite]

your world is an ashtray...
- Manson



yes when Antichrist Superstar came out I personally found it a huge disappointment coming off of Portrait of an American Family -which i adored- with the exception of this badass song! I still listen to this track now and then...

[sushi111]

I think I have the winner. El Scorcho by Weezer

"Goddamn you half Japanese girls, do it to me every time"

[HPLabonte]

"Please Allow Me To Adjust My Pants" - Clutch's The Mob goes Wild

[IbanezBassist_v2]

"You must die! I alone am best" - I Hope You Die - Bloodhound Gang

[Xzyliac]

"Finished with my woman 'cause she couldn't help me with my mind."
- Black Sabbath's Paranoid

"American woman gonna mess your mind."
- The Guess Who's American Woman

"She keeps Moet et Chandon in a pretty cabinet."
- Queen's Killer Queen

"In the white room, with black curtains, near the station."
- Cream's White Room

Where were these? On the good list perhaps?

[Rev0lver]

HORSE The Band- anti-pizza
"JUST GIVE ME SOME ****ING PIZZA"

[Zidane]

Is anyone else confused that 50 cent is on this list?

[Chthonic]

"Please Allow Me To Adjust My Pants" - Clutch's The Mob goes Wild

I stand corrected.

But Weird Al's still a shoe-in for 2nd place.

[Simonious]

"My best friend's a butcher he has 16 knives"

From Interpol - Roland


Only one of those I agree with, though, is "What's with these homies dissin' my girl". Weezer FTW.

[DShiz1029]

"I wanna f*ck you like an animal!" - Nine Inch Nails [Closer]

or

"Got me a big ol' d*ck and I, I like to have fun!" - Nine Inch Nails [Big Man With a Gun]

[Xzyliac]

"I wanna f*ck you like an animal!" - Nine Inch Nails [Closer]



My friend quotes that everyday.

[tucsonovernite]

well to touch on a few other ideas on this thread for Clutch I also like "Could of been a swan on a glassy lake, could have been a gull in a clippers wake, could have been a ladybug on a windchime - but she was born a dragonfly."

and Manson "I am the God of F**k."

[Evoorg]

"I'm an Alligator..."
David Bowie - Moonage Daydream

[Hastyl3]

the world is a vampire...
- Pumpkins

Agreed...

"It was an April mornin' when they told us we should go"

Zeppelin

[TheWurm]

"Jeremiah was a bullfrog!..."

Three Dog Night - Joy To the World

[Chthonic]

"First we get some surgery,
lose the kids, then our identities.
But one thing I know for a fact:
The moustache stays right where its at."

Neil Fallon is the god of lyricists. Period.

[tucsonovernite]

Neil Fallon is the god of lyricists. Period.

yes he sure is up there I do believe we could fill an entire thread w/ just Neil quotes!
Here's another opening line from Clutch:
"ol John Brown left Kansas before the blood had dried..."

and of course
"Then against my better judgement I went walking out that door...I smiled at one person and nodded to three more; one man asked me for a dollar, I asked him what it's for he said " I have seen them" I said OK , it's yours.."

[Bakkster]

"When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide" - Helter Skelter (How anyone could mistake that for genocide, I don't know)

"Well I don't mean to piss you off" - Politically Correct - SR-71

"I'm bored, you're boarding the 5:04 out of town" - Continental Drift - Ozma
"Wesley Willis starts to break down, feels the beat and hits the dance floor" - Flight of the Bootymaster - Ozma

"A long, long time ago, I can still remember" (everyone better know this one)

[battle_axe_of_doom]

charlie manson didn't do genocide though unless ur referring to something else

[Bakkster]

charlie manson didn't do genocide though unless ur referring to something else

I thought that was part of his plan, which he ironically called Helter Skelter.
From wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helter_Skelter_%28Manson_scenario%29):

The murders perpetrated by Charles Manson and members of his Family were inspired in part by Manson's prediction of Helter Skelter, an apocalyptic war he believed would arise from tension over racial relations between blacks and whites.[1] This "chimerical vision," as it was termed by the court that heard Manson's appeal from his conviction for the Tate-LaBianca killings,[2] involved reference to music of The Beatles and to the New Testament's Book of Revelation.[3]

Not quite genocide, I guess. More like racist apocalypse.

[battle_axe_of_doom]

the guy was/is obviously insane so it doesn't really matter :p

[Bakkster]

the guy was/is obviously insane so it doesn't really matter :p

Exactly! If you go from "Whee! A slide!" to "There's going to be a race war" you're simply mental.

