# Best single lines in rock lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [November 20, 2022, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262 "2022-11-20T16:21:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![Ssounder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@Ssounder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssounder)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2023, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/401 "2023-02-14T03:39:58Z")
I sincerely hope I haven’t killed this thread. That wasn’t my intention. There’s a learning curve with the culture here. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2023, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/402 "2023-02-14T04:12:00Z")
Well, I’ll rescue you from that “‘killed a thread’ guilt”, by telling a story of the only time my dad actually listened to “that junk you kids call music.” The second time I ever saved up and bought an LP was _John Wesley Harding,_ by a lad named Bob Dylan. So it was playing while I was doing my homework in our living room, and my dad sat down and started reading the paper. I was just waiting for him to make a snide comment, but he was silent, lost in the news. Suddenly, one line of the title track (telling of Mr. Harding’s exploits in the old west) made him laugh… _And soon the situation there was all but straightened out,_ _for he was always known to lend a helping hand._ ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2023, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/403 "2023-02-14T18:53:23Z")
_“Joy to the world was a beautiful girl, but to me Joy meant only sorrow.”_ – Harry Nilsson ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/404 "2023-02-15T01:55:48Z")
So, it’s Valentines Day. And as I often do on this day I was thinking about Tom Waits’ song _Blue Valentine_. And as much as I love this poem set to music, I can’t for the life of me pick a line to submit for this thread. If you’ve ever had your bleeding heart torn out, you’ll know. > **Summary** > > She sends me blue valentines > All the way from Philadelphia > To mark the anniversary > Of someone that I used to be > And it feels just like a warrant > Is out for my arrest > Baby, you got me checkin’ > In my rearview mirror > That’s why I’m always on the run > That’s why I changed my name > And I didn’t think you’d ever find me here > > To send me blue valentines > Like half-forgotten dreams > Like a pebble in my shoe > As I walk these streets > And the ghost of your memory > Baby, it’s the thistle in the kiss > It’s the burglar that can break a rose’s neck > It’s the tatooed broken promise > I gotta hide beneath my sleeve > I’m going to see you every time I turn my back > > She sends me blue valentines > Though I try to remain at large > They’re insisting that our love > Must have a eulogy > Why do I save all of this madness > Here in the nightstand drawer > There to haunt upon my shoulders > Baby, I know > I’d be luckier to walk around everywhere I go > With this blind and broken heart > That sleeps beneath my lapel > > Instead, these blue valentines > To remind me of my cardinal sin > I can never wash the guilt > Or get these bloodstains off my hands > And it takes a lot of whiskey > To make these nightmares go away > And I cut my bleedin’ heart out every night > And I’m going to die a little more on each St. Valentines day > Don’t you remember, I promised I would write you > These blue valentines > Blue valentines > Blue valentines Thank you for your understanding. Now dry your eyes and go to sleep, if you can. ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/405 "2023-02-15T08:38:20Z")
“Not all martyrs see divinity, but at least you tried” Tool - Eulogy ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/406 "2023-02-15T17:17:33Z")
I just remembered the opening lines to Paul Simon’s “Graceland”. There’s no better way to start a song: _The Mississippi Delta_ _Was shining like a National guitar_ This is such a strong image that instantly evokes all the good music that came and still comes from that region, especially the Blues of course. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/407 "2023-02-15T17:51:15Z")
Simon and Cohen gave long been my favourite songwriters. It is impossibly hard to pick the best lyric. _The easy stream of laughter flowing through the air, Rene and Georgette Magritte with their dog apres la guerre…_ ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/408 "2023-02-16T03:21:18Z")
“And if they stare, just let them burn their eyes on your moving” _Hold Your Head Up._ **Argent** ---
**Author:** ![Ssounder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@Ssounder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssounder)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/409 "2023-02-16T03:36:39Z")
_And the sons of Pullman porters, and the sons of engineers_ _ride their fathers’ magic carpets made of steel_ The City of New Orleans -Arlo Guthrie ---
**Author:** ![ch51](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ch51/32/3111_2.png) [@ch51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ch51)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/410 "2023-02-16T20:13:02Z")
The City of New Orleans -Arlo Guthrie and written by Steve Goodman ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/411 "2023-02-16T21:29:13Z")
The best actually written by Arlo might be from “Darkest Hour”: The moonlight held her breast as she easily undressed In my darkest hour. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/412 "2023-02-17T02:24:51Z")
Was watching, **Respect** , today, and as Aretha broke into the second verse of, “You Make Me Feel,” I remembered the neat-o first line: When my soul was in the lost and found You came along to claim it. Carole King, you’re a genius. ---
**Author:** ![Ssounder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@Ssounder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssounder)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/413 "2023-02-17T02:52:54Z")
Yep^. _Stayed in bed all mornin’ just to pass the time_ _There’s something wrong here there can be no denyin’_ _Now one of us is changin’ or maybe we’ve just stopped tryin’_ It’s Too Late -Carol King ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/414 "2023-02-17T20:57:10Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Was watching, **Respect** , today, and as Aretha broke into the second verse of, “You Make Me Feel,” I remembered the neat-o first line: > > When my soul was in the lost and found > You came along to claim it. > > Carole King, you’re a genius. I adore Carole King; she’s one of my favorite songwriters. However, from what I can tell, most sources I can find indicate that her then-husband and writing partner, Gerry Goffin, was primarily responsible for the lyrics to that song (while King composed the music). ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/415 "2023-02-17T21:17:20Z")
I was wondering. Thanks for the 411. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/416 "2023-02-17T22:11:26Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I adore Carole King; she’s one of my favorite songwriters. However, from what I can tell, most sources I can find indicate that her then-husband and writing partner, Gerry Goffin, was primarily responsible for the lyrics to that song (while King composed the music). I think you’re right, I also learned long after Carole King had become one of my favorite songwriters that in the songwriting team Goffin/King, Goffin usually (always?) was responsible for the lyrics and King for the music. But I think that in her later solo career, she also wrote the lyrics to her own songs. ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_Maven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_maven/32/3272_2.png) [@Steven\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Maven)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/417 "2023-02-24T00:21:36Z")
> [@digs](#): > > The second time I ever saved up and bought an LP was _John Wesley Harding,_ by a lad named Bob Dylan. Good album choice. In real life, the gunslinger John Wesley **Hardin** (no “g”) apparently had no redeeming qualities. I say that Dylan added the “g” to make up for all the other “g”s he dropped like _ **Blowin’** in the Wind_ and _The Times They Are A- **Changin’** _. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/418 "2023-02-24T00:24:55Z")
😆 Steven, that’s a good old joke from back in the '60s. ---
**Author:** ![EnolaStraight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@EnolaStraight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnolaStraight)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/419 "2023-02-24T01:55:36Z")
"No one told you when to run: _you missed the starting gun!_ Pink Floyd, Time ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-lines-in-rock-lyrics/975262/420 "2023-02-24T02:44:09Z")
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