Instrumental Breaks that Become Part of the Song's Story

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This is a goofy songwriting technique that I love -- when the instrumental break is supposed to help move the story along, or illustrate some point in the lyrics.

Examples are the riff in Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" ("she gave me a kiss...like this" -- what does the riff tell us about the aforementioned kiss?) or the guitar solo in "Are You Experienced?" (when Jimi says he's experienced and then "aww...let me prove it to you" before his solo flight -- his axework is supposed to eliminate all doubt about his experience -- which it does.)

Other examples? And what is the instrumental break in question tell us?

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 5 May 2003 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

it's an extension of the Osmotic Tongue. Like, duh.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 5 May 2003 14:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I heard Tommy James' "I Think We're Alone Now" on the radio this weekend and was thinking of this very idea during the "the beating of our hearts is the only sound . . ." bit when the backing track drops out, leaving only bass drum thumps, crickets, and your imagination to do the work for a coupla bars.

― Lee G (Lee G), Monday, 5 May 2003 15:16 (twenty-two years ago)

that's the thing, no? that's why it doesn't matter that pop lyrics are almost universally asinine as stand-alone prose.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 5 May 2003 15:17 (twenty-two years ago)

the extended breaks in Oasis' "Live Forever" and "Champagne Supernova" express the songs' themes far more eloquently than the lyrics.

― summerslastsound (summerslastsound), Monday, 5 May 2003 15:34 (twenty-two years ago)

The bar code on the back of the Oasis album expresses the songs' themes more eloquently than the lyrics.

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Monday, 5 May 2003 15:39 (twenty-two years ago)

well, yah. but.

― summerslastsound (summerslastsound), Monday, 5 May 2003 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

"Silver Rocket" by Sonic Youth is all over this, man.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Monday, 5 May 2003 15:44 (twenty-two years ago)

tha devil went down to georgia

― M.Slaughter, Monday, 5 May 2003 16:17 (twenty-two years ago)

the Dead Kennedys' "Riot" -- there's a point where suddenly the cops show up, and the music turns evil, and the bass turns evil, and it just gets fuckin' delicious.

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Monday, 5 May 2003 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

"the extended breaks in Oasis' "Live Forever" and "Champagne Supernova" express the songs' themes far more eloquently than the lyrics."

Don't forget all that helicopter shit in "(What's The Story)Morning Glory" that's supposed to symbolize "flying" on cocaine.

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Monday, 5 May 2003 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Also:the "shooting" horn chart vs. guitar chrord whacking in the break in The Who's "Pictures of Lily"

FUNNIEST BREAK EVAH!

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Monday, 5 May 2003 17:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Black Flag's Drinkin' & Drivin' - the gitr solo sounds a hell uh valotte like a car swerving out of control... (guitars that sound like cars could be its own thread though... Dead Man's Curve, Little Red Lights, ...)

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 5 May 2003 17:24 (twenty-two years ago)

In Arab Strap's "Trippy" were the story is told with moody Slint-like music, and the guy freaks out on drugs in the park, turning the song into a techno track, only to return to the original music once he comes down.

More along the lines of the Hendrix example, in "I Heard Her Call My Name" by the Velvets when Lou Reed says "And then my mind split open" and the feedback hits.

― Vic Funk, Monday, 5 May 2003 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

The only thing I can think of is that bit in "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" when ol' Charlie the D is recounting the Devil's turn at sawing the bow and he says: "then a band of demons all joined in....and it sounded somp'um like THIS!"....prompting the band to break into some vaguely ass-backwards keyboard electro-boogie throwdown in which Charlie frantically jerks off all of his violin.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 5 May 2003 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

That reminds me of a lyric, but not a break - The Kinks' "Paranoia" .. "And it goes like this.."

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 5 May 2003 17:48 (twenty-two years ago)

not exactly a break, but the talking steel guitar in "Hello Walls" is pretty neato.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 5 May 2003 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

"Psychotic Reaction"

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Monday, 5 May 2003 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

The bit in the Clash's version of "I Fought the Law" when Strummer sings "Six-gun" while Topper Headon nails six spot-on snare shots. It's one of the best parts of the song and just plain awesome. Similarly, the guitar riff in the Rolling Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'," as well as the drum bit in "Knock on Wood" ("You better knock [bam-bam-bam-bam] on wood," etc.)

― Brandon Gentry (Brandon Gentry), Monday, 5 May 2003 18:20 (twenty-two years ago)

The "circular motion" in "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" by Frank Zappa.

― doug (doug), Monday, 5 May 2003 19:59 (twenty-two years ago)

"Yellow Submarine" - the line "and the band begins to play," followed by what's supposed to be the band in question playing.

