Songs with Short Pauses

November 7, 2006 4:20 PM

Asking for a dear friend: help identify a song with an unexpected short pause.

Here's his request:
"It's a guitar song, similar to Jack Johnson and James Blunt (may or may not be by one of these two). A key feature of it is a silence or pause where it's not really expected. Everything stops, then starts again. I can't remember any other details for certain, but it might have the word 'everybody' in it."

I know that sounds really vague, but it's the best we have! Any help identifying this earworm would help, thanks.

posted by divabat to media & arts (22 comments total)

Don't Tell Me by Madonna (produced by Mirwais) has an abrupt stutter to it it. Is this the kind of thing you're talking about?
posted by aubilenon at 4:26 PM on November 7, 2006

Wouldn't mistake them for Jack Johnson or James Blunt, but "Supervixen" by Garbage featured an unexpected pause.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:55 PM on November 7, 2006

Him again: "It's like the pauses in the song 'Don't Tell Me' by Madonna, but it's not that song. More country sounding, beat is in the guitar. I'm quite sure it's sung by a male."
posted by divabat at 4:58 PM on November 7, 2006

Don't really know Jack Johnson that well (and James Blunt less so), but "Romantic Comedy" by Stars might be it. Unexpected pause, check; mainly guitars, check; male vocals, check; not a rocker, check. The album listing and a 30 second sample.
posted by chrominance at 5:13 PM on November 7, 2006

Not a recent song at all, but "Closing Time" by Semisonic uses this effect. It's known as the "Clearmountain Pause", although Bob Clearmountain's by no means the only producer to rely on it.
posted by padraigin at 5:18 PM on November 7, 2006

Dunno about your listed artists, but NOFX's "Please play this song on the radio" has a great pause in it. It's only unexpected when you realize it is a pause and not the end of the song.
posted by quin at 5:23 PM on November 7, 2006

There was a song done by Alan Parsons Project that had a pause in it near the end that would sometimes louse up DJs. But I don't remember any more even which album it was on.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 5:41 PM on November 7, 2006

I love the "Clearmountain Pause" and the fact it actually has a name.

"Drain The Blood" by The Distillers, "You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire" by Queens of the Stone Age and "Hard to Explain" by The Strokes have such a pause, but none are really in the Jack Johnson / James Blunt camp.
posted by booner at 5:50 PM on November 7, 2006

John Mayer, "My Stupid Mouth"?
posted by emelenjr at 6:02 PM on November 7, 2006

Is it False Advertising by Bright Eyes?
The song on Youtube (the second link is the CD version, the others are live)

I'm not sure that it sounds like Jack Johnson or James Blunt but it does have the word "everybody" in it, and it's a guitar song with a male vocalist.
posted by catburger at 7:00 PM on November 7, 2006

Maybe Good Riddance (Time of your Life) by Greenday? It has a coulple abrupt pauses at the beginning.
posted by BevosAngryGhost at 7:50 PM on November 7, 2006

I feel like Jason Mraz does this in a song but I have repressed specific memories of it because I think he's an annoying git...
posted by hazelshade at 7:55 PM on November 7, 2006

Is it Jason Mraz "Wordplay"?
posted by muddgirl at 9:45 PM on November 7, 2006

Here's the video for Wordplay.
posted by muddgirl at 9:45 PM on November 7, 2006

Dave Matthews, maybe?
posted by candyland at 10:37 PM on November 7, 2006

"Novocaine for the Soul" by the Eels has a pause in it and mostly fits your description. Rick Springfield's "Love is Alright Tonight" is another but he's really hard to confuse with Jack Johnson.
posted by plasticbugs at 11:08 PM on November 7, 2006

Could it be Westside by Athlete? The chorus begins with a short pause, then they all shout "chorus" and sing this: "whenever you look you can see that everybody wants to be part of the rock scene". Athlete do sound kind of Jack Johnson-y too.
posted by featherboa at 2:17 AM on November 8, 2006

Waiting Room, by Fugazi?
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 6:33 AM on November 8, 2006

Seconding the John Mayer. I also think it's My Stupid Mouth.

It's a light, happy, poppy, solo guitar song on a CD my partner always plays on long drives. I notice the pause every time. The song seemingly ends and then he starts again with "One more thing..."
posted by QueSeraSera at 8:19 AM on November 8, 2006

Him again: "Thanks for all the suggestions, but none of these seem to be it. As to what I remember of the song, it's more just strumming and vocals, rather than any backup or electric guitar sounds. Sorry to be hard to please, but I'd really like to get this out of my head."
posted by divabat at 5:20 PM on November 8, 2006

I don't mean to keep pushing the John Mayer guy, but I linked to the wrong version of the song earlier.

Try the 3rd song here. It's Jack Johnson-y. Fingerstyle acoustic guitar and voice only. This has got to be it! :)
posted by QueSeraSera at 5:41 PM on November 9, 2006

"New Sensation" by INXS (the 80s band, not the reality show version) has one such pause, but it's not really the style you're talking about. There might be an accoustic version out there, though.

Really, we don't have enough information to go on - it's a pretty common thing, especially in guitar-oriented pop...
posted by mmoncur at 1:37 AM on November 10, 2006