# Disappointing song endings **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [January 9, 2025, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770 "2025-01-09T20:18:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/1 "2025-01-09T20:18:51Z")
My search-fu must be off - coulda sworn there was a thread about this, but still eluding me, so’s… Disappointing = jarring, or weaker than rest of song, or incongruous, or just plain puts you completely off. Try to avoid codas. Sugarloaf’s “Green Eyed Lady” is an ok groovy little thing that ends with a melodramatic Hammond organ wash reminiscent of incidental soap opera music. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YG8FFJQYoTM/maxresdefault.jpg "Green-Eyed Lady") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG8FFJQYoTM&t=397) Not the very end of song, but the ‘Black Water’ jam for the final part of “Supernaut” by Black Sabbath - OMFG. I’ll think of others. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/2 "2025-01-09T20:22:09Z")
So what’s up with discourse not letting me correct “Supernaut” to “Symptom of the Universe”? 😡 😡 😡 ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/3 "2025-01-09T20:37:39Z")
It’s a feature of [the YouTube posting bug](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-avoid-the-youtube-posting-bug/1007499). Which also has a disappointing ending. ---
**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:** [January 9, 2025, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/4 "2025-01-09T20:43:41Z")
My experience is that you can’t edit after embedding a YouTube video. Yeah, it sucks. So is getting ninja’d. “Good Morning, Good Morning” on Sgt. Pepper’s has a goofy chicken squawking to end it. I know the song starts with a rooster crowing, but the ending just sounds like they couldn’t come with anything that worked. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/5 "2025-01-09T20:50:46Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bxqh8JK9FyY/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC6AKKAgwIABABGGUgZShlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCfC7mfepKWnZGHRLT4DLIWxEw5Fw "Les Paul and Mary Ford - Magic Melody - 1955") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxqh8JK9FyY) ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/6 "2025-01-09T20:51:50Z")
At the end of Three Dog Night’s “Mama Told Me Not to Come,” there are a few chords, but the song doesn’t quite “resolve” and play the tonic chord at the very end like I am expecting. I think the Eric Burdon version is the same. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/7 "2025-01-09T20:56:12Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > My experience is that you can’t edit after embedding a YouTube video. The post that **crowmanyclouds** linked to contains a workaround for that case as well. Annoying, but it works. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/8 "2025-01-09T21:02:52Z")
Eric Clapton use to do this, e.g.: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9EZlmqWmcqw/maxresdefault.jpg "Motherless Children") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EZlmqWmcqw&t=276) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/9 "2025-01-09T21:07:47Z")
I can’t think of them right now, but there’s a whole bunch of songs that don’t end on the tonic. It’s a common enough compositional technique. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/10 "2025-01-09T21:08:02Z")
I think Jim Croce’s Photographs and Memories has a disappointing ending. The song doesn’t really finish, it just…stops. I think there is more to be said. Maybe the point is life doesn’t have good endings. Or the point is, Croce couldn’t finish it. I dunno. I want more song! ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/11 "2025-01-09T21:11:53Z")
For some reason, the ending of “Mama Told Me Not to Come” bothers me more than any other songs that use this technique. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/12 "2025-01-09T21:13:20Z")
This one just kind of dribbles away: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/KaFjxLMsOuo/maxresdefault.jpg "Led Zeppelin - Tangerine (Official Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaFjxLMsOuo&t=176) ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/13 "2025-01-09T21:33:25Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Eric Clapton use to do this Speaking of Clapton, Derek and the Dominos’ Layla. Rocking party song on the front end that devolves into a piano recital at the exit. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/14 "2025-01-09T21:37:57Z")
Yes. Another otherwise excellent Clapton tune that ends lamely: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1VKpMI5Msa4/maxresdefault.jpg "Let It Rain") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VKpMI5Msa4&t=286) ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/15 "2025-01-09T21:42:52Z")
I’ve never been all that happy with the end of Saturday in the Park by Chicago. It sounds like they were rehearsing and hadn’t yet written the outro. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/rROTw8Bxx_Q/maxresdefault.jpg "Saturday in the Park") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rROTw8Bxx_Q) ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/16 "2025-01-09T21:49:15Z")
I came here to nominate another Chicago song – “[Beginnings](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI-BMDnti4c)” – which is such a moving love song yet incongruously ends with an extended jam on cowbell. Stevie Wonder’s electrifying track [“Do I Do”](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-you-listen-ed-to-when-high/949517) (1982) fizzles out at 9:00 with Stevie attempting to rap: “I know I cannot rhyme, 'cause I ain’t like a friend of mine But I ha ha ha ha” ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/17 "2025-01-09T21:49:58Z")
Lots of rap and contemporary rock just sort of dies wimpily at the end, with no climactic or resolving chord. It feels like it just gives up and drips to a stop. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/18 "2025-01-09T21:51:36Z")
Here’s one that SHOULDN’T have ended on the tonic. After a great non-tonic ending, Cat inserts a tonic strummed chord, and it sounds forced and out of place: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4l9a5vIm4so/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGEkgZShUMA8=&rs=AOn4CLD4BRJ8v2pz8YPngyszFjJ_dvxARg "Cat Stevens - I Think I See The Light") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l9a5vIm4so&t=231) ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/19 "2025-01-09T21:53:10Z")
Incredibly, I just found out out that Cat realized his mistake – the later “official version” omits the lame chord: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WL9Q9bLDgDg/maxresdefault.jpg "I Think I See The Light (Remastered 2020)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL9Q9bLDgDg&t=228) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770/20 "2025-01-09T21:56:25Z")
Not so much disappointing as puzzling. Why is a piano trill thrown in right at the end of Steely Dan’s Pearl Of The Quarter? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BM9GNRqxxhU/maxresdefault.jpg "Pearl Of The Quarter") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM9GNRqxxhU) It’s almost as if they thought - “Hmmm - that ending’s perfect. Dangerous precedent!” j [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappointing-song-endings/1012770.md?page=2)