What's the best line you've ever heard in a song and why do you like it?

Question

please can you answer both parts of my question thanks.

Answer 1

"And a woman needs a man
Like a fish needs a bicycle"

-U2 "Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World"

Just visualizing this line puts a smile on my face.

Answer 2

Just a few:

'The ghost of electricity howls in the bones of her face'

From 'Visions Of Johanna' by Bob Dylan. Why? It's my favourite metaphor in a songIt gives me the image of a woman with hooded eyes, her face illuminated by dim strip lighting in an otherwise dark room, staring at the man she's about to lose. Shows the power of words to paint a vivid mental picture.


'If you close the door, the night could last forever,
Leave the sunshine out, and say hello to never.'

From 'After Hours' by the Velvet Underground. My favourite lines about death in any song. All the better because it has a jaunty female voice (their drummer, Mo Tucker's, and it's bad!) over a mock-1930s jazz feel. Would not have worked as well with Lou Reed's voice. It shows that understatement can work better than shock value for some subjects.


'Candy cannot hear or see,
She's in the place she needs to be,
She'll take the pointed sharpened blade,
And give you something warm to taste.'

'Psychocandy' by The Jesus & Mary Chain

My favourite lines about insanity. I love these words because they really get me inside the head of a character in this song. I can really feel for Candy, the girl who is lost in her own world.

Answer 3

From St. Louis Blues: "My man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea."

I love the line because it's beautifully melancholy and I've never heard a more accurate description of the emotional distance that occurs when a relationship has grown cold.

Answer 4

One line, right?? Hard to choose, so many incredible lyrics out there. I'd have to go with one of my all-time faves:

"I am the son and the heir
Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar"...

(from "How Soon is Now", by The Smiths). I used to be withdrawn and mistrustful as a teenager, so I really identified with this line and, obviously, the rest of the song. Even though I finally relaxed (you can't shut me up now, lol!!), I still love this song.

Answer 5

When there's no one else,Look inside yourself,Like your oldest friend,Just trust the voice within

A Voice Within by Christine Aguilera.

The whole song is lyrically well written. It has a very positive message about dealing with adversity as well as being a beautiful melody too. I am not one usually a big Christina fan but this is sheer class

Answer 6

Where do broken hearts go - Can they find their way home
Back to the open arms - Of a love that's waiting there

I reminds me of not only the human condition of falling in love and from a spiritual perspective going home to the open arms of love that comes from God. Now matter how bad life gets love heals.

Answer 7

there was a lyric in the the film "american werewolf in london" by an artist called warren zevon which went along the lines

I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand,
Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain.
He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fook's,
Going to get a big dish of beef chow mein.
Ahhwooooo... Werewolves of London, Ahwooooo!
Ahhwooooo... Werewolves of London, Ahwooooo!

i like it for its humorous content, never been beaten since, and of course its from the 70`s
and that chinese take away actually exists too!

Answer 8

I do not like Bob Dylan very much, but he said a few great things. He is a poet, not a musician. But one line which stand out for me am I allowed two. o.k, one is YOU CAN BE IN MY DREAM IF I CAN BE IN YOURS ....(i am going to sneak the second one in just to be awkward) EVERYBODYS GOT TO SERVE SOMEBODY. I like these two things because they are so totally closest and nearest anyone has ever got to the truth of life with words so simple and concise. Spot on is the expression.i think. yes. sorry but I had to do two, because he only did five for me. another was.....don't let anyone get your kicks for you....You figure that one out. But I understand it very well.

Answer 9

Movie "Cool Hand Luke" and "Civil War" by Guns N Roses,

"What we got here, Is a failue to communicate, So you get what we had here last week, Which is the way he wants it, So he gets it"
OR
AfroMans "Colt 45" Colt 45 and 2 Zigzags, baby thats all we need, we can go to the park, after dark, smoke that tumbleweed

Answer 10

And now the purple dust of twilight time
Steals across the meadows of my heart

--from Stardust by Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parrish