Melodies that use the same note many many times in a row?

August 3, 2007 12:48 PM

I'm looking for songs that have melodies that use the same note many, many times in a row, like Ca Plane Pour Moi. I'm not looking for songs featuring people who speak-sing, or rap or scream. I'm not looking for songs that have melodies with only 3 or 2 different notes in them. It has to be a song with a melody where one note gets repeated alot (more than say, Jingle Bells). Do you know any?
posted by 23skidoo to media & arts (49 comments total)

Bohemian Rhapsody?
posted by iconomy at 12:58 PM on August 3, 2007

Johnny One Note

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better (from the musical "Annie Get Your Gun")
posted by amtho at 12:59 PM on August 3, 2007

One Note Samba by Jobim/Hendricks.
posted by paulsc at 1:00 PM on August 3, 2007

Antonio Carlos Jobim - One Note Samba (Samba De Uma Nota So)
posted by buxtonbluecat at 1:00 PM on August 3, 2007

The intro to "Helter Skelter" by the Beatles? The U2 version is what I have running through my head at the moment.
posted by dr. fresh at 1:02 PM on August 3, 2007

Can I post a link to Sabotage anyway? Well what the hell...

All My Friends was previously discussed Here
posted by uandt at 1:03 PM on August 3, 2007

The Major-General's Song from Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:05 PM on August 3, 2007

The bridge in The Beatles' "Girl" is mostly one note:

She's the kind of girl who puts you down
When friends are there
You feel a fool
posted by rocket88 at 1:06 PM on August 3, 2007

Jet Boy, Jet Girl (cheating).
posted by klangklangston at 1:07 PM on August 3, 2007 [1 favorite]

What's that news jingle from Cool Hand Luke? While they are laying down road. Same note for almost two bars then repeats.
posted by spicynuts at 1:08 PM on August 3, 2007

The first two verses of "Night And Day" by Cole Porter
posted by briank at 1:09 PM on August 3, 2007

Eddie From Ohio, Monotony.

It even makes reference to itself:

And oh thank goodness here comes the chorus
A varied melody
I would only welcome variation
If it just could break monotony
posted by bondcliff at 1:12 PM on August 3, 2007

Neil Young's "Down By The River", has a repeated guitar note, many times.

Doesn't some Killers song have a repeated one note melody? Mr. Brightside, is it?

And that awful, awful, awful, Eiffel 65 song, "Blue", has that whole beginning part that is pretty one-note-repetitive, I think, although for my own safety, I'm not going to verify it by hunting it down and listening to it (I recommend you avoid it as well)
posted by jeffxl at 1:14 PM on August 3, 2007

Meditation by Jobim/Mendonça (don't know the Portuguese title, though)
posted by imposster at 1:16 PM on August 3, 2007

Can I post a link to Sabotage anyway?

Whoa. Cognitive dissonance. It took me until the character introductions to figure out why that just seemed a little... off... to me. I guess they didn't have any black friends to be "Fred Kelly as 'Bunny'."
posted by dersins at 1:16 PM on August 3, 2007

"One Week", Bare Naked Ladies

"It's the End of the World as We Know It", R.E.M.
posted by Shecky at 1:18 PM on August 3, 2007

We Didn't Start The Fire, Billy Joel

I'm Only Sleeping, The Beatles. The first part has very few notes.

This is fun, by the way
posted by jeffxl at 1:19 PM on August 3, 2007

The "melody" line of the theme to the new Battlestar Gallactica series is one syncopated note.

A lot of rythm piano from rock-and-roll is monotonous. "The Logical Song" (Supertramp) and "The Scientist" (Coldplay) spring to mind. Although they aren't literally the same note for the entire song, they are very boring to play.
posted by Crosius at 1:20 PM on August 3, 2007

"Idle Moments," (title track from the album of the same name) is an instrumental jazz tune by Grant Green that fits the bill. It's also a great tune. Joe Henderson's sax solo on that track employs some equally amazing minimalism (repeating one note, with slightly different inflections, for a long, long while).
posted by wheat at 1:23 PM on August 3, 2007

Pepper, The Butthole Surfers
posted by jeffxl at 1:25 PM on August 3, 2007

One-Note Song, Tenacious D
(.mp3 link)
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 1:59 PM on August 3, 2007

Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley
posted by gfrobe at 2:06 PM on August 3, 2007

A Thousand Years, Sting.
posted by ZakDaddy at 2:40 PM on August 3, 2007

There's a CCR song that has a guitar solo in which the same note is repeated 64 times. It might be Long As I Can See The Light. (Yes, I counted.)

And I think "Crystal" by Husker Du (off of Candy Apple Grey) is a one-chord song.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 2:48 PM on August 3, 2007

Local H, Bound for the Floor
Cracker Camper Van Beethoven, All Her Favorite Fruit

I like the long single-note suspension over chord changes, too. The Local H song is the best (most obvious) example I know of to explain it to people.
posted by ctmf at 2:48 PM on August 3, 2007

"Come rain or come shine" and "I don' t stand a ghost of a chance with you" both use this technique to some extent.
posted by No-sword at 3:07 PM on August 3, 2007

I like the simplicity of the Beatles' Paperback Writer, though not strictly one-note. Very few notes.
posted by ctmf at 3:16 PM on August 3, 2007

"Numb" U2
posted by sourwookie at 3:22 PM on August 3, 2007

"Pi" by Hard 'n Phirm
posted by sourwookie at 3:23 PM on August 3, 2007

I think maybe it doesn't qualify because I don't think it's actually written the way it's performed, but how about Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone"

(also actually two notes, but he sure sings them alot)
posted by nax at 3:24 PM on August 3, 2007

I like the simplicity of the Beatles' Paperback Writer, though not strictly one-note. Very few notes.

