Lyrics That Establish A Story Immediately

Riffing on a discussion I had the other night at dinner. What are songs that establish another world from the very first line?

Here are some examples of what I mean:

“My father sits at night with no lights on, his cigarette glows in the dark”

“Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been, lives in a dream /
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door; who is it for?”

What I DON’T mean are just memorable or instantly recognizable opening lines (of which there are plenty and we can all sing them to one another).

There is probably some technical music-appreciation word for this, but I mean a lyric that establishes you in another world, bam, right out of the gate - that are almost poetic in nature - and establishes the characters and prompts your curiosity and pathos the way the above two examples do. I suppose many of these might be called art songs.

Fun examples?

“War, huh yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, oh hoh, oh”

Besides the obvious (that war is a disaster), from that first line it evokes a different time, of protest and anger, both at an unpopular war and given the style of the music, that the burden of the war fell disproportionately on the poor and minorities (least that is what it evokes in me)

Like this?
“Well the glow from the bars and a
Thousand stars
Light the cold Ohio night
And the Turnpike’s slick, the
Snow’s as thick as thieves”

“Piano Man” and any number of Billy Joel songs. “The Boxer”, “A Poem on the Underground Wall” and a dozen others by Simon and Garfunkel, " Case “795” from John Mellencamp-and about 20 more…there are so many from earlier artists. I don’t listen to much current stuff.

Edited-I see you want the actual words…

“It’s 9 o’clock on a Saturday, the regular crowd shuffles in…”

“I am just a boxer, though my story’s seldom told…”

“The last train is nearly due, the underground is closing soon.”

“Tony Jones stabbed Alice Jones On their first anniversary down in Dallas, Texas”

Yes, CGHTeach, that’s the kind of thing I was talking about (don’t know the song, but immediately get the premise).

Musicprnt - as I said, I wasn’t looking for memorable opening lines per se, though that is certainly a memorable one. I was looking for something that established a physical scene and / or characters.

Wednesday morning at five o’clock as the day begins
Silently closing her bedroom door
Leaving the note that she hoped would say more
She goes downstairs to the kitchen clutching her handkerchief
Quietly turning the backdoor key
Stepping outside she is free

She’s Leaving Home ~ Beatles

As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin’
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto

In the Ghetto ~ Elvis Presley

A Thanksgiving favorite:

@sseamom I immediately started to type the opening line to Piano Man.

@carolinamom2boys I grew up and went to college in New England-had the good fortune of seeing him play live 4 or 5 times when he was in his prime. Oh man, can he play the piano!

@sseamom I’ve seen him 3 times myself. He’s amazing.
Here’s some more lyrics:
Blame it all on my roots
I showed up in boots
And ruined your black tie affair.

White lips, pale face
Breathing in snowflakes
Burnt lungs, sour taste
Light’s gone, day’s end
Struggling to pay rent
Long nights, strange men

The A Team ~ Ed Sheeran

“I feel the irons on my wrist and lament its come to this
When they hang me from the gallows tree ‘Such as life’ they’ll hear me hiss”

  • Testify, Russell Crowe & the Ordinary Fear of God

I’ve always wanted to write a story based on these lyrics by Billy Bragg:

“With the money from her accident
She bought herself a mobile home
So at least she could get some enjoyment
Out of being alone”

(Levi Stubb’s Tears)

A classic:

“The screen door slams
Mary’s dress waves”

In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through the mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway nine,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected, and steppin’ out over the line
H-Oh, Baby this town rips the bones from your back
It’s a death trap, it’s a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we’re young
`Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run—Bruce Springsteen

Here’s another from the Boss–Thunder Road-- (I actually like this one better than Born to Run)

The screen door slams
Mary’ dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch
As the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey that’s me and I want you only
Don’t turn me home again
I just can’t face myself alone again
Don’t run back inside
Darling you know just what I’m here for
So you’re scared and you’re thinking
That maybe we ain’t that young anymore
Show a little faith there’s magic in the night
You ain’t a beauty but hey you’re alright
Oh and that’s alright with me

“Clean pair of sneaks,
with a designer belt.
Please watch your step
cause I’m feeling myself.”

Hit the Quan - iLoveMemphis

Lots of Springsteen, really.

“Well they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night now they blew up his house too
Down on the boardwalk they’re gettin’ ready for a fight gonna see what them racket boys can do”

Fire and Rain by James Taylor - always saddened me

You’re absolutely right - Springsteen has a lot of what I’m looking for. Great picks.
Here’s another great example -

Fat man sitting on a little stool
Takes the money from my hand while his eyes take a walk all over you
Hands me two tickets, smiles and whispers good luck
Well cuddle up angel cuddle up my little dove