i hate songs where the chorus just consists of the song's title repeated over and over

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examples:

Ash 'Envy'
Travis 'Sing'
Manics 'A Design Of Life'

all are ruined by this inane chorus routine...what other songs do this and are there any that are actually not irritating

― blueski, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 10:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Clearly, you have not heard the awesome majesty that is 'Poing' by Rotterdam Termination Source

― zebedee, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Every song I've ever heard by Manic St Preachers does this

― bham, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Plainly the Manics did not repeat their title often ENOUGH for it to stick in your head! :)

Generally bands who do this are playing the 'anthem' card anyway therefore the song is quite likely to be rotten in the first place. But not always. "Sweet Child O Mine" does this and is still ace.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:15 (twenty-two years ago)

i hate all songs that have more than seven words in them tops

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:17 (twenty-two years ago)

excuse the typo

'Sweet Child O Mine" - i KNEW there would be an exception to the rule...BUT the 'woah-oh-oh-oh-ohhh" means its not quite the same, heh

― blueski, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:19 (twenty-two years ago)

hmmm, what about 'Shoot Speed Kill Light'?

― blueski, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:20 (twenty-two years ago)

i guessa thats a different kettle of fish: songs that ONLY consist of the title lyrically are usually great - as is the case with Rotterdam termination Source (smirk) as well

― blueski, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:23 (twenty-two years ago)

"California Uber Alles" by the Dead Kennedys, which is my favourite chorus of all time. Rest of the song's nothing to write home about, but that chorus... nice.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought the chorus to "A Design FOR Life" contained the lines "We don't talk about love/ We just wanna get drunk"?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:28 (twenty-two years ago)

The solution? Listen to Mogwai instead. ;)

― Marco Mattiuzzo (Psycho Ant), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I Feel Love

― Keith McD (Keith McD), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:31 (twenty-two years ago)

re A Design FOR Life: dom, isnt that the bridge?

― blueski, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:31 (twenty-two years ago)

good one Keith

maybe Pet Shop Boys 'Paninero' as well?

― blueski, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes. Yes, it is.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:33 (twenty-two years ago)

'Da da da' by Trio. No, really it's great.

― Anna, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:35 (twenty-two years ago)

"Rats Eyes" bad!
"Rise Above" good!
Other Black Flag examples in between (Six Pack, TV Party, Slip It In).

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Playing right now - LCD Soundsystem's "Beat Connection"!

Oh no wait they go "Beat communication" too so it doesnt count.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:41 (twenty-two years ago)

'Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm' by Crash test Dummies isnt TOO bad i guess

― blueski, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Best example: "EIGHTIES" by Killing Joke.....just `cos it sounds fuckin' magnificent.

Worst example: "Dance, Motherfucker, Dance" by the Violent Femmes. A perfectly promising song title wasted on a glorified instrumental wherein the title/chorus is just repeated ad nauseum with little or no other lyrics.

― Alex in NYC, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 11:56 (twenty-two years ago)

who did that 'I Wish You Were A Beer' song? another 'Title is chorus' type

― blueski, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 12:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Cycle Sluts from Hell.....sort've a cartoony metal En Vogue.

― Alex in NYC, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 12:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Clearly, you have not heard the awesome majesty that is 'Poing' by Rotterdam Termination Source
Classic. And who would forget Thomas Bangalter & DJ Falcon Together which takes repetition to new extremes, even for the hardened French/filterhouse enthusiast...

― Siegbran Hetteson (eofor), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 13:34 (twenty-two years ago)

what about 'Let It Be'? Wasn't that written in Rotterdam?

---------
go.to/stevek

― steve k, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 13:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I have the most concrete evidence proving that the opinion stated in the header of this thread may be swayed, and that evidence is called THE RAMONES.

― Nate Patrin, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

i dont think i like 'Let It Be' for the reason of the title=chorus fiasco

but a lot of early Beatles employs this method and i couldnt negate all of that - 'She Loves You' for example - you generally cant go wrong with adding a 'yeah yeah yeah!' i guess...and 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' is cool too - i've dug my own grave now...

― blueski, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Those original three songs would all have been great if not for the shit chorus, thats for sure. Or the verse. Or middle eight. Or intro.

― tigerclawskank, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 14:20 (twenty-two years ago)

dam those Ramones, they goddarn busted ma thread thar

― blueski, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

(Unless you take the "Sweet Child O Mine" route and assume that non-lyrical vocal sounds i.e. "oooh"/"ba ba ba"/etc. make it a different thing entirely.)

― Nate Patrin, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

also that missy/311 song "where my girls at?" - it rules, though it's a pretty long chorus that they are repeating, so maybe it gets disqualified

― dave k, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 14:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Does Elvis Costello's "I Want You" count?

― A Nairn, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 15:07 (twenty-two years ago)

oops, we completely forgot about 'Get Ur Freak On' as well...unless the little 'ruh' she makes everytime she says it counts

but more importantly a track like 'Get ur Freak On' is more designed for a title=chorus mantra type thing whereas you'd think bands like Ash, Travis and the Manics could do more than that with the choruses of the songs i mentioned in my first post esp. 'A Design For Life' - i always thought the chorus shouldve been more like:

1st line: Suff-fering...in-your-heart
2nd line: Sac-rifice...worlds a-part
3rd line: (Something about the working class being downtrodden and despondent that rhymes with 'life')
4th line: A - de-sign - for...life

which would still be shit but better than what it is!

