# Songs with finite lists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2007, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819 "2007-12-04T19:49:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/1 "2007-12-04T19:49:07Z")
I’m looking for songs that have complete lists as defined or suggested by the song itself. Example: **YES** : “16 Reasons” (Connie Stevens), which itemizes all 16 reasons why she loves you, one by one. **NO** : “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” (Paul Simon), which lists a few ways, but definitely not 50. **YES** : “Sunday” (written by Jule Styne), which works its way through the work week. No, it doesn’t include Saturday, but the day-by-day pattern of the song is still internally complete and consistent. **NO** : “California Girls” (Beach Boys), which lists assorted geographic areas of girls he likes, but in way that’s both random and allows for obvious omissions. Since it’s the season, an obvious candidate is “The 12 Days of Christmas”. Any others you can think of? ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/2 "2007-12-04T20:09:19Z")
Kiss off by the Violent Femmes. Also 88 lines about 44 women. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/3 "2007-12-04T20:11:25Z")
A Beach Boys song that DOES count: Calendar Girl. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/4 "2007-12-04T20:25:00Z")
“God” by John Lennon. (“Calendar Girl” was done by Neil Sedaka.) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/5 "2007-12-04T20:26:56Z")
_Seven Deadly Sins_ from the Traveling Wilburys lists seven things, some of them sins. _Ten Commandments Of Love,_ covered by Ry Cooder, walks through ten things, most of them commandment-like. _M-O-T-H-E-R_ and _L-O-V-E_ both have a line for each letter. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/6 "2007-12-04T20:31:37Z")
“People Who Died” by the Jim Carroll Band “I Just Called to Say I Love You” by Stevie Wonder All of those “how many is this?” mini-songs from Sesame Street ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/7 "2007-12-04T20:40:48Z")
[ul] [li]Johnny Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere” lists several dozen locations throughout the song.[/li][li]Huey Lewis’ “Heart of Rock n’ Roll” lists a handful of U.S. cities.[/li][li]Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” lists significant historical events (and is due for some updates as indicated in recent threads on this board regarding this song)[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/8 "2007-12-04T20:46:07Z")
[QUOTE=fishbicycle] (“Calendar Girl” was done by Neil Sedaka.) [/QUOTE] Really? Did the Beach Boys do a cover? Because I could swear I remember this being them… ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/9 "2007-12-04T20:48:22Z")
_The Elements_, by Tom Lehrer. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/10 "2007-12-04T21:01:58Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] Really? Did the Beach Boys do a cover? Because I could swear I remember this being them… [/QUOTE] I don’t think so. I have all of their albums and singles, and I’m not aware of it being on any of them. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/11 "2007-12-04T21:03:33Z")
[QUOTE=fishbicycle] I don’t think so. I have all of their albums and singles, and I’m not aware of it being on any of them. [/QUOTE] Never mind. On Googling, it was apparently a Mike Love solo recording, which my brain was expanding to include the whole bunch of 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/12 "2007-12-04T21:05:01Z")
Brian McKnight, Back At One. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/13 "2007-12-04T21:06:16Z")
[QUOTE=dwc1970] [ul] [li]Johnny Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere” lists several dozen locations throughout the song.[/li][li]Huey Lewis’ “Heart of Rock n’ Roll” lists a handful of U.S. cities.[/li][li]Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” lists significant historical events (and is due for some updates as indicated in recent threads on this board regarding this song)[/li][/ul] [/QUOTE] None of these lists are finite, tho, as asked for by the OP. I think Mustard Plug’s “Snaknin’ By Numbers” fits. Apparently, there’s 3 steps. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/14 "2007-12-04T21:06:48Z")
Oh, so I was only a bit wrong. I haven’t kept up with Mike’s solo career. I’ve had a look at some of his catalogue, and he recorded a lot of stuff that frankly, a lot of people have never heard. I would kind of expect his records to sound something like The Beach Boys, so it’s easy to see how you made the connection. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/15 "2007-12-04T21:07:49Z")
[QUOTE=Tenebras] Also 88 lines about 44 women. [/QUOTE] Which was done by The Nails. I don’t think they ever did anything else that wasn’t on _Hotel For Women_. The Cure and The Easybeats both did songs detailing the days of the week. Also The Beatles “Lady Madonna”, but they leave out one day (Wednesday?) ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/16 "2007-12-04T21:07:54Z")
[QUOTE=Tenebras] Kiss off by the Violent Femmes. [/QUOTE] Of course, he forgot what 8 was for…so does that count? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/17 "2007-12-04T21:08:27Z")
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/18 "2007-12-04T21:27:53Z")
[Inigo Montoya] You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means[/Inigo Montoya] Try coming up with a song with an _infinite_ list. It’d make 100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall seem tolerable. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/19 "2007-12-04T21:30:21Z")
Police’s “Murder By Numbers” Claims that it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 and then goes on to give the three steps (Harden your heart, poison someone, do a “twosome” or a “threesome” until your conscious is cold). Granted, those are pretty shoddy instructions. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819/20 "2007-12-04T21:30:28Z")
Does “Friday I’m in Love” by \*\*The Cure \*\* count? I believe he lists each day of the week in it. Oh, I’ll also list “Box Set” by **Barenaked Ladies**. In it, you get a breakdown of what each disc of the fictional band’s box set contains… “Disc one, it’s where we begun… it’s all our greatest hits. Disc two, it was all brand new…” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-finite-lists/428819.md?page=2)