Blueski suggests Nirvana's "Lithium." I think he's right.
This is for discussion of "Best Song With A One-Word Chorus" only. Don't just post songs, there's already a thread for that: 100 Songs With a One Word Chorus
― PappaBoner V (Whiney G. Weingarten), Friday, 19 December 2008 16:00 (seventeen years ago)
Clinic's "Walking With Thee" sprang to mind immediately.
― Neil S, Friday, 19 December 2008 16:01 (seventeen years ago)
"Dead" by the Pixies
― Manchego Bay (G00blar), Friday, 19 December 2008 16:04 (seventeen years ago)
"Tame" by the Pixies shurely.
― sister s (ledge), Friday, 19 December 2008 16:06 (seventeen years ago)
Dead's more of a chorus though, no?
― Manchego Bay (G00blar), Friday, 19 December 2008 16:07 (seventeen years ago)
In Your Car by Kenickie.. if "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" counts as the chorus.
Also "Tame" by Blur!
― skeletal lexing (Finefinemusic), Friday, 19 December 2008 16:08 (seventeen years ago)
xp I wouldn't say that. Certainly "TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAME" is more attention grabbing than the quick n sharp and almost hidden "dead". Also tame is one of my fave doolittle tracks and dead is my least fave :/
― sister s (ledge), Friday, 19 December 2008 16:12 (seventeen years ago)
The Minutemen had a bunch of these. 'Fanatics' and 'Toadies' come immediately to mind.
― MacDara, Friday, 19 December 2008 16:26 (seventeen years ago)
But 'Toadies' has it for me.
Good answer!
― Neil S, Friday, 19 December 2008 16:29 (seventeen years ago)
u crazy, ledge
― Manchego Bay (G00blar), Friday, 19 December 2008 16:32 (seventeen years ago)
I'd have to go with "Work" by the Blue Orchids. I was working @ RT US @ the time, and we used to chant along with it while we were packing boxes.
― factcheckr, Friday, 19 December 2008 16:35 (seventeen years ago)
Good one!
― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Tom D.), Friday, 19 December 2008 16:36 (seventeen years ago)
I vote for 'Envoyé' by the Young Gods. The lyrics booklet has the chorus translated as 'go for it and fuck off', which I've never quite got my head around.
― Yehudi Menudo (NickB), Friday, 19 December 2008 16:45 (seventeen years ago)
For working in a double entrendre with only a single word, Husker Du's "Diane"
― bendy, Friday, 19 December 2008 16:47 (seventeen years ago)
this is a songwriting technique that didn't really exsit before the 80s, did it? (other than single-word lyrics for instros)
― bendy, Friday, 19 December 2008 16:48 (seventeen years ago)
Lola by the Kinks?
― Yehudi Menudo (NickB), Friday, 19 December 2008 16:52 (seventeen years ago)
Lola by The Raincoats
― touch me i'm usic (Whiney G. Weingarten), Friday, 19 December 2008 16:57 (seventeen years ago)
Air, Royal Trux
― dad a, Friday, 19 December 2008 17:00 (seventeen years ago)
I've realised that I really like the chorus of "Low Low Low" by James, but the verses are the usual "shut up before I letter-bomb you, you smug twat" bollocks. So that probably doesn't count.
― silly votes will still be counted (Noodle Vague), Friday, 19 December 2008 17:02 (seventeen years ago)
Girl by The Beatles?
― nate woolls, Friday, 19 December 2008 20:07 (seventeen years ago)
Rock and Roll Part Two by a landslide.
― (*ﾟーﾟ)θ L(。･＿･) °~ヾ(･ε･ *) (Steve Shasta), Friday, 19 December 2008 20:08 (seventeen years ago)
Boredom
― Dr X O'Skeleton, Friday, 19 December 2008 21:56 (seventeen years ago)
"Controversy"!
― USICMAKEULOSECONTROL (The Reverend), Friday, 19 December 2008 22:00 (seventeen years ago)
Controversy is winner
― Bored American Aerospace Defense Command (BORAD) (contenderizer), Friday, 19 December 2008 22:08 (seventeen years ago)
Also, Tequila!
damn, I think you may have me beat
― USICMAKEULOSECONTROL (The Reverend), Friday, 19 December 2008 22:12 (seventeen years ago)
isn't the CONTROVERSY chorus:
Do I believe in god?Do I believe in me? Some people wanna dieSo they can be free(I said) life is just a gameWere all just the same...Do you wanna play?
