# Well well well **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 24, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634 "2014-01-24T18:19:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/1 "2014-01-24T18:19:59Z")
Why did so many 50s and 60s songs begin with the word “well”? Well…why? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/2 "2014-01-24T18:21:01Z")
Filler text. “Baby” still seems to be popular as well, if Justin Bieber is anything to go by. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/3 "2014-01-24T18:26:11Z")
If so many did, it shouldn’t be hard for you to give us a few examples. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/4 "2014-01-24T18:33:22Z")
“Party Doll” by Buddy Knox: “Well all I want is a party doll…” “Be-Bop-A-Lula” by Gene Vincent: “Well, be-bop-a-lula, she’s my baby…” “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis: “Well, since my baby left me…” ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/5 "2014-01-24T18:41:22Z")
Longstanding tradition of English-language narrative to begin with a word of pause as the speaker gathers his thoughts and prepares to orate, going back to Old English if not longer. The first world of Beowulf is “Hwaet…” which translates to “So…” ---
**Author:** ![randompattern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@randompattern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randompattern)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/6 "2014-01-24T18:43:50Z")
Deep subject 😃 ``` < runs away> ``` ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/7 "2014-01-24T19:02:15Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > If so many did, it shouldn’t be hard for you to give us a few examples. Ok, a few: “Well hello Peggy Sue…” “Well she was just seventeen…” “Well no one told me about her…” “Well shake it up baby now…” “Well, they took some honey from the tree…” ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/8 "2014-01-24T20:13:50Z")
When I saw the thread title, my first thought was, [“Junior built himself a swing!”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLZ7PZuuDp0) ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/9 "2014-01-24T20:43:29Z")
Maybe this [guy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8MId-DtvZE) would know. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/10 "2014-01-24T21:07:46Z")
[Sittin’ Here Lala](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5LnpErE6f4), Lee Dorsey. Actually starts “Oh. . .well. . .” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/11 "2014-01-24T21:37:50Z")
Paul McCartney’s song “Long Haired Lady” starts with 5 "well"s. Can anybody beat that? ---
**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:** [January 24, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/12 "2014-01-24T21:44:06Z")
“Well” is a common way to start an anecdote that you’ve been asked to tell… “Hey Hank, I heard you had a crazy night. Tell me all about…” “Well…” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/13 "2014-01-24T22:53:59Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > If so many did, it shouldn’t be hard for you to give us a few examples. The majority of The Beach Boys catalog. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/14 "2014-01-24T22:57:17Z")
> [@randompattern](#): > > Deep subject 😃 > > ``` > < runs away> > > ``` Don’t poison the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/15 "2014-01-24T23:06:40Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > The majority of The Beach Boys catalog. 🙂 So help you Rhonda! ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/16 "2014-01-24T23:08:49Z")
All too many people (including Eddie Vedder) think the chorus of “Last Kiss” starts “Oh where, oh where” But it’s really “Well where, oh where”. [Cite](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4-tsDkmPr4). ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/17 "2014-01-25T01:25:16Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Paul McCartney’s song “Long Haired Lady” starts with 5 "well"s. Can anybody beat that? Did somebody say [beat](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAQeys_7V7c)? ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/18 "2014-01-25T02:59:10Z")
It doesn’t start with well, but John Lennon’s “Well Well Well” contains a lot of wells. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/19 "2014-01-25T06:40:30Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Don’t poison the thread. Too late. [Oh well](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKjfjO2Y1H4)… ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634/20 "2014-01-25T13:39:41Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Longstanding tradition of English-language narrative to begin with a word of pause as the speaker gathers his thoughts and prepares to orate, going back to Old English if not longer. The first world of Beowulf is “Hwaet…” which translates to “So…” Yes, and I guess I have assumed that early rock got it from the blues. Well I woke up this morning to find my baby gone… Well I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer… That type of thing… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-well/679634.md?page=2)