the best use of a police siren in a song, What is

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― Aaron A., Sunday, 10 April 2005 01:58 (twenty years ago)

Mantronix - "King of the Beats"
The Clash - "White Riot"

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Sunday, 10 April 2005 02:01 (twenty years ago)

has to be R. Dean Taylor "Indiana Wants Me"

― jared, Sunday, 10 April 2005 02:02 (twenty years ago)

Helium -- "XXX"

― Aaron A., Sunday, 10 April 2005 02:04 (twenty years ago)

Bloodrock - DOA

I suppose it's an ambulance, but surely the cops must've showed up too.

― jim wentworth (wench), Sunday, 10 April 2005 02:21 (twenty years ago)

at the top of Tanya Winley's "Vicious Rap"

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Sunday, 10 April 2005 02:22 (twenty years ago)

let us amend the thread to include all emergency vehicles.

― Aaron A., Sunday, 10 April 2005 02:24 (twenty years ago)

The Sweet-"Blockbuster"

― Love at the Pier (Arthur), Sunday, 10 April 2005 02:32 (twenty years ago)

public enemy's "lost at birth"

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Sunday, 10 April 2005 02:48 (twenty years ago)

odb - "shame on a nigga"

― Jimmy_tango, Sunday, 10 April 2005 02:50 (twenty years ago)

Beastie Boys, "Super Disco Breakin"

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Sunday, 10 April 2005 02:57 (twenty years ago)

Played on guitar -- The Vibrators' "London Girls."

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Sunday, 10 April 2005 03:03 (twenty years ago)

"Rubber Bullets" by 10CC

― -rainbow bum- (-rainbow bum-), Sunday, 10 April 2005 03:33 (twenty years ago)

tindersticks - les cannes a peche

― rajeev (rajeev), Sunday, 10 April 2005 03:37 (twenty years ago)

Daft Punk - Revolution 909. Well I don't know how legitimate this one is though.

― Tokyo Ghost Stories, Sunday, 10 April 2005 04:06 (twenty years ago)

Helium -- "XXX"

-- Aaron A. (__...), April 10th, 2005 8:04 PM.

Which Helium album is that on?

― Aja (aja), Sunday, 10 April 2005 04:09 (twenty years ago)

it's on the Pirate Prude EP

― Aaron A., Sunday, 10 April 2005 04:10 (twenty years ago)

Thank you. My mom's friend gave me something by Helium. I forgot what it is, but I don't think it's that.

― Aja (aja), Sunday, 10 April 2005 04:19 (twenty years ago)

j-lo 'get right'?

― latino boy gangbangers, Sunday, 10 April 2005 04:26 (twenty years ago)

Police pursuit helicopter siren:

A narco-corrido by Jenni Rivera, "La Chacalosa".

Ambulance (most poignant overall):

At the end of "Dr Zhivago's Train" by Robert Palmer (from Drive), a tremendous rendition to remember him by.

― bflaska, Sunday, 10 April 2005 04:32 (twenty years ago)

"Leave," R.E.M.

"Shame on You," Indigo Girls

― shueytexas, Sunday, 10 April 2005 04:52 (twenty years ago)

has to be R. Dean Taylor "Indiana Wants Me"
-- jared (jared.karnova...), April 10th, 2005.

I second this motion. Without the siren, you'd think that maybe Indiana wants to give him a basketball scholarship.

― Heidy- Ho, Sunday, 10 April 2005 04:54 (twenty years ago)

"Highway 61 Revisited"

― o. nate (onate), Sunday, 10 April 2005 05:04 (twenty years ago)

(highway sixty-one .... crazy!!! -- siren done with a ring whistle from a crackerjack box i think!!!)

― bflaska, Sunday, 10 April 2005 05:10 (twenty years ago)

I thought it was an old-school police siren.

― o. nate (onate), Sunday, 10 April 2005 05:12 (twenty years ago)

N.W.A., "Straight Outta Compton"

― Stupornaut (natepatrin), Sunday, 10 April 2005 05:29 (twenty years ago)

LL Cool J - I'm Bad has sirens and radio chatter ("I'm gonna need backup."), then at the end our hero takes over the POlice WAvelength and taunts the cops. So it's the best.

― stainmasker (jcartledge), Sunday, 10 April 2005 05:40 (twenty years ago)

Ohio Players, "Fire" wins.

2nd place to "Indiana Wants Me," though.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Sunday, 10 April 2005 06:20 (twenty years ago)

tod terry - can u feel it? (is that what its called?) the one the ravers used to respond to being busted to. police arrive, ravers sing - "can you feel it?"

or is that an ambulance?