― mike a (mike a), Monday, 5 May 2003 20:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Also Pere Ubu's "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" - the whole middle instrumental evoking a military strike

― mike a (mike a), Monday, 5 May 2003 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Eno's 'Taking Tiger Mountain' is particularly rich for this.

These poor girls are such fun,
They know what God gave them their fingers for
To make percussion over solos

(Typewriter solo)

The squadron assembled what senses they had
And this is the sound that they heard...

(Guitar solo)

It's not so much that the solos add a new plot development, more that they share the same pictoral space with the lines which set them up. The lyrics and the solos mutually acknowledge each other, whereas in most pop they're supposed to pretend they don't know they're in the same song. And the solos add absurd textures compatible with the absurd scenarios.

― Momus (Momus), Monday, 5 May 2003 21:20 (twenty-two years ago)

(paraphrasing what I said on the "guitar solo" thread):
the Talking Heads' "Mind" - Byrne's increasingly taut, torn "I . . . need . . . something . . . to . . . change . . . your . . . mind . . ." followed by actually attempting to do so with a squashed, pressurized guitar solo buckling & warping yr/his, well, mind.

― Ess Kay (esskay), Monday, 5 May 2003 22:40 (twenty-two years ago)

speaking of Pere Ubu, there's a little bit in "Final Solution" - I forget the lyrics, but it's something "nuclear destruction", then a "whoosh..." sound.

― doug (doug), Monday, 5 May 2003 22:46 (twenty-two years ago)

does the bit in Prince's "Kiss" before he says "kiss" count?

― slutsky (slutsky), Monday, 5 May 2003 22:51 (twenty-two years ago)

ac/dc "jailbreak"

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 5 May 2003 23:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Following Mike's lead "Jugband Blues" would fit right in, but i don't know if the improv marching band break towards the end really contributes to the 'story' of the song. Sounds good, though.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 01:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Speaking of Zappa and Ubu, and on another thread, Tin Huey .. in Tin Huey's "Hump Day", Chris Butler calls out for a "Coffee Break" as the band does a few bars of improv.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 14:17 (twenty-two years ago)

shadow morton to thread!

― tony bleach (blackshoeswhitesocks), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 14:22 (twenty-two years ago)

There's that little break in "Jennifa Taught Me" by de la soul where "little derwin" demonstrates his mastery of "chopsticks" at the piano.

"look at him go--look at little derwin go!"

― arch Ibog (arch Ibog), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

That part in "Janie's Got a Gun" during the solo where you can hear a second Joe Perry guitar track in the background and it sounds like a police siren.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 15:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't remember the actual name of the song, but that Teardrop Explodes song about Rachel and her steamboat, Baby Boy - the song ends where Julian tells us that enough about the lyrics (which are quite ridiculous actually) - let's just listen to the sound of the Steamboat crossing the sea. And then it goes all neat and textural and psychedelic and wonderful...

― kate, Tuesday, 6 May 2003 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Nick Cave:
".. And Stag.. shot him full of lead ........"

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

The chief offender, as ever, has to be Bono. Bidding a dull-chug-chug guitarist to 'play the blues' is foolhardy enough, but when Edge was asked to 'put El Salvador through the amp', only hilarity could ensue.

― Alan Connor, Jr., Wednesday, 7 May 2003 10:07 (twenty-two years ago)

The third time we opened the capsule, everything went ||||||||||||||||

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 10:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Bernard Sumner's four-note guitar solo at the end of Primal Scream's "Shoot Speed Kill Light".

― tacit (tacit), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 10:32 (twenty-two years ago)

three years pass...

Heroin

― Adam S S (Zephery), Sunday, 3 September 2006 16:39 (nineteen years ago)

ESG - "Moody"

Only the conga can explain what kind of mood she's in.

― Stealth Rodney (R. J. Greene), Monday, 4 September 2006 06:45 (nineteen years ago)

Roxy Music - Editions of You
"That crazy music drives you insane ... this way," just before a two-finger organ solo that presumably demonstrates how.

― Dr Benway (dr benway), Monday, 4 September 2006 07:57 (nineteen years ago)

Orange Juice / Rip it Up: "And my favourite song's entitled 'Boredom'..." followed by the two note solo from 'Boredom' by the Buzzcocks

― bham (bham), Monday, 4 September 2006 08:09 (nineteen years ago)

Dexy's Midnight Runners: "This is what she's like"

of course!

