Many of the best opening lyrics do what they set out to accomplish — start a song in the greatest way possible. Since they are the first thing we hear, they can either lower or raise the rest of the song into new leagues. When they do their jobs well, opening lyrics can earn legendary status and become much more popular than the rest of the song. In the case of the best opening lyrics of all time, they have left a mark on the music industry and sometimes earned the status of becoming memes.
There are a lot of songs that you can listen to. Popular song lyrics, especially the opening lines, save us time searching for them. When you know the lines of a song, you just need to google it or ask someone if they recognize the lyrics. Thus, for an opening lyric to become the best, it has to be recognizable. And, when that recognition becomes too big, memes are made out of it. There is a small list of famous lyrics that are so good that memes are created from them. The best example is Never Gonna Give You Up. The opening line of this song is easily recognized and has become a subject of memes, jokes, and so on.
When it comes to the best song lyrics that start with a bang, it’s best to look for them with the help of the internet. User herecomesacandle on the popular AskReddit group decided to ask a question every music listener was asking — “What’s the greatest opening lyrics to a song that you’ve ever heard?” In the list below, we have compiled the best answers from users that might make you look up the songs themselves. Since some are more recognizable, upvote the lyrics that you like too. Share your opinions on these lyrics in the comments below.
#1 The Sound Of Silence By Simon & Garfunkel
guiltystranger94 said:
“Hello, darkness my old friend.”
freddythepole19 replied:
“Anything by Paul Simon, basically. “I am just a poor boy, though my story’s seldom told, I have squandered my resistance for a pocket full of mumbles such are promises” continues to haunt me.”
Image source: guiltystranger94, Simon & Garfunkel
#2 Gangsta’s Paradise By Coolio
“As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I take a look at my life and realize there’s not much left.”
Image source: LzzyHalesLegs, Tommy Boy
#3 We Are The Champions By Queen
“I’ve paid my dues, time after time.”
Image source: bruce_wayne08, Queen Official
#4 Bohemian Rhapsody By Queen
“Is this the real life?”
Image source: heis3nbergg, Queen Official
#5 Wish You Were Here By Pink Floyd
“So, so you think you can tell Heaven from hell?”
Image source: Lonelyfriend0569, Pink Floyd
#6 Lose Yourself By Eminem
“If you got one chance, or one opportunity, to get everything you ever wanted, in one moment, would you capture it, or let it slip.”
Image source: worthlessafsince2002, msvogue23
#7 Boulevard Of Broken Dreams By Green Day
“I walk a lonely road The only one that I have ever known Don’t know where it goes But it’s home to me, and I walk alone.”
Image source: AStarCarrier_14, Green Day
#8 Comfortably Numb By Pink Floyd
“Hello, is there anybody in there?”
Image source: EyeofAnger, Pink Floyd
#9 Let It Be By The Beatles
“When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom: ‘Let it be.'”
Image source: nrith, The Beatles
#10 Let’s Go Crazy By Prince & The Revolution
“Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to get through this thing called life.”
Image source: reddit.com, Prince
#11 I Will Survive By Gloria Gaynor
“At first I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side.”
Image source: NateBeasy, Gloria Gaynor
#12 In The Air Tonight By Phil Collins
“I can feel it coming in the air tonight.”
Image source: Rossi-5, Hard Force
#13 I Want To Break Free By Queen
“I want to break free.”
Image source: OttmarHitzf3ld, Queen Official
#14 Hurt By Johnny Cash
“I hurt myself today, To see if I still feel I focus on the pain, The only thing that’s real.”
Image source: JackFisherBooks, Johnny Cash
#15 Sympathy For The Devil By The Rolling Stones
CanuckSalaryman said:
“Please allow me to introduce myself.
I’m a man of wealth and taste.
I’ve been around for a long, long year.
Stole many a man’s souls to waste.”
KawhiComeBack replied:
“This might be my favorite Stones song just because of the pure audacity of Mick Jagger to write about how he is the devil, but a sophisticated one of wealth and taste.
No one else could sing that song.”
Image source: CanuckSalaryman, ABKCOVEVO
#16 Numb By Linkin Park
“Tired of being what you want me to be.”
Image source: krazkatluvsu, Linkin Park
#17 Don’t Stop Me Now By Queen
“Tonightttt I’m gonna have myselffff a real good time, I feel alive I Iiiii and the worldddd will turn it inside out aaa and float it around in ecstasy.”