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Sunday, 10 April 2005 06:37 (twenty years ago)

The Sweet-"Blockbuster"

Seconded!

― Jez (Jez), Sunday, 10 April 2005 07:02 (twenty years ago)

'Indiana Wants Me', yes.

that aside, i've always been very partial to the Hill Street Blues theme song.

― derrick (derrick), Sunday, 10 April 2005 07:49 (twenty years ago)

I'll cast another vote for "Indiana Wants Me." Honorable mention to Sloan's "Money City Maniacs."

― John Fredland (jfredland), Sunday, 10 April 2005 08:28 (twenty years ago)

The Secrets - She's Dangerous. Although really it's fire engines, but I think we're counting that now, yes?

― emil.y (emil.y), Sunday, 10 April 2005 10:54 (twenty years ago)

Twiddle With Me ~ Lee "Scratch" Perry

― thomas de'aguirre (biteylove), Sunday, 10 April 2005 11:28 (twenty years ago)

The Standells - Riot on Sunset Strip

― Simon Adams (foreignrifles), Sunday, 10 April 2005 12:49 (twenty years ago)

Bike-Pink Floyd

― shookout (shookout), Sunday, 10 April 2005 13:02 (twenty years ago)

I like the saxophone imitating a police siren in Benny Spellman's "10-4 (Calling All Cars)," a '60s New Orleans song.

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Sunday, 10 April 2005 13:18 (twenty years ago)

kudos to Indiana Wants Me,

also- "fire engine" by the 13th floor elevators. I'm pro electric jug.

― mike sperry (ghost nuts), Sunday, 10 April 2005 13:30 (twenty years ago)

Always thought the feedbacky guitar finale to "Karma Police" emulated a siren, so I'll pull that lever.

― erklie, Sunday, 10 April 2005 13:40 (twenty years ago)

Disco Inferno - "A Night Out on the Tiles"

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Sunday, 10 April 2005 13:46 (twenty years ago)

Clash--Police on my back

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Sunday, 10 April 2005 14:59 (twenty years ago)

Wait, I thought they used the guitar to immitate the siren in that song.

― Aja (aja), Sunday, 10 April 2005 15:18 (twenty years ago)

Arab Strap - "Scenery"

― Yngwie AlmsteenMay (sgertz), Sunday, 10 April 2005 15:40 (twenty years ago)

heard a smog? tune once and hadnt heard the siren in the song before and was in my car and freaked out for a few seonds and pulled over.

― kephm, Sunday, 10 April 2005 15:44 (twenty years ago)

Does KRS-One's That's the Sound of the Police feature a police siren, or is it just him, whooping it?
Also, The Rapture's Notes From The Underground has a siren, but perhaps it's a fire enginge klaxxon or somethin'.

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Sunday, 10 April 2005 18:31 (twenty years ago)

Prince - Crystal Ball

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Sunday, 10 April 2005 20:17 (twenty years ago)

There's one in Caribou's "Bees" that's mixed really subtly. Every single time I hear it in my car it makes me look around for the police. I guess that's more like "most annoying/insidious use of a police siren in a song" though.

― sleep (sleep), Sunday, 10 April 2005 20:31 (twenty years ago)

Hot Boys - Help

One of Mannie Fresh's all-time greatest moments. That song is so layered and his placement of the little siren drops or whatever fits in there so prefect. Mannie Fresh's best beats always seem like rollercoasters to me the way they are just so energetic and up-and-down all the time.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Monday, 11 April 2005 00:56 (twenty years ago)

obv. varèse - "ionisation"

― you will be shot (you will be shot), Monday, 11 April 2005 03:03 (twenty years ago)

heard a smog? tune once and hadnt heard the siren in the song before and was in my car and freaked out for a few seonds and pulled over.

Yeah, this happened to me once too, but I can't think of what it was just now.

Also: They're Coming To Take Me Away / Napoleon XIV

― jim wentworth (wench), Monday, 11 April 2005 03:27 (twenty years ago)

Ramones - Psycho Therapy

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 11 April 2005 11:09 (twenty years ago)

Second to Sweet's "Blockbuster"...

The Soulwax Shibuya mix of LCD Soundsystem's "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House"

― donut debonair (donut), Wednesday, 13 April 2005 03:58 (twenty years ago)

I second LL.

― Bobby Peru (Bobby Peru), Wednesday, 13 April 2005 04:38 (twenty years ago)

"Highway 61 Revisited"
-- o. nate (syne_wav...), April 10th, 2005.

