Songs with the Greatest Opening Lines

[Sweet Home Alabama]

“He stopped loving her today “

“He said I’ll love you ‘til I die”

Bobby Braddock, Charlie Putman

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Beth, I hear you callin', but I can't come home right now...

 

[elasmo]

Stargazer - Rainbow. Ronnie James Dio starts the line: High noon, oh I'd sell my soul for water.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Rollin' down a backwoods, Tennessee by-way, one arm on the wheel, holdin' my lover with the other, a sweet, soft, southern thrill...

 

[Kottan]

Catfish pie
In gris gris bag
I'm the lover of the bayou

Mudcrutch also the Byrds

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Big wheels keep on turnin'... carry me home to see my kin...

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ah, breaker one-nine, this here's the Rubber Duck...

 

[Old School 3319]

Not an opening line but a tag in a song. “You can’t hang yourself if you ain’t got enough rope” Chris Knight

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone... It's not warm when she's away...

 

[jpmcwjr]

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone... It's not warm when she's away...

Neville Bros? Bill Withers?

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Any time she goes away
Any time she goes away

 

[dcon]

“I gotta a body built for sin and an appetite for passion!” - KISS, I Just Wanna

 

[Mr.Mike]

"I got all the fuckin work I need"

The work song.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Neville Bros? Bill Withers?

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Any time she goes away
Any time she goes away

A great opening line doesn’t matter who is singing it. It sets the stage, the mood, the tone of the whole song. But, if I were going to pick a singer for this song, I’d go with Buddy Guy.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

For those late 1900’s kids, Saturday morning...

Hey, hey, hey! Here's Fat Albert...

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

Bawitdaba, da bang, da dang diggy diggy, diggy, said the boogie, said up jump the boogie

- KIIIIIID ROCK!

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

Is it my imagination
Or have I finally found something worth living for?
I was looking for some action
But all I found was cigarettes and alcohol

- Oasis

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

Some people might say my life is in a rut
But I'm quite happy with what I got

- The Jam

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

Just heard Revor Plug is being discontinued, so...

This is the end, beautiful friend
This is the end, my only friend

- The Doors?

 

[scottbtdmb]

Didn’t scroll through the whole thread to see if this had been posted, but to me the opening line to Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Child (Slight Return) is unparalleled!

“Well I stand up next to a mountain and chop it down with the edge of my hand”.

I believe the late great comedian Bill Hicks mentioned this line in an old bit he used to do!

 

[Kottan]

Yes I'm lonely wanna die
Yes I'm lonely wanna die
If I ain't dead already
Ooh, girl you know the reason why…

Yer Blues - John Lennon