The best title ever for a hits package.
Also, the first thing that popped up in my head when I was thinking about this discussion topic.
Some songs have choruses so good that they don’t even need the rest of the song to make them worth listening to.
In the case of “Let That Pony Run,” the Pam Tillis hit about a newly divorced mother, you can lift the chorus out of the song completely and it still makes sense. Pretty rare for a story song:
You do what you gotta do,
And you know what you know.You hang on ’til you can’t hang on,
Then you learn to let go.And you get what you need sometimes,
When it’s all said and done.You do what you gotta do,
Then you let that pony run.
How’s that for a great life philosophy?
What are your favorite choruses? Can they stand up on their own?
One of my personal favorite choruses is that of Julie Roberts’ sole hit “Break Down Here”
I’d sure hate to break down here
Nothin up ahead or in the rear-view mirror
Out in the middle of nowhere knowin
I’m in trouble if these wheels stop rollin
God help me keep me movin somehow
Don’t let me start wishin I was with now
I’ve made it this far without cryin a single tear
I’d sure hate to break down here
I think its just a wonderful statement for heartbreak.
Too many, but here’s a couple:
Dixie Chicks “Heart Break Town”
[i]This ain’t nothin’ but a Heartbreak Town
Square people in a world thats round
And they watch you dancin’
Without the sound
It ain’t nothin’ no nothin’
You take your number and you stand in line
And they watch to see how high you’re gonna climb
Pat on the back ‘n’ better luck next time
It ain’t nothin’ no it ain’t nothin’ but a Heartbreak Town[/i]
Others as well, but that’s the one that always gets me.
Ty Herndon’s “What Mattered Most” written by Gary Burr and Vince Melamed.
Her eyes were blue
Her hair was long
In 64 she was born in Baton Rouge
Her favorite song
was In My Life
I memorized her every move
I knew her books, her car, her clothes
But I paid no attention
To what mattered most
I heard a story song a few months ago at a show and then checked out the lyrics on-line the next day and realized that the song has no chorus. I’m sure I’ve heard songs without a chorus but I guess I never noticed it before. The song was “Table 32” written by Georgia Middleman and Sam & Annie Tate and was on Georgia’s 2004 album “Unchanged”. It made me wonder what percentage of country songs and songs in general have no chorus? About 6 weeks later I was listening to John Denver’s “Windsong” album and found that 4 of the 12 songs had no chorus as far as I could tell.
A favorite of mine is “Sunday Morning Coming Down:”
On a Sunday morning sidewalk,
I’m wishing, Lord, that I was stoned
‘Cause there’s something in a Sunday
That makes a body feel alone
And there’s nothing short a’ dying
That’s half as lonesome as the sound
Of the sleeping city sidewalk
And Sunday morning coming down
and another is Alan Jackson’s “Someday:”
And I said someday
I’ll get my life straight
And she said it’s too late
What’s done is done
And I told her someday
She said I can’t wait
‘Cause sometimes someday just never comes
and here’s a third – “Murder On Music Row:”
For the steel guitars no longer cry
And the fiddles barely play
But drums and rock ‘n’ roll guitars
Are mixed up in your face
Ol’ Hank/Lefty/Hag wouldn’t have a chance
On today’s radio
Since they committed murder
Down on music row
There’s two dates in time
that they’ll carve on your stone
and everyone knows what they mean
what’s more important
is the time that is known
in that little dash there in between
that little dash there in between
‘Pushing Up Daisies’ Garth Brooks, Scarecrow, written by John Hadley, Gary Scrugs and Kevin Welch (actually 2 Kevin Welch songs that Garth put together, but still an awesome chorus).
Apparently, I’m in cheesy song mode, so here goes…
Gary Allan, “Her Man”
‘Cause I’ve been a wild catter, and a go-go getter
Been an S.O.B. right down to the letter
I’ve had misadventures, I’ve even got pictures
I’m even more than I can stand
But startin’ today, all I’m gonna be is her man
John Michael Montgomery, “Life’s a Dance”
Life’s a dance you learn as you go
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow
Don’t worry about what you don’t know
Life’s a dance, you learn as you go
Dwight Yoakam, “Guitars, Cadillacs”
It’s guitars, cadillacs, hillbilly music
Lonely, lonely streets that I call home
Yeah, my guitars, cadillacs, hillbilly music
It’s the only thing that keep me hangin’ on
Garth Brooks, “I’m Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)”
And the white line’s getting longer and the saddle’s getting cold
I’m much too young to feel this damn old
All my cards are on the table with no ace left in the hole
I’m much too young to feel this damn old
Pam Tillis, “Spilled Perfume”
Did you really think last night would last forever
Did you really think that guy hung the moon
Right now you hate yourself ’cause you knew better
But there’s no use crying over spilled perfume
Sara Evans, “Suds in the Bucket”
How could 18 years just up an and walk away?
