ABABABCBD
February 26, 2009 10:36 PM   Subscribe

Songs with great codas?

Any genre. I'm stuck at Layla and Hey Jude.
posted by minkll to Media & Arts (47 answers total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
"Aquarius/Let The Sunsine In" from "Hair" (I like the version by the 5th Dimension)
posted by amyms at 10:42 PM on February 26, 2009


Actually my answer was a bit confusing. The 5th Dimension version is a medley of the two separate songs (which weren't in medley form in "Hair" -- they're the opening and ending song, respectively), so my answer for the song that has a great coda is "Let The Sunshine In."
posted by amyms at 10:47 PM on February 26, 2009


"I Am The Resurrection", Stone Roses
posted by nicwolff at 11:02 PM on February 26, 2009 [4 favorites]


Best answer: I've always been fond of that weird pseudo-Latin ending on "Fool In The Rain."

Also, "Sugar Magnolia," if you can stomach the Dead.

Paul Simon's "The Late Great Johnny Ace" has a coda by Phillip Glass of all people. It works surprisingly well — sends chills up my spine every time — but it isn't really the sort of soaring rock coda that your examples suggest.

Oh, and look at prog rock. Lots of hot coda action there. King Crimson's "Lark's Tongues in Aspic Part 1" and ELP's "Lucky Man" have two of my favorites.
posted by nebulawindphone at 11:08 PM on February 26, 2009 [1 favorite]


"Sugar Magnolia & Sunshine Daydream" by the Dead. Great pairing.
posted by friendlyjuan at 11:08 PM on February 26, 2009


Damn you non-preview! *shakes fist*
posted by friendlyjuan at 11:09 PM on February 26, 2009


Sun Kil Moon - Lost Verses
posted by amb at 11:09 PM on February 26, 2009


Shearwater: The Snow Leopard
posted by Skot at 11:27 PM on February 26, 2009


I'm unfamiliar with the concept of a coda. Can someone please explain it better than wikipedia or at least to point to one of the songs mentioned and say "this is what we're talking about?" Thanks.
posted by cali59 at 12:17 AM on February 27, 2009


cali59, the title ABABABCBD explains it: if A is a verse, B is chorus, C is a bridge, it's a D here, an ending introducing new material (e.g: Naaaaa naa naa na-na-na naaaaaaah as a completely new part of Hey Jude). Also called outro.
posted by Think [Instrumental] at 1:42 AM on February 27, 2009


I'm glad you did look it up first, unlike some other message boards...

I guess it's the end of a song, where it's not just the chorus played the same as in the rest of the song. And it usually either fades out, or builds to a big climax. It could be one or two lines sung over and over (like "Message in a Bottle"), a flashy guitar solo, or chanting vocals (like "Hey Jude," or Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop").

"Layla" ends with a slow piano tune that's almost like a whole different song.

Another example is when they layer two or more sets of lyrics. Off the top of my head I can only think of the Police's "Every Breath You Take."

And while I'm quite fond of my examples, I don't know if they qualify as great enough to submit them as responses to the original question. Hey, how about the guitar/sax at the end of "Baker Street"?

Or the end of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," although I'm not sure how much of it actually qualifies as the coda.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 1:58 AM on February 27, 2009


Teenage Fanclub - "The Concept"
posted by bunglin jones at 2:02 AM on February 27, 2009


'More than this', Roxy Music.
posted by dowcrag at 3:46 AM on February 27, 2009


If you want to go back to Paul Simon, "Save the Life of My Child" ends with a two-liner:

"Oh, my grace,
I've got no hiding place"
posted by yclipse at 4:40 AM on February 27, 2009


Sunspots by Julian Cope. Actually, Cope's songs are full of wonderful and distinct codas. The Great Dominions contains another typical one.
posted by ROTFL at 4:51 AM on February 27, 2009


Oh, and a classic:

Donovan's "Atlantis"
posted by yclipse at 5:00 AM on February 27, 2009


The Arcade Fire - Wake Up; Crown of Love

The Postal Service - Brand New Colony
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:04 AM on February 27, 2009


Orange Juice : Consolation Prize " A sad heartsick little ballad.
posted by cascando at 5:36 AM on February 27, 2009


Or the end of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," although I'm not sure how much of it actually qualifies as the coda.

