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Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 17, 2020 7:35 am
by mikejasond
knee tunes wrote:stip wrote:while they are simple lyrics I’ve always loved ‘so she said/have I got a little story for you’. i love how it feels like it could go anywhere- that may be eddie’ delivery though
I always thought it was "son, she said...."
Yeah, though it IS a great line.
I agree that I love how it feels like it could go anywhere.
And then it goes to the worst possible place.
I bet if you had somebody try to predict the next line of that song that would never come up in a billion years.
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 17, 2020 7:45 am
by mikejasond
stip wrote:restless soul, enjoy your youth is an excellent opening lyric, though I'm not a fan of the line that follows.
Jeremy's opening lyrics are quite evocative
I agree with both these. Like Alive, Not For You has another amazing line followed up by a terrible line.
The double "top" in Jeremy sounds nice. Jeremy's whole first verse is good.
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 17, 2020 2:23 pm
by DissidentRival4
EJ wrote:Lives opened and trashed...
Look ma, watch me crash...
No time to question...
why'd nothing last..
hahaha - I've been singing this quite wrong for over 20 years now..
Life's a game of chance
look ma, watch me crash
no time to question
why nothing less
oops

Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 17, 2020 2:29 pm
by DissidentRival4
"Come to send, not condescend. Transcendental consequences to transcend..
Where we are...Who are we? Who we are..."
Lyrically this is one of my all time fav songs.
And while not necessarily deep or anything, always loved this opening line as well:
"Large fingers pushing paint..."
Like it's been brought up before, it's more the delivery than the line - the way he holds the "pai" in paint then really emphasizes the "nt". Love that part...
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 17, 2020 3:13 pm
by EJ
SUPERBLOOD WOLFMOON
One, two, three the wolf has come
here to take all you ever want
Wow, I've been hearing that first line wrong all along.
Always thought it went:
one, two, three, Worf has come
https://blackmarketaftermath.bandcamp.com/
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 17, 2020 4:40 pm
by mkay0
Don't even think about reachin' me
I won't be home
Don't even think about stoppin' by
Don't think of me at all
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 17, 2020 9:09 pm
by Homeboyd
Routine was the theme
He'd wake up, wash and pour himself into uniform
Something he hadn't imagined being
As the merging traffic passed
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Sat February 22, 2020 5:03 am
by Leatherhead
The sirens scream wanton attention
Time to take heed and change directions
Time to take stock and make omissions
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Sat February 22, 2020 10:56 am
by stip
Leatherhead wrote:The sirens scream wanton attention
Time to take heed and change directions
Time to take stock and make omissions
those are pretty good.
I've never liked the opening lyrics to Sleight of Hand or Who You Are, though in the case of who you are I've always taken them as at least slightly tongue in cheek
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 24, 2020 9:02 pm
by guitar_davey
EJ wrote:Lives opened and trashed...
Look ma, watch me crash...
No time to question...
why'd nothing last..

Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 24, 2020 9:04 pm
by Clem Halibut
stip wrote:Leatherhead wrote:The sirens scream wanton attention
Time to take heed and change directions
Time to take stock and make omissions
those are pretty good.
I've never liked the opening lyrics to Sleight of Hand or Who You Are, though in the case of who you are I've always taken them as at least slightly tongue in cheek
Sleight of Hand has great lyrics - Love that song
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 24, 2020 9:06 pm
by guitar_davey
Who's got the brain of JFK?
What's it mean to us now?
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 24, 2020 9:09 pm
by guitar_davey
Clem Halibut wrote:stip wrote:Leatherhead wrote:The sirens scream wanton attention
Time to take heed and change directions
Time to take stock and make omissions
those are pretty good.
I've never liked the opening lyrics to Sleight of Hand or Who You Are, though in the case of who you are I've always taken them as at least slightly tongue in cheek
Sleight of Hand has great lyrics - Love that song
If there's a Pearl Jam song that tangibly altered the direction of my life in any way, it's Sleight of Hand. I was 22 years old, studying business, and hating it; hearing this song made me realize I was on the fast track to being the guy in this song. I did finish the business degree and I do work in an office, but I think I've managed to avoid the "clip-on world" described in this one.
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 24, 2020 9:11 pm
by Clem Halibut
"The waiting drove me mad...You're finally here and I'm a mess"
As far as opening lyrics, this is hard to beat.
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 24, 2020 9:12 pm
by Clem Halibut
guitar_davey wrote:Clem Halibut wrote:stip wrote:Leatherhead wrote:The sirens scream wanton attention
Time to take heed and change directions
Time to take stock and make omissions
those are pretty good.
I've never liked the opening lyrics to Sleight of Hand or Who You Are, though in the case of who you are I've always taken them as at least slightly tongue in cheek
Sleight of Hand has great lyrics - Love that song
If there's a Pearl Jam song that tangibly altered the direction of my life in any way, it's Sleight of Hand. I was 22 years old, studying business, and hating it; hearing this song made me realize I was on the fast track to being the guy in this song. I did finish the business degree and I do work in an office, but I think I've managed to avoid the "clip-on world" described in this one.
I thought of this song every time I drove to the office
Life Wasted had the same impact on me too
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 24, 2020 9:19 pm
by guitar_davey
Clem Halibut wrote:"The waiting drove me mad...You're finally here and I'm a mess"
As far as opening lyrics, this is hard to beat.
I second this. Arguably the most recognizable/quoted opening lyrics to any PJ song.
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 24, 2020 9:58 pm
by Clem Halibut
"Son, she said...Have I got a little story for you"
For many, this was probably the first lyric heard by any Pearl Jam fan
Based on that...this is perhaps the best opening lyric
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 24, 2020 10:01 pm
by guitar_davey
Clem Halibut wrote:"Son, she said...Have I got a little story for you"
For many, this was probably the first lyric heard by any Pearl Jam fan
Based on that...this is perhaps the best opening lyric
Can't argue much with this. It was the first one I heard. It's probably still my sentimental favourite Pearl Jam song.
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Mon February 24, 2020 10:03 pm
by Clem Halibut
guitar_davey wrote:Clem Halibut wrote:"Son, she said...Have I got a little story for you"
For many, this was probably the first lyric heard by any Pearl Jam fan
Based on that...this is perhaps the best opening lyric
Can't argue much with this. It was the first one I heard. It's probably still my sentimental favourite Pearl Jam song.
After all these years...I don't get sick of hearing it on the radio or hearing them play it live
Just an absolute masterpiece
Re: best opening lyrics
Posted: Thu February 15, 2024 1:21 am
by Gigalogy84
Too many to name but I always liked “Don’t need a helmet got a hard, hard head. Don’t need a raincoat I’m already wet.” Whipping is just an awesome song!