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Songwriting cliche #435: Song cues in lyrics

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Hey, why not sing the first thing that comes into my head. Gee the band is stopping so maybe I should sing "stop" here

"Alison" by Elvis Costello: "Sometimes I think I that I should STOP you from talking"

Or this is a repetitive bit, so maybe it'll clever to sing "over and over"

"Crimson and clover, over and over"

I hate this. Can you think of others?

― Good Dog, Friday, 8 October 2004 14:05 (twenty-one years ago)

ehh - im really gonna need you to not say anything bad about "crimson and clover".

― peter smith (plsmith), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:08 (twenty-one years ago)

billy joel does the STOP thing in "all for leyna," marring an otherwise pretty great song.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:09 (twenty-one years ago)

and you could probably write a book about james brown's song cues in lyrics but that's a whole 'nother kind of thing really and we're gonna really need you to not say anything bad about that either.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)

"Knock" , accompanied by woodblock.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Why is it that these so-called cliches are invariably great? Chuck Berry: "Ring ring goes the bell," followed by approximation of a schoolbell ring on the guitar.

― briania (briania), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Supremes "Stop! In the Name of Love" even put in the title, shamelessly

― Good Dog, Friday, 8 October 2004 14:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey, why not sing the first thing that comes into my head. Gee the band is stopping so maybe I should sing "stop" here

i assume that in the case of "alison" and other such songs, it's the other way around: they put the stop into the arrangement after writing the lyric.

and i think in general i react negatively to such cases, where the arrangements literally follow the words. it's hard to do it and not sound totally corny.

on the other hand, i often love words that follow the arrangements or the song structure, like malkmus singing "and they're coming to the chorus now" in "gold soundz."

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Isn't it more likely that the musical "stop" in Alison was created to echo the lyrics, as opposed to EC and the Attractions writing a song with a pause in the verse for no reason, leading EC to write lyrics that reflected that pause?
xpost

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:30 (twenty-one years ago)

"stop! in the name of love" is indeed a great one, as is julie grant's "stop." not coincidentally, both sound to me like the lyrics, music and arrangement were written simultaneously, with both the musical and lyrical "stop" built into the very core of the song from the start. as opposed to "alison," which was just elvis and his (non-attractions) band being cute and corny.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Ooh, right you are, cuz. Surely it is the other way around. It's prolly always the drummer's idea.

Fleetwood Mac "Don't Stop"

― Good Dog, Friday, 8 October 2004 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Another "Stop" is in some Gino Vanelli song, not sure of the title: "I just wanna STOP / And tell you what I feel aboutcha, babe ..."

Also, the Hollies, "Stop, Stop, Stop."

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I hate when Max Weinberg answers Bruce's line about "don't ask questions before you shoot," in "Lonesome Day," with a couple of "gun shot" snare hits. Though I do like when Topper does this at the start of "Tommy Gun" and during "White Man."

Hence I do fault the drummer, though the ultimate blame goes to whoever hears him do it and then says, yeah, do that again!

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I REALLY like it when a singer goes stop and the music stops for a second. Can't get enough of it.

― Wooden (Wooden), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Good lord, that's a big much. Topper did that rat-tat gun drumming in three songs then: Also see: I Fought the Law

"Robbing people with a six gun..."

― Good Dog, Friday, 8 October 2004 14:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Other "stop" examples:

"I just wanna stop....and thank you baby" ("How Sweet it is")
"when the music stops....") ("Like Dylan in the Movies"

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:57 (twenty-one years ago)

"when the music stops....") ("Like Dylan in the Movies"

the single most annoying stop of all time, that is!

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 8 October 2004 14:59 (twenty-one years ago)

i love things like this. my favourite is 'Dance Critters' by the Colourblind James Experience.
"the music stopped............and then it started again"

― zappi (joni), Friday, 8 October 2004 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm a big fan of the strategically placed pedal-steel honking truck noise. Can't help but smile when I hear it.

― Avi (Avi), Friday, 8 October 2004 15:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Another "Stop!" = "Under Heavy Manners" - Fripp/Byrne .. ..either you know it or you don't ...

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 8 October 2004 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Ahem.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Friday, 8 October 2004 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Amazingly, that thread does NOT mention "How Sweet It Is."

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Friday, 8 October 2004 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

STOP THEN GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― JUANAS ADDICION (nickalicious), Friday, 8 October 2004 15:43 (twenty-one years ago)

the single most annoying stop of all time, that is!

Yeah, the music even comes back in off-beat.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Friday, 8 October 2004 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

"But Daniel was hot, and he drew first and shot" >>WHACK

― Phil Dennison (Phil D.), Friday, 8 October 2004 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

"out of the doorway the bullets rip / repeated to the sound of the beat" [dut dut dut dut]

― W i l l (common_person), Friday, 8 October 2004 16:21 (twenty-one years ago)

How do we feel about "second/third verse, same as the first," a la Ramones, "I'm Henry the 8th I Am," and "Prove My Love" by the Violent Femmes? Personally, I can't get enough of it.

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 8 October 2004 16:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Lou Reed, "Walk on the Wild Side," calling for the colored girls to sing. Just once I'd like to hear them say, "Uh uh, baby, no way!"

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Friday, 8 October 2004 17:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Personally, I can't get enough of it.

yeah.

See also: Wire's "Map Ref. 41N 93W". CHORUS!

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Friday, 8 October 2004 17:58 (twenty-one years ago)

dixie chicks do it (stop) in that earl song.

