Verse 2:
*Music knows it is and always will
Be one of the things that life just won’t quit
But here are some of music’s pioneers
That time will not allow us to forget
For there’s Basie, Miller, Satchmo
And the king of all Sir Duke
And with a voice like Ella’s ringing out
There’s no way the band can lose *
But:
Christmas Rapping by The Waitresses
Also: Classical Gas by Mason Williams (although that one is probably cheating)
Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing-- Minutemen
You guys are good. I know many of these songs, but I struggle to come up with examples.
However: “Life During Wartime”, by Talking Heads.
Woo-hoo.
mmm
“Scenes From an Italian Restaurant”-Billy Joel
Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers.
TV Tropes’ entry on this subject, with the combined brainstorming of many many wiki-goers.
‘Tom’s Diner’ by Suzanne Vega
Jefferson Airplane–White Rabbit
Simon & Garfunkel–A Simple Desultory Phillipic
Leonard Cohen–Story of Isaac
Instrumental-only works are not, by definition, “songs” (they contain no singing) and are therefore excluded from consideration.
About half the Smashing Pumpkins catalog fits. Off the top of my head: Siva, Rhinocerous, Cherub Rock, Rocket, Geek USA, Mayonaise, Jellybelly, Thirty-Three, etc…
If you pick at random from artists in the indie/alternative rock side of things, you’re likely to find countless examples of this.
“Tubthumping” Chumbawumba
“Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand” Primitive Radio Gods
“A Quick One While He’s Away” The Who
“One Chord Wonders” The Adverts
“After the Gold Rush” Neil Young
“The Last Resort” The Eagles
“A Sort of Homecoming” U2
“New York Mining Disaster 1941” The Bee Gees
“A Lover’s Concerto” The Toys
“Blue Monday” New Order
“Maggie May” Rod Stewart (sings ‘Maggie’ a lot but not ‘Maggie May’)
:dubious:
“She’s a brick and I’m drowning slowly…” - the first line of the chorus.
The Alphabet Song
Green Day’s “Good Riddance”
Bob Dylan’s Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts
Tom Paxton’s Hooker
:smack:
I should have remembered that. Thanks for the correction.
“Brain Damage”, Pink Floyd
Two from the LP Elton John:
First Episode at Hienton
The Greatest Discovery.
Gorillaz have quite a few: