Songs where the different choruses have a slight change of lyrics

Cafe Society
41

“One Week” by the Barenaked Ladies alters the chorus each of the three times it’s sung:

It’s been one week since you looked at me
Cocked your head to the side and said I’m angry
Five days since you laughed at me saying
Get that together, come back and see me
Three days since the living room
I realized it’s all my fault, but couldn’t tell you
Yesterday you’d forgiven me
But it’ll still be two days till I say I’m sorry

…

It’s been one week since you looked at me
Threw your arms in the air and said you’re crazy
Five days since you tackled me,
I’ve still got the rug burns on both my knees
It’s been three days since the afternoon
You realized it’s not my fault, not a moment too soon
Yesterday you’d forgiven me,
And now I sit back and wait till you say you’re sorry

…

It’s been one week since you looked at me
Dropped your arms to the sides and said I’m sorry
Five days since I laughed at you and said
You just did just what I thought you were gonna do!
Three days since the living room,
We realized we were both to blame, but what could we do?
Yesterday you just smiled at me
Cause we still got two days till we say we’re sorry

42

ELO’s The Diary of Horace Wimp has the chorus:

“Horace Wimp - This is Your Life!
Go out and find youself a wife!”

Which is changed in the last time through to:

“Horace Wimp - This is Your Wife!
Go out and find youself a Life!”

43

Bruce Springsteen, Pink Cadillac:
Honey I just wonder what you do there in the back of your Pink Cadillac…
Honey I just wonder what it feels like in the back of your Pink Cadillac…

George Strait, All My Exes Live in Texas:
That’s why I hang my hat in Tennessee…
Therefore I reside in Tennessee…

44

Hosanna from Jesus Christ Superstar

Hosanna, hey, Sanna, Sanna, Sanna,
Hosanna, hey, Sanna, Hosanna.
Hey, JC, JC, won’t you smile at me?
Sanna, Hosanna, hey, Superstar.

Hosanna, hey, Sanna, Sanna, Sanna,
Hosanna, hey, Sanna, Hosanna.
Hey, JC, JC, you’re all right by me.
Sanna, Hosanna, hey, Superstar.

Hosanna, hey, Sanna, Sanna, Sanna,
Hosanna, hey, Sanna, Hosanna.
Hey, JC, JC, won’t you fight for me
Sanna, Hosanna, hey, Superstar.

Hosanna, hey, Sanna, Sanna, Sanna,
Hosanna, hey, Sanna, Hosanna.
Hey, JC, JC, won’t you die for me
Sanna, Hosanna, hey, Superstar.

45

According to Mr. Croce, you’re not supposed to mess with Jim. Later, you’re not supposed to mess with Slim.

46

Another Tom Paxton one is The Marvelous Toy (no, Chad Mitchell did not write it). When the singer owns the Marvelous Toy:

It went zip when it moved and bop when it stopped and whirr when it stood still.
I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will.

In the third verse, he has given the Toy to his own son:

It still goes zip when it moves and bop when it stops and whirr when it stands still.
I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will.

47

Star Trekking across the universe
On the Starship Enterprise, under Captain Kirk
Star Trekking across the universe
Boldly going forward

  1. cause we can’t find reverse
  2. we still can’t find reverse
  3. and things are looking worse.
48

That’s a different category, like the “Yellow Clubmarine” in the final verse of the flip side of “Eleanor Rigby.”

49

Police: Synchronicity II

With each chorus the beast in the lake comes closer.

Many miles away
Something crawls from the slime
At the bottom of a dark Scottish lake

Many miles away
Something crawls to the surface
Of a dark Scottish loch

Many miles away
There’s a shadow on the door
Of a cottage on the shore

50

The Kinky Friedman classic They Ain’t Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore

No, they ain’t makin’ Jews like Jesus anymore,
They don’t turn the other cheek the way they done before.
He started in to shoutin’ and a-spittin’ on the floor,
“Lord, they ain’t makin’ Jews like Jesus anymore.”

No, they ain’t makin’ Jews like Jesus anymore,
We don’t turn the other cheek the way we done before.
You could hear that honky holler as he hit that hardwood floor
“Lord, they sho’ ain’t makin’ Jews like Jesus anymore!”

Everybody!
They ain’t makin’ Jews like Jesus anymore,
They ain’t makin’ carpenters who know what nails are for.
Well, the whole damn place was singin’ as I strolled right out
the door
“Lord, they ain’t makin’ Jews like Jesus anymore!”

No, we ain’t makin’ Jews like Jesus anymore,
We don’t turn the other cheek the way they done before.
Well, the whole damn place was singin’ as I strolled right out
the door
“Lord, they ain’t makin’ Jews like Jesus anymore!”

51

Bumping this thread for a mention of Don McClean’s Vincent.

1st & 2nd verse:
Now I understand what you tried to say to me.
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free.
They did not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they’ll listen now.

3rd verse:
Now I think I know what you tried to say to me.
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they’re not listening still.
Perhaps they never will.

They did not listen, they’re not listening still.
Perhaps

52

It’s a great trick, especially (like the Parrothead tune in the OP) when it underscores dramatic movement from the verses.

The first one that occurs to me that’s not mentioned above is Fortunate Son, by John Fogerty. It’s not the very best type; it reflects differences in the verses, but there’s no dramatic movement involved.

53

Elvis Costello’s Brilliant Mistake:

  • It was a fine idea at the time, now it’s a Brilliant Mistake …

  • He was a fine idea at the time, now he’s a Brilliant Mistake …

  • I was a fine idea at the time, now I’m a Brilliant Mistake …

54

Bob Dylan, “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll”: each verse ends with:

And you who philosophize disgrace
And criticize all fears
Take the rag away from your face
Now ain’t the time for your tears

Until the last verse changes to:

Bury the rag now deep in your face
For now’s the time for your tears.

55

No… that’s exactly this category.

56

“Interstate Love Song” by Stone Temple Pilots. The last line of the first chorus is:
All of these things you said to me

In the second chorus, it becomes:
All of these things I said to you.

57

Electric Light Orchestra’s The Diary of Horace Wimp

"Don’t be afraid.
Just knock on the door.
Well, he just stood there mumbling and fumbling
Then a voice from above, said:
“Horace Wimp, this is your Life
go out and find yourself a Wife.
Take a stand, and be a man
and you will have a great life planned”

then, after he gets a wife, it changes to:

“Horace Wimp, this is your Wife!
Go out and find yourself a Life…”

58

Would The Police’s Every Breath You Take fit in? Because I’m wondering if the song is mostly chorus and one verse or if the chorus gets sung only once.

59

oops

60

For most of the song, Jim Croce said,

“You don’t tug on Superman’s Cape,
You don’t spit into the wind,
You don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
And you don’t mess around with Jim.”

But in the last verse, after Jim has gotten his ass kicked by a country boy, the chorus goes,

“You don’t tug on Superman’s Cape,
You don’t spit into the wind,
You don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
And you don’t mess around with Slim.”