Yeah, a kinda' dumb thread I know but..........I am often hooked by a song for only one small thing. Perhaps it's a snippet of the tune or a particular progression. Some songs have it ALL together with fantastic words, melodies, and everything. Some have only one line though.....One great line that hooks you in and turns the song into a favorite for you.
For instance........I like a lot of of John Prine's stuff and some of it will go on and enter the "Folk" idiom I think. But he has one that I don't suppose is really much of a song at all and certainly not his best by any means...........and yet............All The Best is a good enough piece but it contains one line which completely hooked me and puts it at the virtual top of my Top Songs List. Stupid huh? Here's the line (complete lyrics are below) that spoke volumes to me:
Then you change your mind For something else to do And your heart gets bored with your mind And it changes you
Yeah, I know...........But I'm willing to bet that there are some in your Top List which are similar..........Just "okay" songs but with one great line that has hooked you and catapulted the damn thing into your Tops list. Whether I consider it a great line is inconsequential as long as you do!!! Got any that fit?
Spaw
All The Best ©John Prine
I wish you love And happiness I guess I wish you All the best I wish you don't Do like I do And ever fall in love with Someone like you Cause if you fell Just like I did You'd probably walk around the block Like a little kid. But kids don't know They can only guess How hard it is To wish you happiness
I guess that love Is like a Christmas card You decorate a tree You throw it in the yard It decays and dies And the snowmen melt Well I once knew love I knew how love felt Yeah I knew love Love knew me And when I walked Love walked with me And I got no hate And I got no pride Well I got so much love That I cannot hide
Say you drive a Chevy Say you drive a Ford You say you drive around the town Till you just get bored Then you change your mind For something else to do And your heart gets bored with your mind And it changes you Well it's a doggone shame And it's an awful mess I wish you love I wish you happiness I wish you love I wish you happiness I guess I wish you All the best