If I understand the concept correctly, yes, The Police and Sting have some good ones. Sting particularly likes the bit, "it's a big enough umbrella..." line from Every Little Thing. It's used as coda in more than one song (e.g., Oh My God and Seven Days).
posted by fuse theorem at 5:47 AM on February 27, 2009


you are looking for:
Oasis - '"All Around The World", "It's Gettin' Better Man" (which might not fit, but the refrain repeats for like 5 minutes), "Let There Be Love"
posted by mrmarley at 6:07 AM on February 27, 2009


Inasmuch as Bo Diddley played guitar more like a drum than a guitar, I suppose any of his many songs with the famous 'Bo Diddley beat' might qualify as answers to your question, as well.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:08 AM on February 27, 2009


Aww, hell. Ignore that last comment of mine. It was meant for this thread.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:10 AM on February 27, 2009


Modest Mouse, "Spitting Venom." Coda starts building at around 4:20.
posted by purplemonkie at 6:30 AM on February 27, 2009


All You Need Is Love, sort of, kind of, with that toss in of She Loves You Yeah Yeah Yeah at the end.
posted by IndigoJones at 6:43 AM on February 27, 2009


Pretty much any song on Pink Floyd's Animals (aside from "Pigs on the Wing")
Muse's "Knights of Cydonia"
posted by anthom at 6:50 AM on February 27, 2009


Dire Straits, On Every Street
The Rolling Stones, Can't You Hear Me Knockin'
Eric Clapton, Let It Grow
Jimi Hendrix, Axis: Bold As Love
Fleetwood Mac, The Chain
posted by wabbittwax at 6:56 AM on February 27, 2009




It's a very short coda, but good: Pixies, "Break My Body"
posted by equalpants at 7:43 AM on February 27, 2009


"Rocket Queen" - Guns N' Roses
posted by dyobmit at 7:48 AM on February 27, 2009 [2 favorites]


FREEBIRD!!!!!!
posted by biscotti at 7:52 AM on February 27, 2009


Off the top of my head: Country Girl -CSNY.
posted by ob at 9:17 AM on February 27, 2009


Decemberists - Valerie Plame
Jason Falkner - Moving Up
Roger Joseph Manning, Jr. - Imaginary Friend
posted by drinkcoffee at 10:00 AM on February 27, 2009


Porcupine Tree - Mellotron Scratch
posted by teraflop at 10:16 AM on February 27, 2009


Not sure if these fill the bill:

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room (LIVE VERSION) - John Mayer
More than a Feeling- Boston
posted by Piscean at 11:15 AM on February 27, 2009


Hmmm... maybe "Flake" by Jack Johnson is better than my previous examples of a coda, if we're going by "Hey Jude" as an example. The last part sounds like a whole 'nother song.
posted by Piscean at 11:22 AM on February 27, 2009


Us Ones in Between by Sunset Rubdown is by far my favorite.
posted by tmcw at 11:29 AM on February 27, 2009


all the wars by aloha.
posted by penchant at 11:57 AM on February 27, 2009


Led Zeppelin had some wonderful guitar codas. Off the top of my head there's Rain Song, which is a long song with a very short coda. There's also a fabulous guitar rock coda at the end of Narcolepsy, by Third Eye Blind (yes, really).
posted by abc123xyzinfinity at 12:56 PM on February 27, 2009


There's the ubiquitous Stairway To Heaven, although it reprises the original melody at the last lines.
posted by _Skull_ at 2:16 PM on February 27, 2009


Best answer: The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
DJ Shadow - Stem/Long Stem and Blood on the Motorway

and the finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (really the whole fourth movement, which is a miniature symphony in itself, with restatements of the themes of the first three movements)
posted by Vic Morrow's Personal Vietnam at 2:26 PM on February 27, 2009


Guns 'N' Roses, "Patience."
posted by ostranenie at 2:28 PM on February 27, 2009 [1 favorite]


"Alec Eiffel" by the Pixies is the first thing that came to mind.
posted by aka burlap at 7:20 PM on February 27, 2009


"To The Moon & Back" by Savage Garden has a cool instrumental at the very end.
posted by divabat at 6:05 AM on February 28, 2009


David Bowie's "Memory of a Free Festival" fades out with this line and a "Hey Judean" chord progression:
The Sun Machine is coming down, and we're gonna have a party...
posted by indiewizard at 7:41 AM on March 1, 2009


Little late, but Faith No More's "Epic" has a memorable piano coda after its crazed metallic rap majesty.
posted by cgc373 at 9:20 PM on March 3, 2009


The Smashing Pumpkins, 'Drown'
The Beach Boys, 'The Trader'
The Beatles, 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)'
Grandaddy, 'He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot'
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 12:24 AM on March 7, 2009


Jessica Lea Mayfield, I'm Not Lonely Anymore

The most beautiful coda/outro I think I've ever heard. It's a short song, I really urge you to give it a listen.
posted by sprocket87 at 8:02 PM on March 9, 2009


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