Our little pony-tail girl growed up to be a woman
Now she’s gone in the blink of an eye
She left the suds in the bucket and the clothes hangin’ out on the line
I’ve heard these songs millions of times, and it’s the choruses that grab me each time and keep me coming back for more. Haha. :) (Sorry so long)
@BLL I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I’ve never even heard of that particular Garth Brooks album. But, I just located the song on YouTube and I liked it. It has a very strong Irish feel to it, which is a thread through a lot of Garth’s songs, and what makes his choruses so great. So much Irish music has that strong sing-a-long chorus. Cheers.
Oh, the lonely sound of my voice calling
Is driving me insane
And just like rain the tears keep falling
Nobody answers when I call your name
Oh, nobody answers when I call your name
Sent chills down my spine the first time I heard the song, one of Vince Gill’s finest.
‘Cause I’d love to be out of your shoes tonight
To be the one turnin’ him on
When he turns out the light
Under your skin
Lyin’ with him
When he holds you tight
I’d love to be out your shoes tonight
This Lorrie Morgan song says it all, don’t you think?
So I guess that means that things are better
Must not be so bad at home
I thought it looked like you were leavin’ but it don’t
And I heard you tell her you still love her
So it doesn’t matter what you say
I saw it all from a table away
Sunny Sweeney, something newer.
He said I wanna see you again
But I’m stuck in colder weather
Maybe tomorrow will be better
Can I call you then
She said you’re a ramblin’ man
And you ain’t ever gonna change
You gotta gypsy soul to blame
And you were born for leavin
Another newer song, Zac Brown Band.
The king of great choruses may just be Alan Jackson. They’re deceptively simple (Keith Urban could learn a thing or two about brevity). This may not be the best example of his songwriting, but it’s a personal favorite:
“Livin’ on love
Buyin’ on time
Without somebody nothin’ ain’t worth a dime
Just like an old fashioned storybook rhyme
Livin’ on love
It sounds simple, that’s what you’re thinkin’
But love can walk through fire without blinkin’
It doesn’t take much when you get enough
Livin’ on love”
I guess you’re tired of walking tightropes
Of setting up and tearing down
You want a place to call forever
And rest your feet on solid ground
Somewhere you’ve lost that sense of wonder
But that’s still the place I’m bound
I’m a storm in search of thunder
I’m just a circus leaving town
Phillip Claypool wrote it, he and Travis Tritt both recorded this song.
I know I must be goin’
‘Cause love’s already gone
And all I’m takin’ with me
Are the pieces of my heart
And all I’ll leave
Are smoke rings in the dark.
– – – –
I get weak in the knees
And I lose my breath
Oh I try to speak
But the words won’t come
I’m so scared to death
When you smile that smile
The world turns upside down
Whenever you come around
“The Ride” by Chris LeDoux
Sit tall in the saddle
Hold your head up high
Keep your eyes fixed
Where the trail meets the sky
Live like you ain’t afraid to die
And don’t be scared
Just enjoy the ride
I love pretty much all the songs mentioned here. Good topic.
…george strait’s “i can still make cheyenne”
he said, i’m sorry it’s come down to this
there’s so much about you that i’m gonna miss
but it’s alright baby,
if i hurry, i can still make cheyenne
…and of course there’s dwight’s “i’ll just take these”
so i’ll just take
what my mind can stand
’cause there’s not a lot
that you can hold in trembling hands
I Love both Lorrie Morgan’s “Out of Your Shoes” and Vince Gill’s “When I Call Your Name.” The Vince song is one of his finest and having Patty Loveless singing harmony only enhances the beauty of that track. That’s a classic of the modern era for sure.
I’m really enjoying this thread – it has me thinking about country music on a different level. I’ve never given this much attention to choruses before but they really do make or break songs. (as do bridges but that’s another post).
