# Songs that are too short **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2002, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484 "2002-12-23T04:15:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/1 "2002-12-23T04:15:34Z")
Have you got a song that was good So good that as you get really into it It ends, and you go like Janet Jackson at the end of “Escapade”? That you have to play it twice In a row to get a semblance Of length, if not resolution It may include songs that are missing verses from the original Here are two of mine: “Charlie Brown” by the Coasters “She’s Leaving Home” by the Beatles “Don’t Mug Yourself” by The Streets ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/2 "2002-12-23T04:22:27Z")
“Little Wing” by Jimi Hendrix - barely over two minutes. Luckily, Stevie Ray Vaughan dusted the song off and gave it a six-minute-long instrumental treatment, so I’m happy. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/3 "2002-12-23T04:42:28Z")
The shortest song ever to reach number one in _Billboard’s_ ratings? “Stay”, by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs clocked in at one minute, fifty-eight seconds. It’s good to play it twice. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/4 "2002-12-23T04:50:47Z")
‘a song for europe’ by roxy music ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/5 "2002-12-23T05:24:31Z")
Red Rubber Ball, the Cyrkle ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/6 "2002-12-23T06:19:04Z")
That was one minute, **twenty eight** seconds. Pretty mid-tempo too. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/7 "2002-12-23T07:13:44Z")
“Hazy Shade of Winter” both by the Bangles as well as Simon & Garfunkel. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/8 "2002-12-23T13:48:51Z")
_Welcome to the Working Week_ by Elvis Costello is just too short. Such a great song, but it only lasts a couple of minutes or so. And I can’t put it on repeat cause it’s this weird black plastic thing that my Dad’s got. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/9 "2002-12-23T14:00:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gex gex \* > \*\*_Welcome to the Working Week_ by Elvis Costello is just too short. Such a great song, but it only lasts a couple of minutes or so. And I can’t put it on repeat cause it’s this weird black plastic thing that my Dad’s got. \*\* so far, that’s the best vote: it does seem not only short, but incomplete: most other songs are either short for humorous effect (“old mother reagan” violent femmes) or short because they’ve said all they needed to (“lets go pop” by the figgs), but it didnt seem he was done here. another candidate: “Warm fuzzy feeling” by fastball. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/10 "2002-12-23T14:45:55Z")
[sung to the tune of Tah-rah-rah-boom-de-ay] This is your birthday song it isn’t very long. ---
**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:** [December 23, 2002, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/11 "2002-12-23T15:19:41Z")
Schubert’s Eighth Symphony, of course. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/12 "2002-12-23T16:50:03Z")
[This whole CD](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000J631) makes you wish the songs were longer. ---
**Author:** ![TigoleBitties](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cab0a1/32.png) [@TigoleBitties](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TigoleBitties)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/13 "2002-12-23T17:24:48Z")
Girlfriend by Matthew Sweet. It really harkens back to some pure rock sound and I love the way he busts out with a damn good guitar solo. Too short though. ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/14 "2002-12-23T18:19:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SmackFu \* > \*\*[This whole CD](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000J631) makes you wish the songs were longer. \*\* I was just going to post that! Wonderful sampler of some of my favorite bands. ---
**Author:** ![mister\_me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@mister\_me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_me)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/15 "2002-12-23T18:44:40Z")
Jim Croche - I’ve got a name. I think it’s about 2 mins. long ---
**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/16 "2002-12-23T23:23:42Z")
“What Do You Say to That?” by George Strait Life could never be the same without you, love was never really love without you, here beside you is really where it’s at, what do you say to that? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/17 "2002-12-24T00:54:33Z")
I thought of a real one this time. “The Wind” by Cat Stevens. Very pretty slow song, but only 1:42 long. ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/18 "2002-12-24T02:11:36Z")
I prefer short songs. Most songs are too long. Either that or my attention span is too short. ---
**Author:** ![TheeGrumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/19 "2002-12-24T02:20:39Z")
Whenever I hear “Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads, I always think it ends too soon. Luckily, there’s the live version where they just jam forever. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484/20 "2002-12-24T05:10:26Z")
Innagaddadavida. What are you people looking at me like that for? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-too-short/144484.md?page=2)