# Songs that have long musical intros **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 5, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931 "2005-10-05T18:45:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![baileygrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@baileygrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baileygrrrl)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/1 "2005-10-05T18:45:00Z")
I was listening to the radio on the way into work and hear a couple of songs that inspired this thread. The first was YYZ by Rush and the second was Crazy on you by Heart. The Rush song I kept thinking was an intro to a song and kept expecting to hear the lyrics start. With the Heart song, I always get confused because I think it’s the intro to Crazy on you but really it’s Silver Wheels which always seems to be played before COY. It got me thinking about songs that have long musical intros. I can’t think of any off the top of my head, but I imagine Doors have a few, maybe Rush or Van Halen. I guess I’m looking for Rock songs, mostly. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/2 "2005-10-05T18:48:00Z")
Oddly enough, I’ve had _Funeral For A Friend_ stuck in my head all day. ---
**Author:** ![Marathon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Marathon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marathon)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/3 "2005-10-05T18:50:59Z")
That John Mellencamp song. “I Need a Lover (Who Won’t Drive Me Crazy)”. Very long intro, after which hearing the actual song is sort of a let-down. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/4 "2005-10-05T18:54:37Z")
_To Live is to Die_ by Metallica. ---
**Author:** ![baileygrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@baileygrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baileygrrrl)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/5 "2005-10-05T19:02:45Z")
I was listening to the radio on the way into work and hear a couple of songs that inspired this thread. The first was YYZ by Rush and the second was Crazy on you by Heart. The Rush song I kept thinking was an intro to a song and kept expecting to hear the lyrics start. With the Heart song, I always get confused because I think it’s the intro to Crazy on you but really it’s Silver Wheels which always seems to be played before COY. It got me thinking about songs that have long musical intros. I can’t think of any off the top of my head, but I imagine Doors have a few, maybe Rush or Van Halen. I guess I’m looking for Rock songs, mostly. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/6 "2005-10-05T19:05:46Z")
“Theme from Shaft” is 3 minutes long. It’s all instrumental for the first minute. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/7 "2005-10-05T19:10:08Z")
The original radio version of “Dreamboat Annie” by Heart had a long intro. “New Year’s Day” by U2 has a rather long intro. “Road to Hell” by Chris Rea. ---
**Author:** ![Boardwalk\_Elvis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@Boardwalk\_Elvis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boardwalk_Elvis)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/8 "2005-10-05T19:19:16Z")
If you’re looking for non-live stuff, which I assume you are, I offer you: **NIN** - _Something I Can Never Have_ from [Pretty Hate Machine](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000000GPY/002-9677220-4384040?v=glance) ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/9 "2005-10-05T19:21:49Z")
“Toxicity” by System of a Down has pretty long intro, and although I haven’t timed it I always miss a few bars when I’m trying to sing it, much to the irritation of my little brother. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/10 "2005-10-05T19:24:21Z")
_Life’s Been Good_ by Joe Walsh has a long intro that seems to have nothing to do with the music in the verses, although it repeats a few times during the song. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/11 "2005-10-05T19:27:20Z")
A lot of Opeth’s songs do this. One song in particular (Blackwater Park from the album of the same name) is a little over 10 minutes long with a 3 minute instrumental intro. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/12 "2005-10-05T19:35:37Z")
_Roundabout_ by Yes, _Low Spark of High-heeled Boys_ by Traffic, _Locomotive Breath_ by Jethro Tull ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/13 "2005-10-05T19:43:34Z")
“Radar Love” “Gimme Shelter” “Won’t Get Fooled Again” “Down by The River” and “Cowgirl in the Sand” ---
**Author:** ![AmbushBug](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ambushbug/32/4600_2.png) [@AmbushBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmbushBug)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/14 "2005-10-05T19:49:09Z")
“One Night in Bangkok” (Murray Head) comes to mind, with about a minute of orchestral tuning leading in. I was also going to suggest “More Human Than Human” by White Zombie but the intro is arguably not musical (moaning of a, um, rhythmic nature). As I recall when either song is on the radio, the intro is always skipped. ---
**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/15 "2005-10-05T19:50:54Z")
_Bat out of Hell_ by Meat Loaf. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/16 "2005-10-05T20:23:31Z")
Rod Stewart’s _Maggie Mae_ either has a 40-second intro, or there’s a 40-second bonus track that leads right into the song, depending on which way the album is labeled. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/17 "2005-10-05T20:35:12Z")
I Need a Lover by John Cougar. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/18 "2005-10-05T21:48:00Z")
Sweet Jane by Lou Reed ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/19 "2005-10-05T21:51:12Z")
The Theme from _Shaft_ ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/20 "2005-10-05T22:02:40Z")
Pink Floyd have a number of songs with long intros (almost all of them have long intros by radio single standards.) A couple of examples: Echoes (Meddle) Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Wish You Were Here) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931.md?page=2)