I’m surprised no one has posted the chorus to “The House That Built Me:”
I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I could just come in I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me
or “In Color:”
And if it looks like we were scared to death
Like a couple of kids just trying to save each other
You should have seen it in color
or “Whiskey Lullaby:”
1st Chorus
He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger
And finally drank away her memory
Life is short but this time it was bigger
Than the strength he had to get up off his knees
We found him with his face down in the pillow
With a note that said I’ll love her till I die
And when we buried him beneath the willow
The angels sang a whiskey lullaby
2nd Chorus
She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger
And finally drank away his memory
Life is short but this time it was bigger
Than the strength she had to get up off her knees
We found her with her face down in the pillow
Clinging to his picture for dear life
We laid her next to him beneath the willow
While the angels sang a whiskey lullaby
And to add to the cheese factor – Shania Twain’s number one hit from Oct 1998:
Honey, I’m home and I had a hard day
Pour me a cold one and oh, by the way
Rub my feet, gimme something to eat
Fix me up my favorite treat
Honey, I’m back, my head’s killing me
I need to relax and watch TV
Get off the phone-give the dog a bone
Hey! Hey! Honey, I’m home!
Plus a good one from Rosanne Cash:
Tell me you’re trying to cure a seven-year ache
See what else your old heart can take
The boys say, “when is he gonna give us some room”
The girls say, “god I hope he comes back soon”
and a favorite from Lori McKenna:
I was stealing kisses from a boy
Now I’m begging affection from a man
In my house dress don’t know you who I am
I’m standing in your kitchen
Desperation never sounded so good…
“Love Is A Rose”, from Linda Ronstadt’s 1975 album Prisoner In Disguise:
Love is a rose, but you better not pick it
It only grows when it’s on the vine
Handful of thorns, and you know you’ve missed it
Lose your love when you say the word Mine
I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN but I’m not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love
-Alan Jackson
‘We fired our guns and the British kept a’comin.
There wasn’t nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin’ on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.’
Also, Breathe by Faith Hill, a great build up.
Tell me you’re trying to cure a seven year ache
See what else your old heart can take
Boys say ‘when is he gonna us some room’
But girls say ‘God I hope he comes back soon’
– Rosanne Cash
I’m not sure if I quite agree with you here; although the chorus may be the easiest bit to remember, imo if the verses don’t contribute the composition as a whole has failed. But it reminded me of the song ‘I Will Come Back Again’ (written by Verlon Thompson and recorded by Matt King just over 10 years ago):
Once I was a singer, music was my church
And I put myself through hell trying to write a second verse
So I came back as a chorus, the best part of a song
Cause all your friends remember and they all sing along
Here’s a live version by Thompson:
I’m going with the all Sonny Throckmorton edition
The way I am, don’t fit my shackles
The way I am, reality
I can almost see that bobber dancin’
So I’ll just dream and keep on being the way I am.
written by Sonny Throckmorton performed by Merle Haggard
Now my heart is sinking like a setting sun
Setting on the things I wish I’d done
It’s time to say goodbye to yesterday
And this is where the cowboy rides away
written by Sonny Throckmorton performed by George Strait
Why not me on a rainy day
Why not me to love your cares away, why not me
Why not me when the nights get cold
Why not me when your growin’ old, why not me
written by Sonny Throckmorton, Harlan Howard, and Brent Maher performed by The Judds & others
I was gonna list Roger Miller’s songs with great choruses, but I ain’ t got all day
I’ll move on baby just like you
When the desert floods and the grass turns blue
When a sailing ship don’t need her moon
It’ll break my heart, but I’ll get through
Someday when I stop loving you.
“Someday When I Stop Loving You” -Carrie Underwood
@MIA- its on ‘Scarecrow’, Garth’s last studio album; not a filler cut on it.
@highwayman- very nice Johnny Horton reference!
Where’d you get that alibi?
Did it fall out of a midnight sky,
Or did you find it on the side of the road?
Tell me: Did you have to make a deal,
Or wrestle for control, of the wheel, from your conscience?
I’d like to know.
Where do you go?
On your way home?
On your Way Home: written Matraca Berg,Ronnie Samoset
Performed by Patty Loveless
What about a phone call in the middle of the night
You whispering so she can’t overhear you
Telling me you still want me desperately
What about a knock on the door– 3AM
Don’t have to hear your voice to know you been drinking
What if my hand opens the door and lets you in
Oh No What if I can’t say no again
–Chely Wright
And it’s love and hate and all these emotions
I never thought that you’d be going
Now I’m just going through the motions
Where everything is you, everything is you
-Eli Young Band
Here are my pics:
“And still
The world stood still
I couldn’t move
And all I could feel
Was this aching in my heart
Saying I loved him still.”