(highway sixty-one .... crazy!!! -- siren done with a ring whistle from a crackerjack box i think!!!)
-- bflaska (bflask...), April 10th, 2005.

Yep, but the LP cover indeed (absurdly) says "Police Car"!
Anyways, seconded.

Did "Leader Of The Pack" have sirens, or just motorcycle and crash sounds?

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 13 April 2005 06:58 (twenty years ago)

No love for "Babylon's Burning" the Ruts?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 13 April 2005 07:07 (twenty years ago)

nor "White Riot" The Clash?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 13 April 2005 07:08 (twenty years ago)

"white riot"'s the second song mentioned

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 13 April 2005 07:23 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

Probably not the best, but Men's Recovery Project - Working for the Mossad has open at the end.

I'll go with D.I.

― Sasha (sgh), Thursday, 16 June 2005 08:16 (twenty years ago)

has to be R. Dean Taylor "Indiana Wants Me"
-- jared (jared.karnova...), April 10th, 2005.
I second this motion. Without the siren, you'd think that maybe Indiana wants to give him a basketball scholarship.

Thirded

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 16 June 2005 08:19 (twenty years ago)

ten months pass...

Thin Lizzy "JAIL BREAK" Atlanta Rhythm Section's "Police Police"

― Gobezerk, Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:48 (nineteen years ago)

Played on guitar -- The Vibrators' "London Girls."

similarly, the yardbirds, "happenings ten years time ago"

― Lawrence the Looter (Lawrence the Looter), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 19:07 (nineteen years ago)

Livin' for the City— Stevie Wonder or Murder Rap— Above the Law are strong contenders. Though I also second 10cc.

― js (honestengine), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 19:34 (nineteen years ago)

J Dilla to thread, most recently for Ghostface !

― RIP (blunt), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 19:36 (nineteen years ago)

I don't know what passes for a "song" around these parts exactly but Varèse was a good call.

― blunt (blunt), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 19:37 (nineteen years ago)

Also the Buzzcocks, played on the guitar - which great one was it ?

― blunt (blunt), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 19:41 (nineteen years ago)

Does KRS-One's That's the Sound of the Police feature a police siren, or is it just him, whooping it?

just him whooping. and that my friend is the best use of a siren in a song.

― jinx hijinks (sanskrit), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 19:43 (nineteen years ago)

That one by Steel Pulse - can't think of the name. LP came out around 1979/1980.

― - stefan (- stefan), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 20:11 (nineteen years ago)

"When the Shit Goes Down" - Cypress Hill

― Cameron Octigan (Cameron Octigan), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 20:35 (nineteen years ago)

Also the Buzzcocks, played on the guitar - which great one was it ?
-- blunt (blunt120...) (webmail), Yesterday 8:41 PM. (later) (link)

Autonomy?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:48 (nineteen years ago)

mis-teeq - scandalous

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:56 (nineteen years ago)

Rats in the Cellar-Aerosmith

― dr lulu (dr lulu), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:11 (nineteen years ago)

"Riot in Cell Block #9" by The Robins (Coasters)

― Dan Heilman (The Deacon), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:10 (nineteen years ago)

haha i clicked on this thread just to post the drudge siren

― -+--+-++-, Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:18 (nineteen years ago)

R. Kelly's Trapped in the closet. I think him singing the police siren was the best laugh the five or six episodes I heard gave me.

― Øystein (Øystein), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:46 (nineteen years ago)

Daft Punk - Revolution 909. Well I don't know how legitimate this one is though.
-- Tokyo Ghost Stories (AbXy600...), April 10th, 2005.

yes. clearly the winner.

― pisces, Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

Played on guitar -- The Vibrators' "London Girls."
similarly, the yardbirds, "happenings ten years time ago"
Also the Buzzcocks, played on the guitar

Brits all, it's worth noting. Harder for a guitarist to simulate an American siren (steady rise-and-fall) than the English variety(alternating high and low tones.)

― Myonga Von Boring (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 22:57 (nineteen years ago)

"No love for "Babylon's Burning" the Ruts?!

Over 'ere!

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 23:01 (nineteen years ago)

cool c - juice crew dis

― cousin cole (cousin_cole), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 19:01 (nineteen years ago)

Prince - "Bob George"

― Eazy (Eazy), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 19:29 (nineteen years ago)

Soul Survivors - "Expressway to Your Heart"

― Eazy (Eazy), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 19:29 (nineteen years ago)

I was driving in London once and listening to some very loud hiphop when I realised that there was a police car precisely two inchs from my bumper, sirens going, the works. I had assumed the sirens were on the record. Anyway, I pulled over, police car stops and policeman jumps out flipping extendable truncheon as he goes. Shit, I thought, all this for playing my music too loud? "Not you you plonker" he shouts at me and disappears into house I am parked outside of. And then, nothing...weird really, now that I think of it.