[tucsonovernite]

"Can't you see I'm easily bothered by persistance..."
Pantera

[dinga6969]

My favorite song opening which also happens to open the album starts out slow, builds up to an almost frantic pace and then with three words it makes you wanna go off:

Are You Ready!!! - Blind- Korn

Not a bad way to start your first song/album/career.

[mhg420]

Two of my favorites by my favorite songwriters.

"Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up"

-Bruce Springsteen

"No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes"

-Pete Townshend

[Rock_Starman]

"If I leave here tomorrow would you still remember me?"

"Sometimes in our life we all have pain,we all have sorrow but if we are wise we know there's always tomorrow"

"Ziggy played guitar"

"On a dark desert highway,cool wind in my hair"

"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?"

[Xzyliac]

"It was an April morning when they told us we should go."
-Led Zepplin

"There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold and she's buying a stairway to heaven."
-Led Zepplin

"Oh let the sun beat down upon my face, stars to fill my dreams. I am the traveler of all time and space, be where I have been."
-Led Zepplin

[Chthonic]

C'mon, people. You're just listing favorite songs now. This thread is about great lyrics.

[tucsonovernite]

"I pulled into Nazareth, I was feeling 'bout half past dead..." The Band - The Weight

"Seen the arrow on the doorpost saying this land is condemned, all the way from New Orleans to Jerusalem." Bob Dylan - Blind Willie McTell

Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61." Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited

Listen to the tales and romanticize
How we follow the path of the hero
Boast about the day when the rivers overrun
How we'll rise to the height of our halo - Tool - 10,000 Days

[Xzyliac]

C'mon, people. You're just listing favorite songs now. This thread is about great lyrics.

My Zepplin stands. Especially Kashmir.

Everyone may do as they please.

[LetheanGrazer]

When I talk talk on the C.B. yeah I scare men.


Clutch

The House That Peterbilt

[LetheanGrazer]

Like Marlon Brando, but bigger.


Clutch

I have the body of John Wilkes Booth

[LetheanGrazer]

"Born with a mustache and a supernova."

Clutch

The Profits of Doom


Neil is a lyrical genius. There are far too many to choose from.

[afterstasis]

"I hope that our few remaining friends
Give up on trying to save us
I hope we come out with a fail-safe plot
To piss off the dumb few that forgave us"

mountain goats - no children

[LetheanGrazer]

After really thinking about it. I think this is Neil Fallon's trump card.


"If you thought it was boring in Jordan, then come out here for a day and by the way, the name's Marcus but if you like you can call me Sensei."


Clutch
A Shogun Named Marcus




Hands down, no doubt, the king of all opening lyrics ever.

[Stewie]

Some good choices and some bad on their list.

My list of the top 20 (at the present time)

20-Time of Your Life by Green Day
"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go"

19- Redemption Song by Bob Marley
"Old pirates, yes, they rob i;
Sold I to the merchant ships,
Minutes after they took i
From the bottomless pit.
But my hand was made strong
By the and of the almighty.

18 -Under The Bridge by RHCP
"Sometimes I feel
Like I don't have a partner
Sometimes I feel
Like my only friend
Is the city I live in
The city of angels
Lonely as I am
Together we cry."

17- One by Metallica
"I can't remember anything
Can't tell if this is true or dream
Deep down inside I feel the scream
This terrible silence stops with me."

16-Gimmie Shelter by The Rolling Stones
"Oh, a storm is threat'ning
My very life today
If I don't get some shelter
Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away

War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away."

15-Let It Be by The Beatles
"When i find myself in times of trouble
Mother mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be."

14-Don't Stop Believing by Journey
"Just a small town girl, livin in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin anywhere
Just a city boy, born and raised in south detroit
He took the midnight train goin anywhere."

13- Where Did You Sleep Last Night? by NIRVANA
"My girl, my girl, dont lie to me
Tell me, where did you sleep last night?
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun dont ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through."

12- Captain Jack by Billy Joel
"Saturday night and you're still hangin' around
Tired of living in your one horse town
you'd like to find a little hole in the ground,
for awhile..

11-More Than A Feeling by Boston
"I looked out this morning,
and the sun was gone
Turned on some music to start my day
Then lost myself in a familiar song
I closed my eyes, and I slipped away."

10-House of The Rising Sun by The Animals
"There is a house in New Orleans
They call the rising sun
And its been a ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know Im one."

9- American Pie by Don Mclean
"A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they'd be happy for a while."

8-Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses
"She's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then when I see her face
She takes me away to that special place
And if I'd stare too long
I'd probably break down and cry"

7-Blowin' In The Wind by Bob Dylan
How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
Yes, n how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?