And not at all what he's asking for.

Doesn't some Killers song have a repeated one note melody? Mr. Brightside, is it?

Yeah, the refrain of Mr. Brightside is largely one note, although there are some neighboring notes thrown in.
posted by ludwig_van at 3:26 PM on August 3, 2007

postal service "such great heights "
posted by uaudio at 3:27 PM on August 3, 2007

Pink "Get the party started" has only one chord. Another example (one chord exept from some solos) is James Brown "Sex Machine".

The Ramones "I wanna be sedated" has few chords and many of the same notes in a row.

More one chord songs here.

Songs with one note solos and/or riffs include Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song".
posted by iviken at 3:34 PM on August 3, 2007

He didn't ask for songs with one chord.
posted by ludwig_van at 3:37 PM on August 3, 2007

A Day in The Life - The Beatles
posted by iconomy at 3:38 PM on August 3, 2007

I like the simplicity of the Beatles' Paperback Writer, though not strictly one-note. Very few notes.

And not at all what he's asking for.

Three notes, if you disregard non-emphasised passing tones and neighbor notes. Maybe not literally what OP asked, but with no reason provided, it may suit their purpose.

Thanks for being the volunteer thread police, though.
posted by ctmf at 3:45 PM on August 3, 2007

No problem. Did you listen to the example song he linked? Almost none of these are what he's asking for.
posted by ludwig_van at 3:46 PM on August 3, 2007

Most Ramones songs would fit, I think.
posted by blaneyphoto at 3:55 PM on August 3, 2007

Ah, crap, you're right. I missed the not in the "3 or 2 different notes" sentence.

Still, it would be easier if we knew why. Is it because you suck at karaoke and want something easy? Need to demonstrate suspension for a class or something? Furthermore, I consider Ca Plane Pour Moi as speak-singing, which was not allowed.

That's kind of what makes AskMe good - you get some literal answers, and some people go more for your (maybe assumed) intent in ways you may not have thought of.
posted by ctmf at 4:00 PM on August 3, 2007

I'm not trying to be argumentative ctmf, but we don't have to know why he's asking in order to name songs that have one-note melodies. And that song isn't speak-singing - the entire verse melody is distinctly a repeated A natural.
posted by ludwig_van at 4:19 PM on August 3, 2007

Kinda sing-speak, but maybe 500 Miles by the Proclaimers or Bound for the Floor by Local H?
posted by blaneyphoto at 4:21 PM on August 3, 2007

Viens Avec Moi by DeVotchKa
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:46 PM on August 3, 2007

I think Queens of the Stone Age's Feel Good Hit Of The Summer probably qualifies (but then, I'm utterly tone deaf, so I could be wrong).
posted by flashboy at 6:13 PM on August 3, 2007

All Together Now by the Beatles
posted by Oriole Adams at 6:28 PM on August 3, 2007

Still, it would be easier if we knew why. Is it because you suck at karaoke and want something easy? Need to demonstrate suspension for a class or something? Furthermore, I consider Ca Plane Pour Moi as speak-singing, which was not allowed.

That's kind of what makes AskMe good - you get some literal answers, and some people go more for your (maybe assumed) intent in ways you may not have thought of.

I appreciate anyone who takes the time to answer one of my questions, but this is exactly what makes AskMe bad (for me). I have a friend who likes to make up songs, but they are only one note songs. Everytime she makes up a song, it has exactly one note. I am looking for songs with exactly one note repeated alot of times in a row as a gift to her. The question exactly as stated is the one I want answered.

Thanks for all the answers so far! Keep 'em coming.
posted by 23skidoo at 9:27 AM on August 4, 2007

specific songs not coming to mind but.. postpunk.. aren't Wire big on this? also Suicide, The Fall.. Flipper.. Big Black "Pavement Saw" "Pigeon Kill"
posted by citron at 11:37 AM on August 4, 2007

"Young Love" by Sonny James/Tab Hunter
Or how about the ultimate example, "Life is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me) by Reunion.
posted by evilcolonel at 12:43 PM on August 4, 2007

"She" by Green Day or maybe Survivors "Eye of the Tiger".
posted by blaneyphoto at 10:56 PM on August 4, 2007

The songs that I put on the CD for my friend were: "The Fall" by Peter and the Wolf, "End of the World as We Know It" by REM, "Mr Brightside" by The Killers, "Ca Plane Pour Moi" by Plastic Bertrand, "Numb" by U2, "Tear You Apart" by She Wants Revenge, "Bound for the Floor" by Local H, "All My Life" by Foo Fighters, and "Life is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me) by Reunion. Thanks all.
posted by 23skidoo at 8:51 PM on August 13, 2007