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1. Masquerading as a man with a reason
My charade is the event of the season
And if I claim to be a wise man, well
It surely means that I don’t know2. You know I work all day
To get you money to buy you things,
And it’s worth it just to hear you say,
You’re gonna give me ev’rything.3. I was alone
I never knew
What good love could do
Ooh, then we touched
Then we sang
About the lovin things
Question #1: What are the names of the three songs quoted above?
Question #2: What are the names of the three bands?
Question #3: What unusual characteristic do all three songs exhibit?
BONUS QUESTION: If you think you know the answer to Question #3, can you name another similar song?
1. Kansas, “Carry On My Wayward Son”
2. Beatles, “Hard Day’s Night”
3. Journey, “Any Way You Want It”
… they all ROCK? No, that’s not unusual, not for Journey.
posted by Bj on 10-26-2006 at 8:08 am
What unusual characteristic do all three songs exhibit?
The title is in the first line of the song? Is that “unusual”? The only other one I can think of (in the past 30 seconds) is “Love Me Tender”.
posted by Kman on 10-26-2006 at 9:46 am
Kansas, “Carry On Wayward Son”
Beatles, “A Hard Day’s Night”
Journey, “Any Way You Want It”
These songs are commonly mis-titled by adding additional words from the lyrics:
Carry On (My) Wayward Son
(It’s Been A) Hard Day’s Night
Any Way You Want It (That’s the Way You Need It)
A similar song would be “(Here’s To You) Mrs. Robinson,” or maybe Pearl Jam’s “(I’m Still) Alive”
posted by Jef on 10-26-2006 at 10:02 am
So we have the bands and the songs, but there is something MUCH more important, more concrete, that all three have in common… though interesting notion there Jef on the titles! (Hint: Kman is onto it…)
posted by David on 10-26-2006 at 11:02 am
They all begin with a vocal refrain, sans instruments. Another example would be Bohemian Rhapsody, by Queen.
posted by Doug on 10-26-2006 at 11:51 am
Doug takes it, more or less… Bravo! They all begin with the chorus, or refrain. The 1st verse, which usually begins a song, comes second.
So how many other songs can you name that begin with the chorus?
posted by David on 10-26-2006 at 11:58 am
Except, Doug, that A Hard Day’s Night begins with a jangly electric guitar chord….
The first letters of Carry On Wayward Son spells a word (COWS). Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case with the other two songs.
posted by Alfonso on 10-26-2006 at 12:00 pm
Coincidentally, “Mrs. Robinson” is another one that begins on the chorus.
posted by Jef on 10-26-2006 at 12:21 pm
The Beatles - “She Loves You”
posted by Michael on 10-26-2006 at 1:09 pm
I take your word for it regarding A Hard Day’s Night, Alfonso, as I was not sure about that one. The other 2 songs I was sure, so that was what I based my answer on, in addition to David’s hint that Kman was close.
Technically, my prior comment regarding Bohemian Rhapsody is not correct as it does not begin with a chorus. I don’t believe the opening is repeated elsewhere in the song. In fact, Bohemian Rhapsody doesn’t really have a chorus. The first part is, however, vocals only. Instrumental music comes later. But, I digress, and ramble.
posted by Doug on 10-26-2006 at 3:48 pm
Wouldn’t the Stones’ “(I can’t get no) Satisfaction” also fit here?
posted by Debi on 10-26-2006 at 4:16 pm
There’s a difference between starting a song a capella, or without instrumental accompaniment, and starting it with the chorus.
I think “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” begins with an instrumental intro (that happens to be the riff played throughout the song, except where it drops out in a few places). Not exactly sure that the song starts with the chorus, but I could be wrong.
posted by Michael on 10-26-2006 at 5:01 pm
Heck, while I’m at it, this is from Alan W. Pollack’s Notes on “All My Loving”:
“Also special is the way in which the song opens in the midst of the action without an intro, or even a downbeat from which the singer can grab his opening cue note; somewhere on the studio tape I’ll bet someone plays the note ‘A’ for Paul just before they start. Clearly, the Boys liked this trick sufficiently to reuse it from time to time; just browsing among the two dozen-odd songs we’ve looked at in this series, there’s “She Loves You”, “It Won’t Be Long”, “Any Time At All”, “No Reply”, and “You’re Going To Lose That Girl”. In “All My Loving” (as in “No Reply”), the abruptness of the effect is enhanced by the first chord not being the tonic chord — i.e. I — of the home key.”
Now, that the song begins with an unaccompanied vocal doesn’t really mean it starts on the chorus, but I think the songs he mentions do start with the refrain. I will be quiet now.
Alan W. Pollack’s Notes on … Series
posted by Michael on 10-26-2006 at 5:12 pm
all three songs when we hear them on the radio ….we switch over to talk radio.
Minnie rippeton’s Loving you would be another one.
posted by mark on 10-26-2006 at 5:45 pm