― (*ﾟーﾟ)θ L(。･＿･) °~ヾ(･ε･ *) (Steve Shasta), Friday, 19 December 2008 22:12 (seventeen years ago)
Maybe. I guess "Controvery" is a one-word hook in a larger chorus. But it still wins.
― Bored American Aerospace Defense Command (BORAD) (contenderizer), Friday, 19 December 2008 22:14 (seventeen years ago)
i'd call that a repeated bridge. but the song's structure is open to interpretation.
― tipsy mothra, Friday, 19 December 2008 22:16 (seventeen years ago)
Tipsy OTM, as long as Controversy still wins.
And while we're pooping parties, Air chorus = Airairairairairair, I love you / Airairairairairair, she needs it too (or something like that).
― Bored American Aerospace Defense Command (BORAD) (contenderizer), Friday, 19 December 2008 22:17 (seventeen years ago)
if we're going for ^^that (xxp) criterion, "changes" by bowie is the winner
― suggesteban loaiza (k3vin k.), Friday, 19 December 2008 22:18 (seventeen years ago)
I think I'm right because "Controversy" as chorus doesn't make sense as musically it's identical to the verses...? NB: I have not heard song in many years!
― (*ﾟーﾟ)θ L(。･＿･) °~ヾ(･ε･ *) (Steve Shasta), Friday, 19 December 2008 22:20 (seventeen years ago)
Fragile
― Mexican Sleeping Pill, Friday, 19 December 2008 22:26 (seventeen years ago)
Helpless: CSNY
― kornrulez6969, Saturday, 20 December 2008 00:01 (seventeen years ago)
Oh wait, Neil sings something about chains underneath. Never mind.
― kornrulez6969, Saturday, 20 December 2008 00:02 (seventeen years ago)
Annalisa: PIL
― kornrulez6969, Saturday, 20 December 2008 00:04 (seventeen years ago)
this is a songwriting technique that didn't really exsit before the 80s, did it? (other than single-word lyrics for instros)― bendy, Friday, December 19, 2008
― bendy, Friday, December 19, 2008
I was thinking about songs that have a one-or-two word repeated phrase chorus like this and wondering what might be the very earliest example of this sort of thing. Any 50s rock-and-roll songs that do it?
― visiting, Wednesday, 12 October 2022 02:28 (three years ago)
Bo Diddley's "Diana" (though there's kind of a "hey" in there):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCOucfiPtcA
― The self-titled drags (Eazy), Wednesday, 12 October 2022 02:35 (three years ago)
Why did people in this thread think “Controversy” has a one word chorus
― Linkin Bio (morrisp), Wednesday, 12 October 2022 02:37 (three years ago)
Saw the thread title and both 'Tame's, esp Blur's, came immediately to mind
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 12 October 2022 02:37 (three years ago)
xps Also a "Whoa-oh-oh" in there.
― visiting, Wednesday, 12 October 2022 02:41 (three years ago)
"Nostalgia" by the Archers of Loaf is a good one
― goodoldneon, Wednesday, 12 October 2022 02:57 (three years ago)
"Betray" by Minor Threat
― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Wednesday, 12 October 2022 03:06 (three years ago)
"Helpless" by Diamond Head (notably covered by Metallica)
― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Wednesday, 12 October 2022 03:08 (three years ago)
"Albuquerque" by Neil Young
― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Wednesday, 12 October 2022 19:18 (three years ago)
prob not the best song of its kind, but i always thought elvis costello did the one-word chorus thing very well on "possession"
― comedy khadafi (voodoo chili), Wednesday, 12 October 2022 19:42 (three years ago)
Two words:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgyxhFVz6Uc
― Josefa, Wednesday, 12 October 2022 20:37 (three years ago)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfMmPpNhOVM
― MaresNest, Wednesday, 12 October 2022 21:10 (three years ago)
Alright - guided by voices
― BrianB, Wednesday, 12 October 2022 22:08 (three years ago)
"Underpass" John Foxx
― /asarco (AcnalbasacNoom), Wednesday, 12 October 2022 23:19 (three years ago)
Actual best: "Regenisraen" by Game Theory, even if they had to invent the word.
― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 13 October 2022 00:05 (three years ago)
Does "Intensified '68" count?
― Lear, Tolstoy, and the Jack of Hearts (Lily Dale), Thursday, 13 October 2022 00:50 (three years ago)