6-All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix
"There must be some kind of way out of here
Said the joker to the thief
Theres too much confusion
I cant get no relief
Businessman they drink my wine
Plow men dig my earth
None will level on the line
Nobody of it is worth
Hey hey."

5-Hotel California by The Eagles
"On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night."

4-"Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
"Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality"

3-The End by The Doors
"This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end."

2-Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd
"If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me?
For I must be travelling on, now,
cause theres too many places Ive got to see."

1-Stairway To Heaven by I shouldn't even have to say it
"There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven."


Okay so their may be a few surprises on the top twenty. But the final two should never be anything different.

[HMXDave]

Can't believe there was no Floyd.

Come on!

"We don't need no education." Another Brick in the Wall Pt 2.

[bood-boy]

wynona got herself a big brown beaver and she showed em off to all her friends...

[destruction3402]

wynona got herself a big brown beaver and she showed em off to all her friends... You win the thread! :P
Primus sucks!

[kanrei]

My vote is "Positively 4th Street" by Bob Dylan

You've Gotta Lotta Nerve To Say You Are My Friend
When I Was Down You Just Stood There Grinnin'

Something about Bob angry I think....

[CycoMiko138]

"Please Allow Me To Adjust My Pants" - Clutch's The Mob goes Wild

"So that I may dance the good time dance" LOL Clutch FTW!:cool:

[woofmix]

I remember one day when I was young
I was flipping through when I saw something on
Something about robots, destroying each other
It made me wanna go blow up my mother

Transformers Rap-Smosh.

[HPLabonte]

After really thinking about it. I think this is Neil Fallon's trump card.


"If you thought it was boring in Jordan, then come out here for a day and by the way, the name's Marcus but if you like you can call me Sensei."


Clutch
A Shogun Named Marcus




Hands down, no doubt, the king of all opening lyrics ever.





Ooh... Ooh... I can totally beat that

"Well I crashed my Cadillac through the gates of Hell and returned with a fist full of dollars"

[Agentespio]

Goddamn you half Japanese Girls.



El Scorcho by Weezer.

[JoshuaB81285]

"Living easy, living free; Season ticket on a one-way ride" - AC/DC's 'Highway To Hell'

[jaydajedi]

I got somethin to say, It's better to burnout then to fade away.

[ShadoeX]

"Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost"

A7X FTW?

[cartermahogany]

I still support 'Pigs they tend to wiggle when they walk.'
Good song, good song.
And what about the voice of Geddy Lee?

[moneyp]

09.
"Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine"

First thing I thought of when I read the subject line. #1 for my money. A great one they missed:

"I got a letter from the government the other day. I opened and read it, it said they were suckers."

(Public Enemy, "Black Steel In the Hour of Chaos")

[a21schizoidman]

"Remember that song called, Kill Me" - Ce Soir by Golden Earring

[BuRn7 CaK3]

"December 25th, 1986 - Van Nuys.

Merry Christmas.

That's what people say at Christmas, right?
Except normally they have someone to say it to.
They have friends and family,
And they haven't been crouched naked under a Christmas tree
with a needle in their arm like an insane person in a mansion in Van Nuys.
They're not out of their minds, they're not writing in a diary,
And they're definitely not watching their holiday spirit coagulate in a spoon.
I didn't speak to a single person today.
I thought why should I ruin their ****ing Christmas.

I've started a new diary and this time I have a few new reasons.
One, I have no friends left.
Two, so I can read back and remember what I did the day before.
And three, so if I die, at least I leave a nice little suicide note of my life.

It's just me and you, diary. Welcome to my ****ing life.

Nobody would believe the **** that happens in my head, it's haunted.
Now that I've come down from the drugs
it seems like a sick play that I saw in a theater somewhere.
Thirty minutes ago, I could've killed someone.
Or better yet, myself."

Sixx:A.M. - X-Mas in Hell

(its the Opening Song)

[Meatwad316]

"Give me fuel, give me fire, give me that which i desire!"

I'm not even a big Metallica fan and I love it

[momo217]

Pink Floyd

Wish you were here
"So. So, you think you can tell.
Heaven from hell
blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?"

Mother
"Mother do you think they'll drop the bomb
Mother do you think they'll like the song
Mother do you think they'll try to break my balls
Ooooh aah, Mother should I build a wall"


Joe Cocker (I actually like his version better than the Beatles')

With a little help from my Friends
"What would you do if I sang out of tune?
Would you stand up and walk out on me?"


Beastie Boys (yeah the Beastie Boys)

3 Minute Rule
"Stay up all night go to sleep watching Dragnet
Never sleep alone because Jimmy's the magnet
I'm so rope they call me Mr. Roper
When the troubles arise I'm the cool coper"