― AaronK (AaronK), Friday, 8 October 2004 18:22 (twenty-one years ago)

It has never even occurred to me to find this annoying.

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 8 October 2004 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

(x-post)
Not just guns but swords, too, like in Fairport Convention's "Matty Groves": "And you will strike the very first blow/And strike it like a man..." [BAM!]

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 8 October 2004 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Stop! Hammertime!

― Taxi Dancing in the Soft Prison (Ben Boyer), Friday, 8 October 2004 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

And I love that Belle & Sebastian stop in "Dylan and the Movies," because of the way the second half of the bassline then creeps in to get the song moving again.

― Taxi Dancing in the Soft Prison (Ben Boyer), Friday, 8 October 2004 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

no one's mentioned that Pixies song off Surfer Rosa yet? I think it's 'where is my mind'

― my full name, Friday, 8 October 2004 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

...except he says "STOP" at the start of the song...?

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 8 October 2004 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

The Darkness, "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" -- "GEETAH!" And then a guitar solo. A move that was also performed in just about every hair-metal record from the 1980s.

― st. uber, Friday, 8 October 2004 23:08 (twenty-one years ago)

"Excuuuuuuuse me? I'm just lookin' for THE BRIDGE..."

And Jimmy, John, and Bonzo just keep saying, "Nope, no bridge here."

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Friday, 8 October 2004 23:14 (twenty-one years ago)

1,2,3...

― Kim (Kim), Saturday, 9 October 2004 00:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the Lemondheads song that sings the chord changes - something like "C Minor morning, A minor dawniiiiiiiing" - that song is nice

i kinda like those 'aren't i clever' cues.

except when the singer mentions a song, or a sound (like a siren or mandolins or something) and then that sound comes in from the background. That is straight up LAMETOWN

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Saturday, 9 October 2004 00:44 (twenty-one years ago)

"For Those About to Rock"

― dave q, Saturday, 9 October 2004 00:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Motley Crue's "Too Fast for Love".

"The Clock Strikes Midnight...:" And then a "BONG" is heard. Stoooooopid.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 October 2004 02:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Whoops, that's actually "Looks that Kill". Apologies.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 October 2004 02:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I always liked this one: "I think I'd betta KNOCK (pop pop pop pop) on wood."

― Hurting (Hurting), Saturday, 9 October 2004 04:56 (twenty-one years ago)

"And you're a prima ballerina on a spring afternoon"

(whistles)

"change on into the wolfman howlin at the moon"

(howls)

― Adam Bruneau (oliver8bit), Saturday, 9 October 2004 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)

These are all classic. And the Bobby Fuller Four's "I Fought the Law" also did the six-gun/drum thing.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 9 October 2004 18:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Another in the "Stop!" category, Bad Religion's "Cease", tho it's more about death/impermenance: the chorus ends with "...ev-ry-thing must...cease!" except for the final one which, leaves off the word "Cease" and simply ends, song and album over, nothing but turntable fuzz.

Of course, a year later when BR singer Greg Graffin did a solo album with a piano version of the above, he actually spoke the last word instead of omitting it. But still--very cool.

― John 2, Sunday, 10 October 2004 14:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, my darling, knock three times on the ceiling if you want me
Twice on the pipe if the answer is no, oh, my sweetness
(Knock, knock, knock!) Means you'll meet me in the hallway
Mmm, twice on the pipe (clink, clink) means you ain't gonna show

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Sunday, 10 October 2004 17:20 (twenty-one years ago)

""stop! in the name of love" is indeed a great one, as is julie grant's "stop." ...

-- fact checking cuz (factcheckingcu...), October 8th, 2004."

Jane's Addiction - Stop!
Wire - It's all In The Art of Stopping

Does 1-2-3-4 in the middle of a song count?

(HAHAHA - "song count" - 1,2,3,4! geddit!?)

― Sasha (sgh), Monday, 11 October 2004 03:48 (twenty-one years ago)

And of course the most exciting bit in Justin Timberlake's career so far: "Drums!"

― Melson (ArchCarrier), Monday, 11 October 2004 04:27 (twenty-one years ago)

NOFX - "Please Play This Song On The Radio"

We wrote this song, it's not too short, not too long
It's got back-up vocals in just the right places (in just the right places)
It's got a few oohs and ahhs (oooh aaah)
And it takes a little pause
Just before I sing the F word

Please play this song on the radio

Almost every line is sung on time
Almost every verse ends in a rhyme
The only problem we had was writing enough words
(oooh aaah)
But that's okay, because the chorus is
Coming up again now

Please play this song on the radio
Please play this song on the radio

Please play this song on the radio
Please play this song on the radio
Please play this song on the radio
Please play this song on the radio
Please play this song on the radio (please play this song)
Please play this song on the radio (please play this song)

Right about this time
Some shit head will be drawin a fat fuckin' line
Over the title on the back sleave
What an asshole!
So Mr. DJ I hope you've already made your segue
Or the FCC is gonna take a shit right on your head

Can't play this song on the radio (can't play this song)
Can't play this song on the radio (can't play this song)

End of thread?

― Melson (ArchCarrier), Monday, 11 October 2004 04:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Shut up! Already! Damn!

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Monday, 11 October 2004 04:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Iggy Pop--the one song where he yells out "Bridge!" before the bridge.

― John 2, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 03:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Men At Work "Who Can It Be Now"!!!!

In the verse, that Aussie bloke goes "Who can it be knocking at my door?", and drums go KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!!!!!

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 12:50 (twenty-one years ago)


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