― blueski, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 16:21 (twenty-two years ago)

not to get all honour-the-fire on everybody when Alex has already cited "Eighties" but both "Requiem" and "Wardance" by Killing Joke have kick-ass sing-the-title choruses

so does Joy Division's "At a Later Date," although it does make me want to open an afterhours restaurant called "A Later Date" just 'cause the low-budget TV commercial practically writes itself

― J0hn Darn1elle, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I think the more repetitive the line, the more annoying. The chorus to Sweet Child of Mine only uses the line twice each time.
It is as close to tasteful as this technique gets.
Another exception to the rule is Tom Petty's "Free Falling". I think he pulls it off well.

― sammy, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

The pixies do it often. Debaser. Tame. Allison.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 17:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Mr. Noodles writes:
"Rise Above" good! Other Black Flag examples in between (Six Pack, TV Party, Slip It In).

Hmmm... we are talking about choruses here right?

"Rise Above" chorus:

"We are tired of your abuse..."

"Six Pack" chorus:

"I know it'll be okay..."

"TV Party"'s chorus doesn't really qualify either...

I was thinking more along the lines of George Harrison's "I've Got My Mind Set On You"... which just goes on and on and on...

― gygax!, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 17:47 (twenty-two years ago)

checkout: Fat Truckers - "Teenage Daughter"

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 17:49 (twenty-two years ago)

well i guess title=chorus songs that suck are now in the distinct minority - thank you for your participation :)

― blueski, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 19:16 (twenty-two years ago)

"Totally Wired"!

― Clarke B., Tuesday, 3 September 2002 20:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Another exception to the rule is Tom Petty's "Free Falling". I think he pulls it off well
Pedantry alert: doesn't count, because he goes "And I'm free, free falling (free falling, I'm-a free falling".

Um, yeah.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Dom Passantino writes:

Pedantry alert: doesn't count, because he goes "And I'm free, free falling (free falling, I'm-a free falling".
Um, yeah.

He being Tom Petty or Jeff Lynne? (where is my pedant support group?)

― gygax!, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 22:03 (twenty-two years ago)

The Ramones didn't do it quite as much as you'd think without really thinking about it.

― Keith McD (Keith McD), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 01:05 (twenty-two years ago)

You must really hate Kool Keith.

― Honda, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 01:09 (twenty-two years ago)

the crash test dummies are real lame.

my buddy used to always complain about DJ Premier songs for this reason. "The choruses are just him scratching the title of the song over and over" Never bothered me though, what with the scratches being generally really dope and all... obv. its not all songs either.

― ron (ron), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 01:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Win - Pretty In Pink (it's close anyway)
Lose - Sunday Bloody Sunday
Draw - I Love You - King Biscuit Time

― static, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 01:43 (twenty-two years ago)

You must really hate Kool Keith.
Huh? I don't get it. Oh yeah, that's right, my name is Keith. No, I still don't get it.

― Keith McD (Keith McD), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 02:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry keith, that was directed to blueski's original post.

― Honda, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 04:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Almost every song on Mike Watt's "Contemplating the Engine Room" does this, and it's still a terrific album.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 05:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Wesley Willis built a career on this!

― Baxter Wingnut, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 11:32 (twenty-two years ago)

bogshed "champion love shoes"!!!!!!!!

― bob snoom, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 11:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I love songs that repeat the title over and over and the Brainbombs' "Die You Fuck" is my favorite

― dave q, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 17:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Helpless - Neil Young

― Alan W, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 19:58 (twenty-two years ago)

basically i'm saying any song could be better WITHOUT doing it...so if there's a song that does it then it could almost definitely be improved by not doing it...unless thats the whole point of the song as with 'Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm' perhaps

i like Kool Keith, not heard enough of his own stuff - 'Blue FLowers' does it if i recall?

― blueski, Thursday, 5 September 2002 10:01 (twenty-two years ago)

four years pass...

we forgot 'Groove Is In The Heart' as well (Bootsy's bit not withstanding).

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 14:14 (eighteen years ago)

super furry animals - (drawing) rings around the world

alice in chains - i stay away

both good tunes

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 14:30 (eighteen years ago)

Well, you'd just love the Godfathers then.

All their songs consisted of the title repeated four times, except for "Birth School Work Death" which is only twice.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 14:40 (eighteen years ago)

oh god.

delete ilx.

― EARLY-90S MAN (Enrique), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 14:45 (eighteen years ago)

KC & The Sunshine Band to thread eyebrows

― PappaWheelie demands you to ''only pick any'' (PappaWheelie 2), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 14:51 (eighteen years ago)

Husker Du:

Diane
Green Eyes
I Will Never Forget You
The Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 15:06 (eighteen years ago)

I don't care about repeated lyrics as long as the melody changes. "Sing" is great.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 20:56 (eighteen years ago)

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