TS: one-word song titles vs. excessively long song titles

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because clearly this is the biggest way of discerning a rockist song from an indie song

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 8 May 2004 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Both outclassed by songs with pictures or symbols for titles.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Saturday, 8 May 2004 17:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I really like long titles, but 90% of them are shit. So I'll go with one-word titles.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 8 May 2004 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)

[ugh, to clarify, I would prefer long titles, but most of them are crap, so it's better to go the safe route with a one word title]

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 8 May 2004 17:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Excessively long is, well, excessively long. I'd sense a bias there if excess wasn't at the heart of rockism.

― prostpilso (nestmanso), Saturday, 8 May 2004 17:08 (twenty-one years ago)

For fairness, we can say excessively one-word titles

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 8 May 2004 17:09 (twenty-one years ago)

(I'm certainly not biased against long song titles--generally they demonstrate more originality than corny titles like "Hope" or "Waiting")

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 8 May 2004 17:11 (twenty-one years ago)

long titles are often cringe-inducing, but they're still preferable to one-word titles, which are usually both bland and inevitably confused with other songs with the same titles.

― Al (sitcom), Saturday, 8 May 2004 17:14 (twenty-one years ago)

What always freaks me out is when large amounts of songs on a record all have the same number of words in their title, especially if they're in a run.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Saturday, 8 May 2004 17:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Excessively, cringe-inducingly one-word: the titles on Prince, "Come". I mean, "Letitgo", now that's cheap.

― prostpilso (nestmanso), Saturday, 8 May 2004 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

destroy both. I like titles like "Good Feeling," "Sweet Pea," and "Teddy Bear." One word titles are way more annoying though (seemed to have goten more popular after Pearl Jam's Ten) and are often ripe for satire. Try not laughing in a coffeehouse when some loser with an acoustic says "this next one is called 'Hope'" or, "this next song is called 'Winter.'" Of course there are exceptions (Descendents and The Fall, respectively, had great songs with those titles) but usually, dud.

Long titles are usually pretentious, especially when they're the last song on the album.

"Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt" - how many bands have used that one? That's to indie rock what "Shit is Real" is to hip hop.

That siad, every once in a while, a long title is clever. For some reason I always liked "This Conversation is Ending Starting Right Now" by that band Knapsack (who I've either never heard or never noticed hearing) but thats a rare exception

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Saturday, 8 May 2004 17:47 (twenty-one years ago)

haha roger, Ten is totally what I think of when I think of one-word titles.

― Al (sitcom), Saturday, 8 May 2004 17:48 (twenty-one years ago)

OTM about pearl jam. one-word titles reflect the shapeless, amelodic nature of their songs IMHO. What bugs me are bands with excessively long names like They Might Be Joking, God Speed Your Emperors Underwear etc.

― lovebug starski, Saturday, 8 May 2004 20:43 (twenty-one years ago)

There are too many songs titled "Creep".

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 8 May 2004 21:22 (twenty-one years ago)

'untitled' is the best song title.

― tylero (tylero), Saturday, 8 May 2004 21:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Morrissey and Pet Shop Boys to thread, of course !

There is a genius in making titles like "How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously" and "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" work.

― darren (darren), Saturday, 8 May 2004 21:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Song titles that are long (involving brackets) - dud

One word song titles are dud, if only for the reason that their demise would coincide with that of Travis.

― ___ (___), Saturday, 8 May 2004 22:02 (twenty-one years ago)

don caballero to thread

― cutty (mcutt), Saturday, 8 May 2004 23:13 (twenty-one years ago)

one word titles, especially IDM style made-up words like "skquibub" are so so so so dud.

― don (don), Sunday, 9 May 2004 01:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Shortest song title I can think of: i, Aphex Twin

Longest song title I can think of: Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict, Floyd

Honourable mention: First Inaugural Address to IACE Sherbourne House, Fripp [it's two seconds of white noise]

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Sunday, 9 May 2004 01:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Long titles are usually pretentious
Obvious non-pretentious long title:
"The Son Of A Disgruntled Ex-Postal Worker Reflects On His Life While Getting Stoned In The Parking Lot Of A Winn Dixie Listening To Metallica" by Alice Donut. (from the wonderfully non-pretentious album "The Untidy Suicides of Your Degenerate Children")

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Sunday, 9 May 2004 04:43 (twenty-one years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd600/d664/d6642808gfk.jpg

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Sunday, 9 May 2004 05:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Does anyone know what "Pink Cookies in a Plastic Bag Getting Crushed By Buildings" was actually about? A friend swears it's about sex, but if it is, thats the worst metaphor I have ever heard

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Sunday, 9 May 2004 05:39 (twenty-one years ago)

i think the best titles are not too long not too short obvious titles such as pink floyds "wish you were here" perfect. its way annoying to try and tell your friend about a song and they get confused cause they are thinking of a different song with the same name. or when you have trouble finding the song on kaza cause there are like 10 other songs with the same name by different people. crimany. some of longes/weirdest titles. " i love you (but your boring)" " i hate you (but your interesting) by beautiful south. "everybody's got something to hide but me and my monkey" the beatles. no joking. "elderly woman behind the counter in a small town" pearl jam. "oh you are the roots that sleep beneath my feet and hold the earth in place" bright eyes. "come and smash me said the boy with the magic penis"sonic youth. "girl in old blue volvo disowns self" juliana hatfield.

― jubietube, Sunday, 9 May 2004 10:23 (twenty-one years ago)

long song titles are cool. observe:

"I Like Those Things That I Turn To Tune My Guitar"
"I And Those Around Me Receive The Majority Of Our News From Yahoo!"
"I Can't Use A Urinal 'Cuz I'm A Pussy"
"That Crazy Old Man Eating Out Of The Trash Was Funny"
"I Can't Help But Notice That God Made The Indians Inferior To Me"
"Oh, Won't You Help Me Paint My House A Fag Color?"
"Reprehensible Act Of Treachery Having Occurred At The Nursery (Plant)"
"Why Must You Incessantly Respond To My Cruelty With Mean-Spiritedness?"
"I Believe All Women Should Have The Right To Decide Whether Or Not To Have An Abortion"
"A Hilarious Riddle Which Begins as Follows: 'What Do You Call a Person Whose Diet Consists Solely of Jack Russell Terriers?'"
"My Songs Would be Significantly Less Sucky If I Bothered to Save Up for More Powerful Recording Equipment"

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 10 May 2004 05:12 (twenty-one years ago)

And "Do Handicapped People Have Any Idea How Much Of A Pain In The Ass They Are?" is cool too.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 10 May 2004 05:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm generally on the side of efficiency, but I often think that one word is simply not enough for a song title. It can work, but more often it doesn't. I guess I prefer shorter titles, but I can dig on some "Talking shit about a pretty sunset" and the like.

― webcrack (music=crack), Monday, 10 May 2004 06:34 (twenty-one years ago)

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