# 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:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/41 "2005-10-06T15:16:42Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > This one is cheating, technically, but what the hell. > > On Elton John’s album _Goodbye Yellow Brick Road_, the song “Love Lies Bleeding” is preceded by “Funeral for a Friend,” an instrumental. Because the one cut flows seamlessly into the next, I always regarded “Funeral for a Friend” as an _extremely_ long intro to “Love Lies Bleeding.” > > My experience is based on the vinyl album; I never owned the CD, and I do not know whether a break was interposed between the two songs upon remastering. The same is true for the Intro to Jesus Christ Superstar, that blends perfectly into the first song “Heaven on Their Minds.” Note: I’m not talking about the song “Superstar” here, but the album. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/42 "2005-10-06T15:24:21Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > The same is true for the Intro to Jesus Christ Superstar, that blends perfectly into the first song “Heaven on Their Minds.” > > Note: I’m not talking about the song “Superstar” here, but the album. Though, having played that show, the Overture and Heaven on Their Minds are definitely two different pieces, with a stop (albeit brief) and start. Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding are indeed one track on the CD, though interestingly in the Elton John songbook, they’re listed separately, but with the last measure of FfaF being followed by the words, “continued on page such-and-such,” and there is no double bar at the end of the song. I’ve never seen anything written in such a way. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/43 "2005-10-06T15:33:28Z")
> [@baileygrrrl](#): > > I guess I’m looking for Rock songs, mostly. Well, that’s too bad, because I am taking you to [Funky Town](http://www.funkytown.com/)\* Lipps Inc., proprietors ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/44 "2005-10-06T15:52:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Oddly enough, I’ve had Funeral For A Friend stuck in my head all day. > [@](#): > > I always regarded “Funeral for a Friend” as an extremely long intro to “Love Lies Bleeding.” > [@](#): > > That John Mellencamp song. “I Need a Lover (Who Won’t Drive Me Crazy)”. > [@](#): > > I Need a Lover by John Cougar. > [@](#): > > “I need a Lover Who Won’t Drive me Crazy” – John Mellencamp > [@](#): > > “Theme from Shaft” is 3 minutes long. It’s all instrumental for the first minute. > [@](#): > > …and don’t forget Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft,” which is almost entirely musical intro… Here are three I can’t believe no one has mentioned: “Funeral for a Friend” by Elton John, “I Need a Lover” by John (Cougar) Mellencamp, and the theme from “Shaft”. 😛 One no one has yet mentioned, however, is the seldom-heard extended intro to Dire Strait’s “Money for Nothing”. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931/45 "2005-10-06T16:11:19Z")
Dave Matthews’ intro to _American Baby_ runs out to 2:04 but is listed as a separate track on the CD. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-long-musical-intros/324931.md?page=2)