# Best first line (music) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 24, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826 "2009-06-24T13:54:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/81 "2009-06-27T21:48:16Z")
Another Elvis Costello one, my favorite: _I don’t want to kiss you, I don’t want to touch_ from **No Action** , the first cut on his second album. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/82 "2009-06-27T23:00:01Z")
The bassoon line that opens the [_Rites of Spring_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZL4PsV0eh0&feature=related). ---
**Author:** ![BuzzSaw101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@BuzzSaw101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuzzSaw101)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/83 "2009-06-28T00:15:43Z")
More Dylan “Pistol shots ring out in the barroom night” - Hurricane “They’re selling postcards of the hanging” - Desolation Row “Well, there was this movie I seen one time, About a man riding 'cross the desert and it starred Gregory Peck.” Brownsville Girl “I married Isis on the fifth day of May, But I could not hold on to her very long.” Isis ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/84 "2009-06-28T00:33:20Z")
Im waiting for my man Twenty-six dollars in my hand Up to lexington, 125 Feel sick and dirty, more dead than alive ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/85 "2009-06-28T00:46:19Z")
> [@Savannah](#): > > And more Bruce– > > _Well, they blew up the Chicken Man in Philly last night_ Yeah, really great song. > [@](#): > > You’ve done too much, > much too young ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/86 "2009-06-28T01:16:43Z")
2 from **Tom Waits** : Smell like a brewery, look like a tramp. Ain’t got a quarter got a postage stamp. _Pasties and a G-String_ and I spent all of my money in a Mexican whorehouse across the street from a Catholic church. - _Mr. Segal_ I’m also quite fond of my signature, but it’s not a first line. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/87 "2009-06-28T02:05:07Z")
Okay, this one looks really goofy in print so you gotta sing it. Oooooooooh yeah! Oh yeah. Everything. Everything. Everything gonna be all right this morning. Oh yeah. Whoo! - **Muddy Waters** , _ **Mannish Boy** _. (The late great Queen of the Blues, **Koko Taylor** did a cover with a similar opening so I’ll have to say Koko \*and \*Muddy. Two outstanding artists who could really work a crowd.) ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/88 "2009-06-28T03:13:58Z")
I love how Neil Diamond explains his whole reason for being a \*\*Solitary Man \*\*in the first couple of lines: “Belinda was mine til the time that I found her Holding Jim, loving him. Then Sue came along, loved me strong that’s what I thought Me and Sue. That died too.” ---
**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:** [June 28, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/89 "2009-06-28T03:49:30Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I’m not asking about best first albums, or even best first songs - give me your best first lines! [rant mode]Read the whole post! Read the whole thread![/rant mode] “I was born in a crossfire hurricane” - Rolling Stones, “Symphony for the Devil” “Well, it’s a marvelous night for a Moondance” - Van Morrison, “Moondance” “It’s already written that today will be one to remember” - Blind Faith, “Had to Cry Today” “Hello darkness, my old friend,” - Simon & Garfunkel, “Sounds of Silence” “Tin soldiers and Nixon coming, We’re finally on our own.” - CSNY, “Ohio” “White Bird, in a golden cage, on a winter’s day, in the rain” - It’s a Beautiful Day, “White Bird” > [@Finagle](#): > > The Crazy World of Arthur Brown: “I AM THE GOD OF HELL FIRE AND I BRING YOU … FIRE” Great choice. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/90 "2009-06-28T04:02:25Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase;11287200 “I was born in a crossfire hurricane” - Rolling Stones, “Symphony for the Devil” .[/QUOTE] Ooops! You blew that one. It was _Jumpin’ Jack Flash_ ---
**Author:** ![Sassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Sassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassy)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/91 "2009-06-28T19:45:22Z")
I was gonna get up off that bar stool Just as soon as I could figure it out John Hiatt - Paper Thin ---
**Author:** ![Stillwell\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Stillwell\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stillwell_Angel)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/92 "2009-06-28T20:30:36Z")
“Can we forget about the things I said when I was drunk? I didn’t mean to call you that.” Lit- My Own Worst Enemy ---
**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:** [June 28, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/93 "2009-06-28T21:16:11Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > Ooops! You blew that one. It was _Jumpin’ Jack Flash_ :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/94 "2009-06-29T02:38:15Z")
Couple in the next room bound to win a prize They’ve been goin’ at it all night long. Paul Simon - _Duncan_ ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/95 "2009-06-29T02:43:44Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Couple in the next room bound to win a prize > They’ve been goin’ at it all night long. > > Paul Simon - _Duncan_ Good one! ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/96 "2009-07-03T03:12:08Z")
Sorry to resurrect a dying thread, but I heard this classic opening line this morning: “A public service announcement followed me home the other day” **Bad Day - REM** ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/97 "2009-07-03T03:55:45Z")
_Standing by your window in pain A suitcase in my hand_ Across The Great Divide - The Band _The Dutchman’s not the kind of man To keep his thumb jammed in the dam That holds his dreams in But that’s a secret only Margaret knows_ [The Dutchman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dutchman) - Michael Peter Smith _Well a young man He ain’t got nothin’ in the world these days_ Young Man Blues - The Who (penned by Mose Allison) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/98 "2009-07-03T05:08:09Z")
In keeping with the economic situation: **There must be some kind of way out of here Said the joker to the thief** ---
**Author:** ![BigNik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/73ab20/32.png) [@BigNik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigNik)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/99 "2009-07-03T05:24:27Z")
[QUOTE=Hoodoo Gurus] “…and another thing/I’ve been wondering lately.” [/QUOTE] “What’s My Scene”. You _have_ to love a song that starts with ellipsis. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826/100 "2009-07-22T01:18:53Z")
Finally found a worthy choice: “Because mutiny on the bounty’s what we’re all about I’m gonna board your ship and turn it on out!” The Beastie Boys, _Rhymin’ and Stealin’_. It starts with a loop of the drums from _When the Levee Breaks_, then the guitar part from _Sweet Leaf_, and then you get Adrock screaming this rap about being a pirate. I don’t know what you’d even compare to this. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-first-line-music/500826.md?page=6)