Great Song, No Chorus
Posted by David Wright on 10 November 2007 - 4:29pm.
Something for a damp Saturday afternoon, suggestions for good songs with no real chorus. To start off with:
1) "Losing My Religion"-R.E.M.
2) "Baker Street" Gerry Rafferty
3) "Mmm, Mmmm, Mmm?"-Crash Test Dummies
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The Boss
"Thunder Road" - Bruce Springsteen
Up the juntion - squeeze
Up the juntion - squeeze
And another- "Piano Man"
And another- "Piano Man" Billy Joel
It's an outro...
...that "no future" bit in God Save The Queen. all verses and middle eights, that one. Sultans of Swing, that hasn't got any choruses either. Go on, admit it, you're thinking "Guitar George - he knows all the chords" aren't you?
Beyond Belief - Elvis Costello
Just one long verse.
Surely Piano Man has a chorus - that "son can you play me a memory" bit - even if the words change each time round?
Wrong Man
Guess you're right Paul, struggling to think of any others. I'll get my coat.
Rod and Maggie
Rod Stewart has always claimed that Maggie May has doesn't have a proper melody or chorus
If I was Your Girlfriend
The artist now known as a clown (per Sir Hepworth)
Damn, got there first
I've been meaning to start a thread on a very similar subject, so may as well throw it in here. I was thinking of great songs that only have one verse (with or without chorus); it's such a great verse that we forgive it when it just gets repeated for the second verse. What am I thinking about?
Yes - McAlmont and Butler
How Long - Ace
Sweet Dreams - Eurythmics
Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime - the Korgis (not that limp cover by arch sacred cow Beck)
Dice
Tumblin' Dice either has no chorus or is all chorus and no verse

a beautiful narrative
Wings - Josh Ritter.
LADY DENNY!
Puzzled by some of the suggestions above which just don't seem to qualify.
The very lovely Sandy Denny sings what I feel sure is an autobiographical love song 'Full moon'. The words of the title don't even get mentioned till the last line. There is definitely not even a hint of chorus.
It also includes peerless (where's my cliche dictionary?) clarinet from Acker Bilk. It occurs to me as writing that he's one of those people where you always use both his names. 'Acker played well tonight'. 'Come on Bilk, pull yourself together'. Doesn't really work, does it? Or is it me?
The greatest shipwreck song ever written
Nautical Disaster - The Tragically Hip