Image source: mrHughesMagoo, Queen Official
#18 Time By Pink Floyd
“Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day…”
Image source: xanthanahtnax, Pink Floyd
#19 Imagine By John Lennon
“Imagine there’s no heaven…”
Image source: the_spotless_mind, johnlennon
#20 You Give Love A Bad Name By Bon Jovi
“SHOT THROUGH THE HEART AND YOU’RE TO BLAME DARLING YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME.”
Image source: oteudeuss_, Bon Jovi
#21 SpongeBob SquarePants Opening Scene
“ARE YE READY KIDS??”
Image source: DoYouPoopWhenYouPee
#22 Baby Got Back By Sir Mix-A-Lot
“Oh, my, God Becky, look at her butt.”
Image source: hateyoukindly, SirMixAlotChannel
#23 Immigrant Song By Led Zeppelin
“‘We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun, where the hot springs flow!'”
Image source: reddit.com, Led Zeppelin
#24 The House Of The Rising Sun By The Animals
“There is a house in New Orleans.”
Image source: lesaleeh, The Animals
#25 All Along The Watchtower By Bob Dylan
ItTookTime said:
“There must be some kinda way out of here / Said the Joker to the Thief.”
LeBigFish666 replied:
“Dylan is in with a shout for a lot of his songs here,
Desolation Row ‘They’re selling postcards of the hanging, and painting the passports brown.’
Visions of Johanna ‘Ain’t it just like the night to play tricks when you’re trying to be quiet.’
Mr. Tambourine Man ‘Though I know that evenings empire has returned into sand, vanished from my hand, Left me blindly here to stand, but still not sleeping.'”
Image source: ItTookTime, Bob Dylan
#26 Hooked On A Feeling By Blue Swede
“Ooga-chaka, ooga-ooga
Ooga-chaka, ooga-ooga
Ooga-chaka, ooga-ooga
Ooga-chaka, ooga-ooga.”
Image source: -WAW-, Joel Gustafsson
#27 A Day In The Life By The Beatles
“I read the news today, oh boy.”
Image source: StefeSoo, The Beatles
#28 Carry On Wayward Son By Kansas
User said:
“Carry on my wayward son.”
flowrider_ replied:
“Every Supernatural fan is going crazy rn.”
Image source: reddit.com, KANSAS
#29 Basket Case By Green Day
“Do you have the time, To listen to me whine?”
Image source: flibbertygibbet69, Green Day
#30 Paradise City By Guns N’ Roses
“Take me down to the Paradise City where the grass is green and the girls are pretty. Oh, won’t you please take me homeeeeee.”
Image source: Anton5448, Guns N’ Roses
#31 Never Gonna Give You Up By Rick Astley
“We’re no strangers to love, you know the rules and so do I.”
Image source: dy77x, Rick Astley
#32 Welcome To The Black Parade By My Chemical Romance
“WHEN I WAS! A YOUNG BOY! MY FAAATHER! TOOOK ME INTO THE CITAY!”
Image source: boingboingbong, My Chemical Romance
#33 Round Here By Counting Crows
“Step out the front door like a ghost into the fog where no one notices the contrast of white on white.”
Image source: sillyboni, OkayTimeForPlanZ
#34 Chop Suey! By System Of A Down
“Wake up! Grab a brush and put a little makeup!”
Image source: Genocide_Fan, System Of A Down
#35 Loser By Beck
Catsushigo said:
“In the time of chimpanzees, I was a monkey.”
DBoaty replied:
“The song sounds like an AI text generator wrote it but goddamn if it isn’t catchy.”
Image source: Catsushigo, Beck
#36 The Lion King Opening Scene
“The first hit on the Circle of Life from The Lion King.
‘Nants ingonyama bagithi baba Sithi uhm ingonyama Nants ingonyama bagithi baba Sithi uhhmm ingonyama Ingonyama Siyo Nqoba Ingonyama.'”
Image source: gladria1963, DisneyMusicVEVO
#37 It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) By R.E.M.
“That’s great it starts with an earthquake, birds snakes, and airplanes. Lenny Bruce is not afraid.”
#38 Rapper’s Delight By The Sugar Hill Gang
“I said a Hip, Hop, a Hippy to the Hippy the Hip Hip a Hop and you don’t stop a-rockin’ to the bang bang boogie said up jump the boogie to the rhythm of the boogidy beat.”
Image source: 82ndGameHead, dutchmanmm
#39 Black By Pearl Jam
“‘Sheets of empty canvas, untouched sheets of clay
Were laid spread out before me as her body once did.'”
Image source: OPs_other_username, Pearl Jam
#40 The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air Theme Song
“Yo, this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down!”
