# How many songs start out with a number? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 13, 2016, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672 "2016-08-13T15:47:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/61 "2016-08-14T02:43:10Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > _Rock Around The Clock_, Bill Haley and His Comets. Damn you. All right, then, “73 men sailed up / from the San Francisco Bay…” “Ride Captain Ride”, by Blues Image. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/62 "2016-08-14T03:26:25Z")
**4 + 20** - Stephen Stills Four and twenty years ago, I come into this life, The song of a woman and a man who lived in strife. He was tired of being poor and he wasn’t into selling door to door And he worked like the devil to be more. A different kind of poverty now upsets me so. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/63 "2016-08-14T03:33:46Z")
“One More Night”, Phil Collins ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/64 "2016-08-14T03:36:34Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Damn you. > > All right, then, “73 men sailed up / from the San Francisco Bay…” > > “Ride Captain Ride”, by Blues Image. Looks like you’ll be cursing **Biffy the Elephant Shrew** , too. > [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > “73 men sailed up from the San Francisco Bay…” - Blues Image, **Ride, Captain, Ride** ---
**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:** [August 14, 2016, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/65 "2016-08-14T03:40:04Z")
_“One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight…”_ Slip Kid/The Who ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/66 "2016-08-14T03:52:19Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Looks like you’ll be cursing **Biffy the Elephant Shrew** , too. Dammit! I read the damn thread twice and still somehow missed that. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/67 "2016-08-14T04:41:03Z")
Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young- Ohio “10 soldiers and Nixon Coming…” ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/68 "2016-08-14T04:54:28Z")
> [@Tread](#): > > Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young- Ohio > “10 soldiers and Nixon Coming…” That’s “tin” soldiers. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/69 "2016-08-14T05:09:58Z")
“Four in the morning, came without a warning…”\*\* Four In The Morning\*\*, Night Ranger ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/70 "2016-08-14T05:16:52Z")
> [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](#): > > Manic Monday, the Bangles. > > I believe that’s the first song beginning with six mentioned. Ringo Starr’s “Six O’Clock” begins with the same two words. ---
**Author:** ![Obeseus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbce88/32.png) [@Obeseus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obeseus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/71 "2016-08-14T06:43:46Z")
One Way or Another by Blondie; title is first words of the song. In Robbie Dupree’s Hot Rod Hearts, the song begins “Ten miles east of the highway . . .” ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/72 "2016-08-14T08:41:24Z")
Kraftwerk - [Numbers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vhNRl9N9R4) The lyrics are just counting in various languages. ETA: Eins, zwei, drei, vier Fünf, sechs, sieben, acht Uno, due Três, quatro One, two Ichi, ni, san, chi Adjin, dva, tri Li, tva, tri ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/73 "2016-08-14T08:41:27Z")
Got one! 😃 16 Candles The Crests were the group. Four Seasons and Jackson 5 covered it later. > **[The Four Seasons - 16 Candles Lyrics | AZLyrics.com](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/fourseasons/16candles.html)** > > The Four Seasons "16 Candles": Happy birthday, happy birthday, baby Oh, I love you so Sixteen candles make a lovely light But not... 2nd verse starts… 16 candles make a lovely light But not as bright as your eyes tonight (as your eyes tonight) (Oh) Blow out the candles, make your wish come true ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/74 "2016-08-14T09:09:38Z")
[https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DFW8BKLrO7DI&ved=0ahUKEwiBj5uFxsDOAhXEKyYKHdCRCXwQ3ywIHDAA&usg=AFQjCNErGXGjLRn5azpWs87H\_UvS9DdAQg](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DFW8BKLrO7DI&ved=0ahUKEwiBj5uFxsDOAhXEKyYKHdCRCXwQ3ywIHDAA&usg=AFQjCNErGXGjLRn5azpWs87H_UvS9DdAQg) Four Seasons actually start the song singing 16 Candles over and over again. They don’t sing the Happy Birthday line like The Crests did. ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/75 "2016-08-14T09:39:55Z")
Four Strong Winds Sixty Minute Man One Hundred Years from Today (The Byrds) One Night (Elvis) One Great Love (The Five Keys) I know you’ve never heard of it but you should, check it out on Youtube Seven Days (Joe Cocker) Eighteen Yellow Roses The Ten Commandments of Love ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/76 "2016-08-14T10:26:19Z")
Billy Joel’s \*A Matter of Trust \*has a count in, but sung stylistically, not just grunting into the song … [One, two … a-one, two, three, four …](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yYchgX1fMw) ---
**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/77 "2016-08-14T16:32:07Z")
The Police’s “Invisible Sun” might count – after about 10 seconds of synth sounds, Sting monotonically counts off six measures (as opposed to beats). The drums and guitar enter at “1”. I cheated by sorting my music collection by song and going to the numbers section. That turned up: “ **1234** ” by Feist (“1, 2, 3, 4, tell me that you love me more / Sleepless long nights, that is what my youth was for”) “ **10:15 Saturday Night** ” by The Cure (“10:15 on a Saturday night / And the tap drips under the strip light” (those are the lyrics to the version on _Boys Don’t Cry_; other versions have other lyrics)) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/78 "2016-08-14T16:35:19Z")
“76 Trombones” ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/79 "2016-08-14T19:37:12Z")
Extra points if you can spell the composer’s name. ---
**Author:** ![Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeke_N.Destroi)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672/80 "2016-08-14T20:21:22Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > If that counts, add the complete oeuvre of the Ramones to the list. Lol I was just thinking that. But how can you bring up the Ramones and not mention [Twenty twenty twenty fours hours ago](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLlLtSG7xe4) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-songs-start-out-with-a-number/762672.md?page=5)