Comments on: Songs with Short Pauses

Question: Songs with Short Pauses

divabat — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 16:20:02 -0800

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.

By: aubilenon

aubilenon — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 16:26:01 -0800

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?

By: It's Raining Florence Henderson

It's Raining Florence Henderson — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 16:55:01 -0800

Wouldn't mistake them for Jack Johnson or James Blunt, but "Supervixen" by Garbage featured an unexpected pause.

By: divabat

divabat — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 16:58:43 -0800

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."

By: chrominance

chrominance — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 17:13:06 -0800

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.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 17:18:17 -0800

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.

By: quin

quin — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 17:23:27 -0800

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.

By: Steven C. Den Beste

Steven C. Den Beste — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 17:41:56 -0800

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.

By: booner

booner — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 17:50:31 -0800

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.

By: emelenjr

emelenjr — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 18:02:35 -0800

John Mayer, "My Stupid Mouth"?

By: catburger

catburger — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:00:40 -0800

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.

By: BevosAngryGhost

BevosAngryGhost — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:50:31 -0800

Maybe Good Riddance (Time of your Life) by Greenday? It has a coulple abrupt pauses at the beginning.

By: hazelshade

hazelshade — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:55:37 -0800

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...

By: muddgirl

muddgirl — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 21:45:10 -0800

Is it Jason Mraz "Wordplay"?

By: muddgirl

muddgirl — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 21:45:51 -0800

Here's the video for Wordplay.

By: candyland

candyland — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:37:33 -0800

Dave Matthews, maybe?

By: plasticbugs

plasticbugs — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 23:08:52 -0800

"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.

By: featherboa

featherboa — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 02:17:21 -0800

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.

By: M.C. Lo-Carb!

M.C. Lo-Carb! — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 06:33:02 -0800

Waiting Room, by Fugazi?

By: QueSeraSera

QueSeraSera — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 08:19:38 -0800

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..."

By: divabat

divabat — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 17:20:43 -0800

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."

By: QueSeraSera

QueSeraSera — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 17:41:50 -0800

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! :)

By: mmoncur

mmoncur — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 01:37:45 -0800

"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...