I’m listening to an oldies CD. The back says: Doobie Brothers— Long Train Running. I’m thinking that I’ve never heard that Doobie Brothers song before and then it plays. It’s Without Love. Only that’s not the name, is it?
Like Baba O’Reily, which I always thought was called Teenage Wasteland.
Then there’s Sister Christian-- they say the words “Sister Christian” in the song, but I always thought the name of the song was Motoring.
“Danny’s Song” (or, “Even though we ain’t got money, I’m so in love with you honey…”)
And for what it’s worth, I’ve forgotten the title of “For What It’s Worth” several times. I think my brain is hardwired to think of that song as “What’s That Sound?”
Michael Nesmith was never one to write refrains. His song titles often are not mentioned in the lyrics.
There’s a great Monkee’s Era Nes story. The Nesmith-penned song “Auntie’s Municipal Court” had been getting some airplay but no one was buying the single- because no one had any idea what the title of the song was. One of the Suits from Screen Gems decided that Nes needed a lesson in how to write a hit song. He explained that a hit song should be “good clean fun” and that the title should be said over and over again.
The next song that Nes wrote and submitted for the Monkees was a song called, “Good Clean Fun”, in which the title never once appears in the lyrics.
(source: liner notes from Listen to the Band boxed set.)
Blur - Song #2 - the chorus is simply “Woo-HOOOOO” as the song goes from kinda grimy strummy stuff to a big grungy rock sound. It was used in 1,000 commercials, so you probably heard it.
Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet with Butterfly Wings - “Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage”
Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock - “Oh - let me out; hey - let me out” (off Siamese Dream - one of their best songs)
The list goes on and on, but that’s a start from the 90’s (oh, everybody knows Nirvana’s “Lithium”, but I don’t think that word is in the lyrics, IIRC)