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 4 September 2006 08:16 (nineteen years ago)

My personal favorite:

"Love is fine for all we know
For all we know our love will grow
That's what the man said
So won't you listen to what the main said?
HE SAID:" (cue the instrumental refrain)

There's a song by Genesis on Abacab that does this same thing ("And this is what he said to me...") to introduce the absolutely most adorably dinky and anticlimactic Moog line ever. Anybody know what I'm talking about?

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Monday, 4 September 2006 11:35 (nineteen years ago)

great thread

the entire song 'en melody' by serge gainsbourg, particularly that cheeky little guitar hook is all about being... en melody. literally more than figuratively.

'que j'ai con
nue qu'un instant'
the double entendres and 'jeux de mots' on this record are a delight

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Monday, 4 September 2006 12:45 (nineteen years ago)

fiery furnaces to thread!

especially 'oh sweet woods'.

― Obvious Ninja (Haberdager), Monday, 4 September 2006 12:59 (nineteen years ago)

the lovin's spoonful 'summer in the city' kinda does this.

― a rapper singing about hos and bitches and money (Enrique), Monday, 4 September 2006 13:02 (nineteen years ago)

"This is what it sounds like, when doves cry. Doot-doo-doo-doot, doot-doo-doo-doot. OWWW!"

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Monday, 4 September 2006 13:34 (nineteen years ago)

"Now she and her man / Who called himself Dan / Were in the next room at the hoedown" [short hoedown break]

And the most annoying example of all time, "Sultans of Swing" ("Guitar George... He knows all the chords!" [three incongruously jazzy augmented chords]

― Erroneous Botch (joseph cotten), Monday, 4 September 2006 20:04 (nineteen years ago)

Yes-Gates of Delirium

the middle instrumental part is apparently supposed to portray a battle

― Bill Magill (Bill Magill), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 18:29 (nineteen years ago)

Don't forget the magnificently hamfisted way Lou Reed brings in the backup singers in "Walk on the Wild Side":

"And the colored girls sing... doo dee-doo dee doo doo doo do doo... etc saxophone"

― ozymandias G desiderata (othiym23), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 19:25 (nineteen years ago)

x-post that Yes breakdown is the last time they dared to be so astonishingly self-indulgent, and also is one of the few times in their career it actually sort of works. What an odd piece of music that is...

― ozymandias G desiderata (othiym23), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 19:31 (nineteen years ago)

Aerosmith are pretty good at this..."and if ya don't know how to do it, I'll show ya how to walk the dog"...and then Joe Perry proceeds to show us exactly how to walk that dog!

speaking of "Janie's Got A Gun" upthread, how about in "Last Night, Maudlin Street", when Moz references the police, and Vini Reilly makes a neat siren sound with his guitar...

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 6 September 2006 19:32 (nineteen years ago)

"Now she and her man / Who called himself Dan / Were in the next room at the hoedown" [short hoedown break]

Or, for that matter:

"Now Daniel was hot / He drew first and shot" [one beat drum solo]

― Hideous Lump (Hideous Lump), Thursday, 7 September 2006 02:19 (nineteen years ago)

"There's a song by Genesis on Abacab that does this same thing ("And this is what he said to me...") to introduce the absolutely most adorably dinky and anticlimactic Moog line ever."

Whatever, by this point Tony Banks was way too coked out and washed out to play a cool instrument like a Moog.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Thursday, 7 September 2006 02:25 (nineteen years ago)

The start of Kickstart My Heart by Motley Crue in which the guitar sounds like a motorcycle being kickstarted. Funny really you'd think it'd be more appropriate to have the sound of one of those high voltage things that they use on people in hospitals when the other machine starts going 'beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee' but whatever.

― badg (badg), Thursday, 7 September 2006 05:21 (nineteen years ago)

Now that we're just counting instruments modeling things the singer's talking about, on "Soily" by Wings:

"And a commie with a Tommy gun..." (drummer does a rapid-fire "tommy gun" effect)

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 7 September 2006 18:05 (nineteen years ago)

The Doors, "Unknown Soldier" -- drumroll, please!

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 7 September 2006 18:50 (nineteen years ago)

David Bowie: China Girl

She says Sssssssssssssssssh
She says Sssssssssssssssssh
She says Sssssssssssssssssh
She says (solo)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 8 September 2006 00:08 (nineteen years ago)

How 'bout the single of the year, "Take Me Back To Your House" by Basement Jaxx!!

Just put a record on.
Make it a country song.
Come on make a drink for me.
Let's sing along to songs of aching hearts.

(PLONK PLONK.
PLONK PLONK-PLINKY
PLINKY-PLONK PLONK PLONK
PLINKY-PLONK PLONK PLONK-PLONK!!)

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 8 September 2006 04:01 (nineteen years ago)

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