Great opening lines to songs

crispybug2

Exactly what it says in the title bar!

I'll go first.

Joe Jackson- Is She Really Going Out With Him

"Pretty women out walking with gorillas down my street"

mrfpb

"Oh-oh I bet you're wondering how I knew, about your plan to make me blue"

"Oh, I just don't know where to begin" - Also album opener by Elvis Costello, Accidents Will Happen.

Obscure, but as it's Friday:

"Now my work is done, I feel I'm owed some joy" - Bright Smile, Dark Eyes by Josh Ritter (also an album opener on Hello Starling)

BelgianBeerGeek

Warren Zevon "Werewolves of London":
"I saw a werewolf walking with a Chinese menu in his hand
Through the streets of Soho in the rain"...

courtmed

"I come from down in the valley where mister when you're young, they bring you up to do like your daddy done"

Springsteen - The River. I know this is opening line, but it's the opening harmonica that really does it for me...

Thick Mike

Well, I stand up next to a mountain,
and I chop it down with the edge of my hand.

kingstongraham

Sipping on Rosé, Silver Lake sun, coming up all lazy
Slow cooking pancakes for my boy, still up, still fresh as a Daisy
Playing ping pong all night long, everything's all neon and hazy

mrfpb

Four by the Fab Four:

"Close your eyes and I'll kiss you, tomorrow I'll miss you"

"I Heard the news today, oh boy!"

"Hey Jude, don't make it bad, take a sad song and make it better"

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly"

haydenm

We're no strangers to love, you know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinking of, You wouldn't get this from any other guy

joe2008

Disarm you with a smile

Garry H

'Allo
I'm-a Giuseppe
I got-a something special-a for you

secretsam

"Here I am, motherf*cke*s" Nausea - Therapy?

Also a side 1, track 1

mrfpb

"I got chills,
they're multiplyin' "

secretsam

"Despair and Deception, Love's ugly little twins, came a-knockin' on my door..."

I let love in - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Garry H

Soon I discovered that this rock thing was true
Jerry Lee Lewis was the devil
Jesus was an architect previous to his career as a prophet
All of a sudden, I found myself in love with the world
So there was only one thing that I could do
Was ding a ding dang my dang a long ling long

Ministry - Jesus built my hotrod

meanredspider

It's the kind of night that's so cold, when you spit
it freezes before it hits the ground

Cause Cheap is How I Feel
Cowboy Junkies

sungod

alberto y lost trios paranoias - kill...

oaaaahhh i don't give a damn i don't fu​cking care

chris_bass

snuff - cake

"Cake"

meanredspider

Shaking like a dog shittin' razorblades
Waking up next to nothing after dreaming of you and me
I'm waking up all alone, waking up so relieved
While you're taking your time with apologies

Alkaline Trio - Radio

FocusZing

Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away.
Now it looks as though they're here to stay.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

mfin

Girlfriend in a coma, I know
I know, it's serious

cornerblock

Punctured bicycle
On a hillside desolate,
Will nature make a man of me yet?

cornerblock

With the money from her accident
She bought herself a mobile home
So at least she could get some enjoyment
Out of being alone
No one could say that she was left up on the shelf
It's you and me against the World kid she mumbled to herself

cornerblock

Dirty old river, must you keep rolling
Flowing into the night
People so busy, makes me feel dizzy
Taxi light shines so bright
But I don't need no friends
As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset
I am in paradise

mfin

Cornerblock wrote:

Punctured bicycle
On a hillside desolate,
Will nature make a man of me yet?

Na that one's run of the mill lazy lyric writing.

mfin

Cornerblock wrote:

Dirty old river, must you keep rolling
Flowing into the night
People so busy, makes me feel dizzy
Taxi light shines so bright
But I don't need no friends
As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset
I am in paradise

Great opening to a song, but not sure the lyrics do much more than play their part.

mfin

Cornerblock wrote:

With the money from her accident
She bought herself a mobile home
So at least she could get some enjoyment
Out of being alone
No one could say that she was left up on the shelf
It's you and me against the World kid she mumbled to herself

Naa, he's done much better than that.

cornerblock

mfin wrote:

Cornerblock wrote:

Punctured bicycle
On a hillside desolate,
Will nature make a man of me yet?

Na that one's run of the mill lazy lyric writing.

Righto.

cornerblock

mfin wrote:

Cornerblock wrote:

With the money from her accident
She bought herself a mobile home
So at least she could get some enjoyment
Out of being alone
No one could say that she was left up on the shelf
It's you and me against the World kid she mumbled to herself

Naa, he's done much better than that.

I was choosing mine not trying to guess yours!

cornerblock

mfin wrote:

Cornerblock wrote:

Dirty old river, must you keep rolling
Flowing into the night
People so busy, makes me feel dizzy
Taxi light shines so bright
But I don't need no friends
As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset
I am in paradise

Great opening to a song, but not sure the lyrics do much more than play their part.

Thank you Hal David.

cornerblock

Pistol shots ring out in the barroom night
Enter Patty Valentine from the outer hall
She sees the bartender in a pool of blood,
Cries out, "My God, they killed them all!"
Here comes the story of the Hurricane,
The man the authorities came to blame
For somethin' that he never done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world

What do you think Hal? ;-)

mfin

Cornerblock wrote:

Pistol shots ring out in the barroom night
Enter Patty Valentine from the outer hall
She sees the bartender in a pool of blood,
Cries out, "My God, they killed them all!"
Here comes the story of the Hurricane,
The man the authorities came to blame
For somethin' that he never done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world

What do you think Hal? ;-)

Naaa...

I think whilst the thread is always gonna be full of subjective opinions, there's a difference between a great opening lyrics and lyrics that are part of a great opening to a song.

...that one doesn't work much, might work better if it was "great opening verse to a song" (no, actually it wouldn't).

Glad to be of service.