-Reba
“It don’t matter where you bury me
I’ll be home and I’ll be free
It don’t matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away.”
-Emmylou
“Yeah I’ve finally realized that’s the way things are
I got the bleeding stopped but there’s gonna be a scar
I know I’ll go on living but you’re always gonna be around
Deep down, deep down.”
-Pam
“Keep your distance
Keep your distance
Oh, when I feel you close to me
What can I do but fall
Keep your distance
Keep your distance
Oh, with us it must be all or none at all
(Oh, with us it must be all or none at all)”
-Patty
“Somebody’s loving you I know And I can feel you letting go
There’s a flame in you I can’t walk through
You’re burning but it’s Somebody Else’s Fire.”
-Janie
One of the reasons why I love the Chicks’ “Silent House” so much is the chorus:
And I will try to connect
All the pieces you left
I will carry it on
And let you forget
And I’ll remember the years
When your mind was clear
How the laughter and life
Filled up this silent house
……I also second “The House That Built Me”‘s chorus, one of the few reasons why I love that song.
The chorus of Kellie Pickler’s “Best Day of Life” is really catchy, and better than the rest of the song.
Shania Twain’s “Up!” is another song where the chorus seemed especially central to the song.
Also love…
Lorrie Morgan, “Watch Me” and “We Both Walk”
LeAnn Rimes, “One Way Ticket”
Tim McGraw, “Where the Green Grass Grows”
Sara Evans, “A Real Fine Place to Start” (could probably stand on its own)
Can’t think of very many right now, but I might come back with more later.
“Break Dwon Here”
“Out of your Shoes”
“Where were you…”
Carrie Underwood- “Someday When I Stop Loving You”
Carrie Underwood- “Jesus, Take The Wheel”
Carrie Underwood- “Don’t Forget To Remember Me”
Sara Evans- “A Little Bit Stronger”
Dixie Chicks- “Top Of The World”
Dixie Chicks- “Wide Open Spaces”
Keith Urban- “Tonight I Wanna Cry”
Rascal Flatts- “These Days”
Rascal Flatts- “Bless The Broken Road”
“Only Prettier”- Miranda Lambert
“House That Built Me-” Miranda Lambert
“Airstream Song”- Miranda Lambert
Guilty In Here”- Miranda Lambert
“Life Ain’t Always Beautiful”- Gary Allan
‘Cause I Love the long shots
And the left out lost caused
Hanging out in the back of the pack
With the dark horses
I ride the wrong road
Just as fast as I can
God knows there is no one else to blame
Sometimes I think I get off on the pain
Gary Allan ~ Get Off on the Pain
Just a few more…
If you’re calling ’bout the car I sold it
If this is Tuesday night, I’m bowling
If you got something to sell
You’re wasting your time
I’m not buying
If it’s anybody else
Wait for the tone
You know what to do
And P.S. if this is Austin
I still love you
Austin ~ Blake Shelton
I’m just a ghost in this house
I’m just a shadow upon these walls
As quietly as a mouse I haunt these halls
I’m just a whisper of smoke
I’m all that’s left of two hearts on fire
That once burned out of control
That took my body and soul
I’m just a ghost in this house
Ghost in This House ~ Shenandoah and/or Alison Krauss
And my heart is sinking like the setting sun,
Setting on the things I wish I’d done.
It’s time to say goodbye to yesterday.
This is where the cowboy rides away.
The Cowboy Rides Away ~ George Strait
Sometimes that mountain you’ve been climbing
Is just a grain of sand
And what you’ve been out there searching for forever
Is in your hands
And when you figure out love is all that matters after all
It sure makes everything else seem so small
“So Small” by Carrie Underwood
Makes ya wanna start thinkin about drinkin
If I don’t find a way to ease my mind
To leave all this behind
I’m gonna go crazy without you baby
A barroom or a bedroom back at home
I feel a cold one comin on
Most underrated Montgomery Gentry single. Some reason missed the top 20.
I love the chorus from the Lisa Dames’s Just Another Day song
No one called from the Whitehouse to say
The president’s making this a holiday
And people still riding in the subway all alone
It didn’t stop anybody’s big league game
Or sinners from falling on their knees to pray
The traffic is still moving real slow all over L.A.
For the rest of the world, It was just another day
It was just another day
Roll Me Back in Time by Sara Evans:
All the glitter out in Hollywood,
All the stars that never shined,
Well it could hold the candle to you when
Could you roll me, could you roll me, could you roll me back in time?