# Great Songs Under 2 1/2 Minutes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 18, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855 "2008-03-18T22:44:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/1 "2008-03-18T22:44:08Z")
I have to admire a songwriter who can write a great song that lasts less than 2 1/2 minutes. No long opening or fadeaway ending – these songs get cranking from the get-go. Here are the songs on my I-Tunes playlist that clock in at under 2:30. Feel free to add some more. At the Zoo - Simon and Garfunkel (2:25) Don’t bother Me - The Beatles (2:29) Dreaming of You - The Coral (2:21) Everyday People - Sly and the Family Stone (2:19) Hazy Shade of Winter - Simon and Garfunkel (2:22) I Fought the Law - Bobby Fuller Four (2:18) I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones (2:29) Marie’s the Name - Elvis Presley (2:08) Question - Old 97s (2:17) Red Rubber Ball - The Cyrkle (2:17) Runaway - Del Shannon (2:22) She’d Rather Be With Me - The Turtles (2:22) Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan (2:22) We Ain’t Got Nothing Yet - The Blues Magoos (2:19) Wear Your Love Like Heaven - Donovan (2:25) It is not surprising that most of these songs are from the 1960s. They seemed to write much tighter songs back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/2 "2008-03-18T23:33:43Z")
Nevermore by Queen clocks in under 80 seconds and I think its one of their best. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehm66kyldB8) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/3 "2008-03-18T23:40:08Z")
Howlin Wolf’s version of _The Red Rooster_ (2:29) I’m pretty sure the original version of _Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door_ is less than 2:30. ---
**Author:** ![Dunawake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dunawake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunawake)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/4 "2008-03-18T23:51:05Z")
Song 2 - Blur (2:00) Best. Two Minute. Song. Ever. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/5 "2008-03-18T23:54:43Z")
Cat Stevens’ The Wind ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/6 "2008-03-19T00:02:14Z")
“Wienerschnitzel” by The Descendents - it’s 11 seconds! ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/7 "2008-03-19T00:09:01Z")
The Beatles “We Can Work It Out” at 2:15 ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/8 "2008-03-19T00:11:07Z")
_Pink Moon_, by Nick Drake. About 2:00, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/9 "2008-03-19T00:43:58Z")
The Beatles had many: Eleanor Rigby, Good Day Sunshine, Drive My Car, Norwegan Wood Same with the Ramones: Blutzkreig Bop, Teenage Lobotomy, I Want to Be Sedated. The Kinks: You Really Got Me, Pressure A lot of Tom Lehrer songs: Fight Fiercely Harvard, Be Prepared, When You are Old and Gray, Poisoning Pigeons in the Park ---
**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:** [March 19, 2008, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/10 "2008-03-19T00:59:47Z")
The Box Tops, “The Letter” 1:58 ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/11 "2008-03-19T01:06:18Z")
“Her Majesty” at the end of _Abbey Road_. Don’t know exactly how long it is, but it must be about twenty seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/12 "2008-03-19T01:08:17Z")
Shoplifting- The Slits Just a Song Before I Go- CSN (amazingly only 2:15) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/13 "2008-03-19T01:45:37Z")
Well, **Led Zeppelin** ’s “Communication Breakdown” clocks in at exactly 2:30; “Immigrant Song” is 2:25. **Stevie Ray Vaughan** ’s “Love Struck Baby” (2:24) and “Scuttlebuttin’” (1:52) certainly qualify as “cranking from the get-go”. **The Doors** ’ original hit “Break On Through” comes in at 2:29, strengthening the OP’s case for the classics (and “Hello, I Love You” is only 2:16, though I’m not sure it “cranks”). But I really wanted to mention a more recent case - Aussie rockers **Jet** have a couple from their debut that are great short tracks: “Last Chance” (1:52) and “Take It Or Leave It” (2:23), which are from 2003. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/14 "2008-03-19T01:51:18Z")
To correct myself, _Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door_ is apparently listed at 2:32. And it has a fairly long intro. You can get away with that when your song only has two verses. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/15 "2008-03-19T01:58:06Z")
Wouldn’t It Be Nice That’s Not Me Let’s Go Away For A While Pet Sounds All off of _Pet Sounds_. And “You Still Believe In Me” misses the cut-off by by only 5 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Meyer6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Meyer6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meyer6)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/16 "2008-03-19T02:34:29Z")
“It’s a Motherfucker” by The Eels is only 2:15, and packs a pretty good emotional punch into that. **MadTheSwine** - thanks for that link to the Queen song - that’s a beautiful one that I haven’t heard before. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/17 "2008-03-19T02:34:59Z")
Everything by The Ramones. 🆒 (I was going to nominate “Ace of Spades” by Motorhead but that one’s 2:47, dammit!) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/18 "2008-03-19T02:35:32Z")
**Frank Zappa** : “Evelyn, A Modified Dog” (1:05) **Jethro Tull** : Cheap Day Return" (1:23) **Mothers of Invention** : “Oh No” (1:46) **Mothers of Invention** : “Electric Aunt Jemima” (1:46) **Elvis Costello** : “Beaten to the Punch” (1:49) **David Bowie** : “Breaking Glass” (1:53) **The Coasters** : “Yakety Yak” (1:53) **Roy Harper** : “Feeling All the Saturday” (1:56) **Charlie Rich** : “Mohair Sam” (2:08) **Creedence Clearwater Revival** : “Travellin’ Band” (2:09) **Richard Thompson** : “The New St. George” (2:10) **Marci Lee & Johnny Otis** : “Castin’ My Spell” (2:12) **Jethro Tull** : “Bad-Eyed and Loveless” (2:13) **The Beatles** : “Lady Madonna” (2:18) **Creedence Clearwater Revival** : “Fortunate Son” (2:20) **The Coasters** : “Charlie Brown” (2:22) **Rolling Stones** : “Rip This Joint” (2:23) **Sonny Boy Williamson** : “Fattening Frogs for Snakes” (2:23) **Jimi Hendrix** : “Crosstown Traffic” (2:26) **The Clash** : “I’m So Bored with the USA” (2:27) **Funkadelic** : “Get Off Your Ass and Jam” (2:27) **Howlin’ Wolf** : “Wang Dang Doodle” (2:28) The shortest thing on my iPod that’s a real song is **The Who** : “Miracle Cure” (0:13). ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/19 "2008-03-19T02:48:07Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] Same with the Ramones: I Want to Be Sedated. [/QUOTE] This one did make my original list. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855/20 "2008-03-19T03:06:37Z")
Wire’s “Field Day For The Sundays” feels like a fully developed song, despite its 28-second running time. All but four of the 21 songs from [Pink Flag](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Flag) fit this criterion. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-under-2-1-2-minutes/441855.md?page=2)