# When singers sing "Guitar!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 7, 2002, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390 "2002-09-07T04:52:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Monkeypants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Monkeypants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkeypants)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/1 "2002-09-07T04:52:38Z")
That’s all this thread is about. Some friends and I were trying to determine what the worst, most awful thing in music is. This was mine. I just think it is awful. It’s something Heart would do, and Heart were sent from Hell to torment us. So let’s list all the songs we can in which the singer sings “Guitar!” or something like it right before a guitar solo. I am sure it has been sung by pretty cool people too, but I am sure that the majority of times it is someone like Paula Abdul or someone else doing dance music that has a horrible guitar part, circa 1991. It’s a pet peeve of mine. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/2 "2002-09-07T05:15:36Z")
I noticed some country music features this phenomenon. “Who’s Cheatin’ Who” by Lynn Anderson (i think) and Alan Jackson… Some filler track on the Dixie Chicks first album… At least they’re not going “BASS !!”…bwooowowobbwowbwwbowwbowoboowwobowbowobowooooooo:D ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/3 "2002-09-07T05:29:11Z")
How about Rod Stewart, on the Faces’ “Stay With Me”? ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/4 "2002-09-07T06:19:23Z")
“Pick up my guitar and play, just like yesterday. We don’t get fooled again.” The Who ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/5 "2002-09-07T07:02:02Z")
Bono on _Rattle and Hum_ “…my red guitar, on fiiiire, desirre” “…all I have is a red guitar, three chords, and the truth” “…play the blues Edge…” (with a red guitar I wonder?) ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/6 "2002-09-07T07:12:48Z")
Johen Mellencamp “Forget all about that rock -n- roll shit and learn how to play guitar!” ---
**Author:** ![Ersatz\_Shmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ersatz\_Shmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ersatz_Shmoe)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/7 "2002-09-07T07:26:44Z")
“Rock me, Joe…” -The Pixies, “Monkey Gone to Heaven” ---
**Author:** ![Monkeypants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Monkeypants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkeypants)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/8 "2002-09-07T12:10:42Z")
Hmm, you go to sleep and things change overnight. I only wanted to know of occasions when singers sing the sole word, “Guitar!”, before a guitar solo. It does happen in “Stay With Me” – somehow Rod Stewart can almost get away with it. ---
**Author:** ![nefertari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7bcc69/32.png) [@nefertari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nefertari)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/9 "2002-09-07T12:17:08Z")
I’m _sure_ Bon Jovi has been guilty of this heinous crime but I can’t just now put my finger on which song… nefertari ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/10 "2002-09-07T19:53:23Z")
> [@](#): > > “Pick up my guitar and play, just like yesterday. We don’t get fooled again.” The Who The Who song “A Quick One While He’s Away” has a chorus of “Cello cello cello cello cello cello cello cello”. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/11 "2002-09-07T20:11:53Z")
In an odd twist on this theme, the late Michael Hutchence announces “Trumpet!” right before Kirk Pengilly’s saxophone solo in “New Sensation”. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/12 "2002-09-07T20:13:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Smapti \* > \*\* > > The Who song “A Quick One While He’s Away” has a chorus of “Cello cello cello cello cello cello cello cello”. Does that count? \*\* No, because they’re singing it _instead_ of hiring someone the play a cello part, not to draw attention to the fact that they’ve got a cellist. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/13 "2002-09-07T21:48:34Z")
On one of the songs on the Monkees’ first album, Mike Nesmith shouts “Pick it, Wilson” just before the guitar comes in, which has to be one of the best variations on the theme. ---
**Author:** ![SAustinTx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@SAustinTx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SAustinTx)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/14 "2002-09-07T21:56:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nefertari \* > \*\*I’m _sure_ Bon Jovi has been guilty of this heinous crime but I can’t just now put my finger on which song… > > nefertari \*\* I have a feeling you’re thinking about Poison. I can think of two relevant instances: the first is the song “Nothing But A Good Time”, where singer Bret Michaels does in fact mutter the singular exclamation guitar before the solo; the second is the song “Talk Dirty To Me”, where he actually says, “CC, pick that bad guitar and talk to me”. How’s that for diversity? SAustinTx ---
**Author:** ![SAustinTx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@SAustinTx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SAustinTx)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/15 "2002-09-07T21:58:49Z")
Damn. After posting that Poison response, I remembered the AC/DC song “Let There Be Rock”. While Brian Johnson doesn’t scream “guitar!” right before the solo, he does count off the essential ingredients to a rock show against a spare rhythmic backdrop (“lights…drums…GUITAR!”) before the guitar riff comes in. SAustinTx ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/16 "2002-09-07T23:44:29Z")
How about _Rocket_ by Def Leppard? There’s a part where he says : “Guitar! Drums\*! (something garbled)!” \*cue the one-armed wife beater! Something similar appears in Queen’s _The Invisible Man_, where each band member’s name is spoken right before he does his thing. Right before the vocals start in the beginning, someone yells “Freddie Mercury.” Before a guitar solo, Freddie cries out “Brian May, Brian May!” A quick “John Deacon” is thrown in before a bass solo, and, to top it all off “RRRRRRRRRRoger Taylor,” right before the drum solo. ---
**Author:** ![bleach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bleach/32/3106_2.png) [@bleach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bleach)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/17 "2002-09-08T00:08:41Z")
Monkeypants, Steven Tyler announces “Guitar!” in “What It Takes” by Aerosmith. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/18 "2002-09-08T09:36:13Z")
Ah, you refer to the “great rock and roll cliche”. All experienced musiscians are aware of its use and misuse. “Guitar!” is right up there with “let’s go!” “come on!” “get up!” “get down!” “take it!” If you use one and you’re obvious, you’re a hack. Use one and you’re subtle, and youre a hit. Use one in such a way nonoe realizes it’s already been done a million yimes before, you’re a genius! ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/19 "2002-09-08T09:37:56Z")
Christ, my typing…yeesh. Sorry, **cranky** , I know that’s your pet peeve ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390/20 "2002-09-08T22:34:02Z")
In “Cover of the Rolling Stone”, the Dr Hook singer yells “RAWK AND ROLLLL!!!” to introduce the most inept guitar solo ever. Inept on purpose, of course - it’s a comedy song. The guitarist abandons the solo partway through after he gets hopelessly muddled. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-singers-sing-guitar/127390.md?page=2)