# Best Bar Song of All Time... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 27, 2002, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006 "2002-11-27T00:51:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/1 "2002-11-27T00:51:31Z")
OK, folks. The time has come. Let us all debate the greatest bar song of all time. First, let’s define what the requirements are. Well, there’s only one…what song is the most effective at getting a bunch of drunks to shout the words along at the top of their lungs? The more easily it does that, the higher the ranking. I have two nominations: 1. “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. I will guarantee you that if you play this song, everyone in the place will yell at the top of their lungs for the chorus. Just a fantastic bar song. 2. “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond. Another one, but much calmer than “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Everyone will lift up their beers and sway to the music, singing along. Good times. The floor is now open for debate and other nominations. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/2 "2002-11-27T00:58:22Z")
“In Heaven There Is No Beer” is my nomination. Thanks Quasi ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/3 "2002-11-27T01:11:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > \*\*1. “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. I will guarantee you that if you play this song, everyone in the place will yell at the top of their lungs for the chorus. Just a fantastic bar song. > \*\* I’d be screaming at the top of my lungs trying to get the fuck out of the door if that was going on. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/4 "2002-11-27T01:26:15Z")
You are obviously no fun. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/5 "2002-11-27T01:37:37Z")
[Khe Sanh](http://www.coldchisel.com.au/l1_khesahn.html) [yell] You know the last plane out of Sydney’s almost gone [/yell] ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/6 "2002-11-27T01:40:54Z")
Slow Ride (Foghat version) take it easy… ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/7 "2002-11-27T02:34:19Z")
“Come on, Eileen” by Dexys’ Midnight Runners ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/8 "2002-11-27T02:39:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MikeG \* > \*\*“Come on, Eileen” by Dexys’ Midnight Runners \*\* Move the comma, and you’ve got my favorite bar _activity_. Come, on Eileen. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/9 "2002-11-27T02:46:21Z")
Don’t pollute my thread with your filthiness. Pervert. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/10 "2002-11-27T02:51:28Z")
“Rich Girl” by Hall and Oates. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/11 "2002-11-27T02:55:47Z")
Depends on the bar, I guess… I always enjoy hearing: One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer on the Jukebox whenever someone plays it. We used to have The Best of Tom Waits on our CD jukebox and it would always get the regulars to sing in unison whenever somebody played “The Piano Has been Drinking” ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/12 "2002-11-27T03:19:44Z")
“Mony Mony.” It gets tiresome, but still, people shout. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/13 "2002-11-27T03:23:05Z")
“Only The Good Die Young” or “The Wild Rover.” Depends on the bar, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![StephenG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/14 "2002-11-27T03:29:52Z")
“Sweet Caroline” is definitely a good call. Around here, I’m thinking either “Piano Man” by Billy Joel or [“Home for a Rest”](http://nfldsongs.tripod.com/03/home.htm) by Spirit of the West. _nods to **dinahmoe** in preview_ Billy Joel is always good… and “The Wild Rover” is definitely a favorite at the Irish pub… ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/15 "2002-11-27T04:53:33Z")
Van Morrison’s “Gloria”. G - L - O - R - I - A A A A! Just try to keep yourself from chanting along. You can’t. You just can’t. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/16 "2002-11-27T05:01:20Z")
I have noticed that _Sister Christian_ by … um … Night Ranger (?) is guaranteed to have 90% of the people in the bar AT LEAST do the “air drums” thing during the dramatic part of the song, and a fairly decent percentage actually sing the whole song. I think this got a boost after the song was featured in _Boogie Nights_, but it happened before then, too. **Hajario** , man, you crack me up. I’d be racing ya for the door if subjected to a bar full of people belting out _Living On A Prayer_. It really depends on the kind of bar, though. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/17 "2002-11-27T05:09:21Z")
I don’t know, it might be worth hearing a bunch of drunks doing the _doot wat-doot wahoo_ (or however it goes) part of _Living On A Prayer_. But for my money, the best bar song is: \*Oh, I don’t know why she’s leaving, Or where she’s gonna go, I guess she’s got her reasons, But I just don’t want to know, 'Cos for twenty-four years I’ve been living next door to Alice. (unofficial refrain) Twenty-four years just waiting for a chance, To tell her how I feel, and maybe get a second glance, Now I’ve got to get used to not living next door to Alice…(unofficial refrain) \* If you’ve heard this song, with the unofficial bits, then you’re not likely to forget it. Same for _Mony-Mony_ and it’s unofficial refrain. That’s pretty much what makes them bar songs. _Shoot 'em down, turn around, come on Mony…_ ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/18 "2002-11-27T05:19:16Z")
Ooooooh We’re halfway there! Ooooooh-OH! Livin’ on a prayer Take my hand We’ll make it I swear Ooooooo-OOH! Livin’ on a prayer! Good times. If you haven’t experienced the “Livin’ on a Prayer” drunken shout, you haven’t lived, IMHO. But I think it’s a generational thing. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/19 "2002-11-27T05:36:51Z")
It never fails! It was once IIRC a bar song… abd whether it be in a honky-tonk(\*strange word) or in a biker-bar, or at a ball game…all the (well most anyway) people, drunks included will get up and sing or art least try, most don’t know the word to the… good old “Star Spangled Banner”. Try it sometime…sitting at the bar, make sure everybody’s lit and just start singing…you might prod one or two, but they’ll join in and pretty soon half the bar’s going…"Oh say can you see… honky- racial slang, white people/person tonk-variation, tonic/music \*honkytonk-cheap, noisy, garish nightclub or dancehall \*definition as per/ Random House Webster’s Collegiate @1991 I was just curious 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006/20 "2002-11-27T05:58:37Z")
**t-keela’s** name made me think of this old **Bobby Bare** / **Shel Silverstein** tune: _Pour Me Another Tequila, Sheila!_ Quasi [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bar-song-of-all-time/139006.md?page=2)