# Songs that have awesome intros and then turn to crap: **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 17, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033 "2012-03-17T05:35:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/41 "2012-03-18T04:16:36Z")
> [@fessie](#): > > The Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” is that way, too. 😕 I’m not even a Stones fan but Gimme Shelter is complete, sweet rockin’ goodness. I have to ask, where does it go wrong for you? ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/42 "2012-03-18T04:22:37Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > 😕 I’m not even a Stones fan but Gimme Shelter is complete, sweet rockin’ goodness. I have to ask, where does it go wrong for you? I like the woo-woo part; when the guitar kicks in, it becomes generic for me. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/43 "2012-03-18T05:02:07Z")
My big one is Layla. Great intro and chorus riff, but everything else I can live without. That’s probably my biggest disappointment. “Eye in the Sky” by the Alan Parsons Project is another one that loses me after the opening. Boston’s Foreplay/Been a Long Time (if you consider the former the intro to the latter) also fits. I disagree with many in this thread, but I’ll second “Crazy Train.” As for “Hooked on a Feeling,” I actually _hate_ that damned intro. ---
**Author:** ![azraiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@azraiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/azraiel)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/44 "2012-03-18T06:42:07Z")
> [@fessie](#): > > I like the woo-woo part; when the guitar kicks in, it becomes generic for me. I’m sorry, but there may be something broken inside of you. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/45 "2012-03-18T12:07:25Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > [Take the Money and Run](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFGZufk4HFs) starts with a not-bad percussion and keyboard riff, then immediately becomes crap. None of their music was much good, but while a few of their intros were not bad for the time, their lyrics almost always disappointed. Not one of my favorites. I don’t know where it comes in chronologically, but I prefer the older stuff that highlighted the instrumental work. And I can’t pick up lyrics very well in anything, so I don’t count that for much. I’m still trying to figure out that Happy Birthday song. There’s a word in the third line that sounds different every time I hear it. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/46 "2012-03-18T12:43:32Z")
> [@Satellite\_Guy](#): > > [Styx – Renegade](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXhuso4OTG4). > > The first 41 seconds, a capella mastery. The harmonies in the second half of the intro haunt your soul. in the 42nd second, the song defecates all over itself. That is fucking hilarious. So Spinal Tap. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/47 "2012-03-18T13:10:24Z")
I’ve always felt this way about [‘Good Night’](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIKugx1sToY), the last song on the Beatles’ White Album. The first few seconds are a George Martin strings figure that’s beautiful (f you don’t mind schmaltzy), but when Ringo starts singing, it falls apart. Some have said it’s Ringo’s singing that \*makes \*it fall apart, but I think the melody just doesn’t go anywhere. FWIW, I always thought of [‘My Heart Will Go On’ by Celine Dion](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dhtsH23wmE) (written by James Horner and Will Jennings) as an improved version of this melody. Re: ‘Gimme Shelter’: I consider it a masterpiece, but I think it’s more the Stones recording and performance (not to mention the others’ performances) than the Stones songwriting. I’ve never heard a cover that captured even a fraction of the magic. I’ve heard it described as a great recording of an OK song. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/48 "2012-03-18T14:12:46Z")
> [@azraiel](#): > > I’m sorry, but there may be something broken inside of you. bwahaha – I’ll admit it gets better once the background chickie starts singing too. Still needs more woo. ---
**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 18, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/49 "2012-03-18T14:17:46Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > Next, was “Lovely Rita” by the Beatles. The guitar intro sounded like it was going to be a world-class song, but, as it turned out… > Paul could be a genius, but he had some real turds in his pocket as well. “Lovely Rita” had a great climax as well! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![joew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@joew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joew)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/50 "2012-03-18T14:43:44Z")
Fight the youth by Fishbone. One of the greatest opening parts for any album ever. And then outside of maybe one song - crap. But man that is a great opening. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/51 "2012-03-18T17:38:53Z")
back in the days of MTV showing back-to-back music videos, one opened with a not-dead-yet Dan Fogelberg skiing up to an old cabin and finding a cache of old photos. To almost three minutes of really tasty [“vintage guitar noodling”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-PYjPKseaQ). Now, the album’s got some great bluegrass roots to it, it’s got those tight Fogelbergian harmonies… but it doesn’t have a single note of that guitar! \*Ahh, I just read the comments on YouTube. Most are “Who did the intro?” and “Where can I find the guitar intro?” \* ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/52 "2012-03-19T01:13:57Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > The actual singing part of “Theme from Shaft” is okay, but it’s a million times less interesting than the (very long) intro. If you listen to it as the “Theme from Chef” it becomes more interesting. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/53 "2012-03-19T01:39:58Z")
[Funeral for a Friend by Elton John](http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Funeral+For+A+Friend/3ZbkMF?src=5) - I always thought that what followed the five and a half minute “introduction” was incongruous, both in mood and music (and ‘crap’). ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/54 "2012-03-19T01:52:35Z")
[Welcome Home](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0H3RlaQVrM&ob=av2n) by Coheed and Cambria rocks until about 40 seconds in, when the lead singer’s shrill, ear bleeding voice comes in and fucks everything up. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/55 "2012-03-19T06:16:44Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > I don’t see anything wrong with ‘Hooked on a feeling’ at all.Nice late '60’s pop and a pretty good example. > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNnnWfUpYGg](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNnnWfUpYGg) > [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > That’s the original version. **TriPolar** was referring to the wacked out cover by [Blue Swede](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdkbbUF9D88). Yeah, but that new beginning isn’t really part of the song, it’s just tacked on. > [@casdave](#): > > That horrible ‘Blue Swede’ version is unknown over in the UK, and its a straight rip off from this, > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqiV-jqGK08&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqiV-jqGK08&feature=related) > > Which does a reasonably passable job of taking the original and coming up with a reggae version. This was a very popular way to reinterpret popular songs at that time. > > Lets us never speak of the Blue Swede version ever again. Now that makes it part of the song. Thanks for posting that, **casdave**. I’d never hear it before. > [@blondebear](#): > > Re: Hooked on a Feeling–I think [The Hoff’s version](http://youtu.be/PJQVlVHsFF8) is unbeatable. Oh, man. That is such happy cheese. I’m sending that link around. Thanks, **blondebear**. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033/56 "2012-03-19T16:24:33Z")
Maybe this doesn’t count because it was (understandably) unreleased at the time, but [“If You’ve Got Trouble”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeWBrsnaG_8) starts very promisingly, with one of the most energetic riffs of the Beatles’ middle period… and that’s the only good thing about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-awesome-intros-and-then-turn-to-crap/616033.md?page=2)