Image source: TheAssOfSpock, Raqraqxox
#41 Werewolves Of London By Warren Zevon
User said:
“I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand.”
Resolute002 replied:
“Funny story, years ago my dad’s band covered this song and they had a humongous band-destroying fight because the band insisted the lyric was “And his hair was purple” and my dad was sure it was ‘And his hair was perfect.'”
Image source: reddit.com, RHINO
#42 Bullet With Butterfly Wings By The Smashing Pumpkins
“The world is a vampire.”
Image source: SSB4Decoder, Smashing Pumpkins
#43 All Star By Smash Mouth
“SOMEBODY ONCE TOLD ME.”
Image source: Snoo79382, SMASH MOUTH
#44 While My Guitar Gently Weeps By George Harrison
“I look at you all see the love there that’s sleeping, while my guitar gently weeps.”
Image source: carsonnwells, George Harrison
#45 Rap God By Eminem
“Look, I was gonna go easy on you and not hurt your feelings.”
Image source: Darkmaster666666, EminemMusic
#46 Old Man By Neil Young
Aumgn said:
“Old man, look at my life – I’m a lot like you were.”
tdelbert replied:
“This song has been on repeat for the last few weeks. The state of the world and USA has put me in a Neil Young protest song kind of mood.”
Image source: Aumgn, neilyoungchannel
#47 What I Got By Sublime
“Early in the mornin’, risin’ to the street. Light me up that cigarette and I’ll strap shoes on my feet.”
Image source: reddit.com, TheofficialSublime
#48 Yoda By “Weird Al” Yankovic
“I met him in a swamp down in Dagobah, where it bubbles all the time like a giant carbonated soda, S-O-D-A, soda…”
Image source: OhEmGoshYouGuys, alyankovic
#49 Planet Of The Apes In Simpsons
“I hate every ape I see from chimpan-A to chimpan-Z.”
Image source: Letsgobroncos, Jane Smith
#50 4. Judith By A Perfect Circle
“You’re such an inspiration for the ways that I will never ever choose to be.”
Image source: reddit.com, Mariam Sowa
#51 Serve The Servants By Nirvana
“‘Teenage angst has paid off well, now I’m bored and old.’
Nirvana kicking off In Utero with Serve the Servants.”
Image source: reddit.com, Nirvana
#52 Thick As A Brick By Jethro Tull
“Really don’t mind if you sit this one out.”
Image source: sterlingphoenix, WeHateThePatriots
#53 Whip It By Devo
“Cccccrack that whip!”
Image source: xurx9txo, Warner Records Vault
#54 Last Resort By Papa Roach
Picklelerner said:
“CUT MY LIFE INTO PIECES.”
OrganicHearing replied:
“CUT MY LIFE INTO PIZZA THIS IS MY PLASTIC FORK.”
Image source: Picklelerner, Papa Roach
#55 Gimme More By Britney Spears
6inchfunsize said:
“It’s Britney b***h.”
menow555 replied:
“Tacky, trashy glorious alliteration. Perfection!”
Image source: 6inchfunsize, Britney Spears
#56 Straight Outta Compton By N.W.A.
“You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge.”
Image source: reddit.com, N.W.A
#57 Swing Life Away By Rise Against
“Am I loud and clear, or am I breaking up?
Am I still your charm, or am I just bad luck?
Are we getting closer, or are we just getting more lost?”
Image source: HeyYoDeimos, RiseAgainst
#58 Stan By Eminem
“Dear Slim, I wrote you but still ain’t calling.”
Image source: BrissyToe, EminemMusic
#59 Laid By James
“This bed is on fire with passionate love. The neighbors complain about noises above, but she only comes when she’s on top.”
Image source: DarkleCCMan, JamesVEVO
#60 Tear In My Heart By Twenty One Pilots
“Sometimes you gotta bleed to know, That you’re alive and have a soul.”
Image source: reddit.com, Fueled By Ramen
#61 Wannabe By Spice Girls
“Ha ha ha ha ha YO, I’LL TELL YOU WHAT I WANT WHAT I REALLY REALLY WANT!”
Image source: bananas_in_pyjamas3, Spice Girls
#62 In The Aeroplane Over The Sea By Neutral Milk Hotel
“What a beautiful face, I have found in this place, that is circling all round the sun.”
Image source: some_bored_person, Neutral Milk Hotel
#63 Pokemon Opening Scene
User said:
“I wanna be the very best.”
AnastasiaSheppard replied:
“This one wins because my mind is trying to sing all the other lyrics in this tune now.”
Image source: reddit.com
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