# What are the itty-bitty bits you love in certain songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 19, 2019, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368 "2019-03-19T14:23:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [March 19, 2019, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/1 "2019-03-19T14:23:28Z")
Whenever I hear the Eagles sing “Take it (very dramatic pause) to the limit one more time,” I just love that little silent pause. For me, it makes the whole song. Similarly, when Men At Work sing “Who could it be bow?” and the horn kicks in the those five notes, I just love it. When Bob Seeger sings the chorus to “Old Time Rock and Roll” and the drummer does that short drum roll, I go crazy. It sounds so cool. You have any tiny, tiny parts of songs that you just love? ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/2 "2019-03-19T14:41:42Z")
Shania Twain’s “Any Man of Mine”, they could make a whole song out of the ending line-dance part: [Shania Twain - Any Man Of Mine (Official Music Video) - YouTube](https://youtu.be/8N2k-gv6xNE?t=193) The Breeders “Drivin on 9”, the fiddle part really works for me, especially when the drums come in: [- YouTube](https://youtu.be/GPGGDFt1D2c?t=114) Metallica “The Struggle Within”, that pause and cool heavy riff is awesome: [Metallica - The Struggle Within (HD) - YouTube](https://youtu.be/SFdN3syFxeY?t=170) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/3 "2019-03-19T15:09:21Z")
The “da-da-DA-da” at 28 seconds into “Springtime for Hitler,” and the big buildup to the chorus line at 1:38. The cutaways to Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder are hilarious! [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HPXHRX8Q2hs/hqdefault.jpg "Springtime For Hitler The Producers") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPXHRX8Q2hs) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/4 "2019-03-19T15:16:00Z")
The short guitar part at the end of each line of Brenda Lee’s “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree.” In Santana’s “Soul Sacrifice,” the four-beat silence just before the end. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2019, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/5 "2019-03-19T15:39:26Z")
About 2:20 into Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls” the drum riff is just perfect. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/_Uu12zY01ts/maxresdefault.jpg "Queen - Greatest Hits (1) [1 hour long]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Uu12zY01ts) Two notes in Yes’s “Yours in No Disgrace” at just the right time, at 8:12 into the over 9 minute song. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1fUudna1Xuw/maxresdefault.jpg "Yours Is No Disgrace (2008 Remaster)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fUudna1Xuw) ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/6 "2019-03-19T16:21:00Z")
A couple from The Cars: The guitar bit just after the third “it’s all mixed up” in “All Mixed Up.” 43 seconds in… The awesome break/segue from “Shooby Doo” to “Candy-O” on their second album. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2019, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/7 "2019-03-19T16:42:44Z")
A vocal one from Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody: Gotta leave you all being and face _the truth_. The way the singer’s voice gets deeper and huskier on the last two words is genius. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/8 "2019-03-19T16:45:34Z")
Tom Petty’s _Running Down a Dream_ has a cool guitar part right after every time he says “running down a dream”. J. Geil’s _Freeze Frame_ - After every line the background singers go “dee-da-lee-da-dee”. I end up listening to that more than the main singer. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/9 "2019-03-19T17:10:19Z")
Meat Loaf’s “I Would Do Anything for Love”: The dramatic drums interspersed with the chorus starting at 3:20 ([link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srEe6K34DVo)). Thompson Square “Are You Going to Kiss Me or Not”: Through out the song, the line “Are you going to kiss me or not” is sung as a duet, except for at one point at 2:15 when only the male singer sings it. I’ve always loved that particular part of the song. ([link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDUOcHg5ijg)) ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/10 "2019-03-19T17:17:40Z")
The Who, “Behind Blue Eyes” “But my dreams, they aren’t as empty as my conscience seems to be” In the middle of the word “dreams”, Roger Daltrey’s voice casually pops up about an octave, then scales back down, hitting every note perfectly. It’s not nearly as easy as Daltrey makes it seem. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2019, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/11 "2019-03-19T17:20:15Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > About 2:20 into Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls” the drum riff is just perfect. > > [https://youtu.be/\_Uu12zY01ts?t=940](https://youtu.be/_Uu12zY01ts?t=940) That is one of my favorites as well. Not complicated, but just . . . one of my favorite drum fills/transitions. A highlight moment of the song. That actually reminded me of another similar spot for me; the drum fill coming out of the instrumental solo back into the verse at the end of Dave Matthews’ Band’s “Ants Marching” (4:04-4:07) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/GhswH1bLMy8/maxresdefault.jpg "Dave Matthews - Ants Marching") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhswH1bLMy8&t=240) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/12 "2019-03-19T17:23:31Z")
We actually have a poster named after this piece, K364: Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E-Flat Major, [from 5:08 to 5:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0hTDZ0whpU&t=5m8s). Then there’s this, from Mozart’s 40th symphony, 1st movement from [5:50 to 6:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT4KjUwL3lE&t=5m50s). Yeah, longer than a moment, sorry. Lastly, there’s the ending to the 4th movement of his 41st symphony, from [here to the end.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiX3z_fOR5k&t=10m21s) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/13 "2019-03-19T17:28:39Z")
Ugh, those last two don’t really match the thread. Gonna leave them anyway - I like Smalin’s YouTube work. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2019, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/14 "2019-03-19T17:31:16Z")
In The Band’s “It Makes No Difference” from 3:50-3:55 out of the bridge and back into the chorus. The open-close hi-hat line and simple fill to the break when all the instruments stop except for the soaring echoy strings, and then the drum + vocal pickup into the harmony at the top of the chorus. Musical perfection. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/y_SF6ZDvin4/maxresdefault.jpg "It Makes No Difference (Remastered 2000)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_SF6ZDvin4) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/15 "2019-03-19T17:40:34Z")
I am not fluent in music terminology. There’s a part in “Tempted” by Squeeze where the drummer does something very different from what he has been doing up to that point that is my favorite part of that song. I am also a huge fan of the second guitar solo in “Dogs” by Pink Floyd, possibly because that’s usually the part of the song I’d be hearing when I got back from the bathroom when I was a DJ in college. ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/16 "2019-03-19T17:41:52Z")
Radiohead’s _Black Star_: when the second vocal line threads in on the line “I keep falling over, I keep passing out”. Stereo MCs’ _Connected_: the tiny bit where everything drops out. “Interstate 5, stayin’ alive…” Tori Amos’ \* Cornflake Girl \*: when the bass slides in during the opening jangle. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2019, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/17 "2019-03-19T17:43:00Z")
I still laugh when I hear Arlo sing the last two words of “You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant (excepting Alice).” ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/18 "2019-03-19T17:47:22Z")
Phil Collins’ [In the Air Tonight at 3:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkADj0TPrJA). How do you link a video at a certain time? Also, The Beatles [3:28](https://vimeo.com/216725710). ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/19 "2019-03-19T17:47:30Z")
I listen for “squeaks” from the re-positioning of the guitarist’s fingers. Is there a musical term for this? Notable squeaky songs would be Wish You Were Here, and Every Breath You Take. Lots more, but those are two of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/20 "2019-03-19T17:50:28Z")
Blues Traveler’s _The Hook_. The second time John Popper sings the last line of the chorus “…on that you can rely” and it’s this mini vocal gymnastic, I guess it qualifies as melisma, only it’s not annoying. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368.md?page=2)