Best single lines in rock lyrics

Cafe Society
1

Best single lines in rock lyrics. My #1 nominee is from “Year of the Cat” by Al Stewart:

She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolor in the rain

Just pure loveliness. I’m also partial to “Echoes” by Pink Floyd:

And through the window in the wall come streaming in on sunlight wings a million bright ambassadors of morning

My personal favorite single line in rock has to be from “The Great Curve” by Talking Heads:

The world moves on a woman’s hips

A world of light… she’s gonna open our eyes up.

2

From Hello, I love you by the Doors: Sidewalk crouches at her feet

From Yes’s And You and I: Sad preacher nailed upon the colored door of time

3

“Little old lady got mutilated late last night.”

-Werewolves of London

4

Gotta go with A Wop Bop a Loo Bop, A Wop Bam Boom.

2nd place: You can have your gold and your diamonds too / all I want is a ring dang doo.

5

I like that old time rock and roll./ Bob Seger

6

What the hell? I don’t like that one bit. Too much violence against women in rock lyrics, and Zevon is one of the worst offenders. I literally can’t listen to those songs.

7

“And though she feels as if she’s in a play/She is anyway” - “Penny Lane” by Paul McCartney

8

From Floyd’s Have a Cigar: Oh, by the way, which one’s Pink? though it works better with the prior line. The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think,
Oh, by the way, which one’s Pink?

Led Zeppelin, Thank you
“If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you. When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.”

Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven
There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold, and she’s buying a stairway to heaven

9

I love that old time rock and roll too! :slight_smile:
I wanna see Miles on lead vocals, Taura on drums, Baz on bass, Bel Thorne on lead guitar, Elli on rhythm guitar, and Mark on synthesizer rock out. Simon behind the scenes on the soundboard.

10

The ghost of electricity howls in the bones of her face

Bob Dylan, “Visions Of Johanna”

In fact, I could cite almost any single line of that song.

(and I swear that I don’t post this to flatter @Johanna :wink:)

ETA:

another Dylan line I love:

The motorcycle black Madonna two-wheeled gypsy queen

“Gates Of Eden”

11

Dude. For me to quote that song would be way too obvious, as my Joan Baez avatar suggests. But I sure am glad you did! :slight_smile: It’s truly one of the most quotable songs in the world, and your pick is one of the most perfect lines ever written. Ti ringrazio molto.

12

Came in here to post this. One of my fav lines.

13

I’ve got two more I have to post because they are so good/iconic:

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss

The Who, “We Won’t Get Fooled again”

A line that almost has become a common saying.

You might be king of half the world, you’ll not own me as well

Richard Thompson, “Beeswing”

A line that stands on its own, but is even better in the context of a song with wonderful lyrics (and music).

ETA: and another Dylan line I have to post. I like it so much that it was my board sig when we still had that:

And if my thought-dreams could be seen
They’d probably put my head in a guillotine

“It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding”

14

What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground, how can you run when you know?

Neil Young, Ohio

He wore his gun outside his pants, for all the honest world to feel

Townes Van Zandt, Pancho & Lefty

15

Obligatory Dylan: (Simple Twist Of Fate)

I still believe she was my twin, but I lost the ring

Other: Elvis Costello (Watching The Detectives)

She’s filing her nails while they’re dragging the lake

j

ETA: and while I think of it:

Other #2: Manic Street Preachers (Motorcycle Emptiness)

Under neon loneliness, motorcycle emptiness

16

Three Dog Night

Old Fashion Love Song

“And wrapped around the music
Is the sound of someone promising they’ll never go”

17

Beck, from “Cyanide Breath Mint”:

I got a funny feeling they got plastic in the afterlife

18

My favorite Manics lyric:

We don’t talk about love, we only wanna get drunk

“A Design For Life”

ETA: and my favorite Nirvana line:

Teenage angst has paid off well, now I’m bored and old

“Serve The Servants”

19

I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes
You’d know what a drag it is to see you
-Bob Dylan, Positively Fourth Street

20

From the Beatles’ Old Brown Shoe:

“For your sweet top lip I’m in the queue, baby I’m in love with you.”