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 19:36 (nineteen years ago)

Flesh Eaters--"Police Gun Jitters"

― Hunter, Age 3 (Hunter), Monday, 15 May 2006 21:26 (nineteen years ago)

Alright, you guys all know "Lazy Line Painter Jane," right? Does anyone else hear a siren about ten or fifteen seconds before the end? I have the song on a regularly played tape in my car and it's confused me a few times.

― O-Keigh (O-Keigh), Monday, 15 May 2006 23:35 (nineteen years ago)

I'm going to join in ensuring a landslide victory for "Indiana Wants Me," especially with this new version in which Indiana is trying to give him a basketball scholarship, which I think is possibly even more poignant. He doesn't want to leave his girl and her little baby, but he really wants to go to college and make something of himself. He can't bring them along, because the recruiting agent made fun of them ("No one has the right to say / What he said about you") and he's worried their presence will blow the whole deal...

Anyway, though, the Inspector Gadget theme song also deserves honorable mention. If nothing else, the accompanying video features one of the most well-animated police sirens you'll ever see.

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Tuesday, 16 May 2006 02:58 (nineteen years ago)

sixteen years pass...

So ages ago I noticed that Roy Wood's "Goin' Down the Road (A Scottish Reggae Song)" and Thunderthighs' "Central Park Arrest", which both have police sirens, both peaked in the UK charts at the same time in early July 1974*, and the latter song was written by Lynsey de Paul, who was Roy Wood's girlfriend at the time. And Roy appeared on Lynsey's "Ooh I Do", released a few weeks before those singles! Did they conspire to get two police sirens into the charts at once?

*back to back weeks, albeit with CPA's #30 peak continuing for a second week while GDTR peaked.

If I'm the only person who is interested in any of this it still won't stop me from telling people.

― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 21 September 2022 22:57 (three years ago)

the rev. toad-eater, "alden street"

― Kate (rushomancy), Wednesday, 21 September 2022 23:41 (three years ago)

"Nathan La Franeer" by Joni Mitchell, but it's far from the best!

― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 22 September 2022 00:17 (three years ago)

"Riot in Cell Block #9" by The Robins (Coasters)

...and the rewrite "Student Demonstration Time" by the Beach Boys.

― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 22 September 2022 00:24 (three years ago)

George Harrison - Dream Scene

― you can see me from westbury white horse, Thursday, 22 September 2022 00:32 (three years ago)

“- definitely masturbating -“

― assert (matttkkkk), Thursday, 22 September 2022 01:04 (three years ago)

Body Count's in the House

"Motherfucker!"

― Hideous Lump, Thursday, 22 September 2022 01:19 (three years ago)

I’ve always been partial to the menacingly slow-moving siren that comes in at the :30 mark in the intro to War Pigs. Granted, it’s more of an ambulance than a police siren, and a European-sounding one at that, but it is very effectively creepy.

― vmajestic, Thursday, 22 September 2022 01:45 (three years ago)

Hard House Banton - Sirens

― paolo, Thursday, 22 September 2022 07:33 (three years ago)

No I am the Walrus?

― akm, Thursday, 22 September 2022 14:52 (three years ago)

https://www.tiktok.com/@_pitafajita_/video/7116540833607748910?is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7116540833607748910

― SincereLee 'Scratch' Perry (President Keyes), Thursday, 22 September 2022 15:00 (three years ago)

The 1988 version of Morgan Pask's Overkill, better known to Brits as:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTyIHZqG0PE

― you can see me from westbury white horse, Thursday, 22 September 2022 16:09 (three years ago)

(This is a soundalike but that's because the 88 version has never had an official release if I'm not mistaken)

― you can see me from westbury white horse, Thursday, 22 September 2022 16:10 (three years ago)

Ween "Isreal"

― billstevejim, Saturday, 24 September 2022 23:15 (three years ago)

Anyway, though, the Inspector Gadget theme song also deserves honorable mention. If nothing else, the accompanying video features one of the most well-animated police sirens you'll ever see.

Underrated post.

― billstevejim, Saturday, 24 September 2022 23:19 (three years ago)

And recently Drake's "Sticky" has one right after "If it's an escort / it's a police one."

― The self-titled drags (Eazy), Sunday, 25 September 2022 03:49 (three years ago)

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