Songs with a twist?
April 6, 2015 6:34 PM Subscribe
What are some notable (or your favorite) songs with twist endings revealed through the lyrics?
This question popped into my head while listening to "Love Vigilantes" by New Order, I always remember being surprised by the twist in that song when I first listened to it ages and ages ago.
What other songs have that same punch and veer off into a narrative direction you weren't expecting?
This question popped into my head while listening to "Love Vigilantes" by New Order, I always remember being surprised by the twist in that song when I first listened to it ages and ages ago.
What other songs have that same punch and veer off into a narrative direction you weren't expecting?
Common - I Used to Love H.E.R.
The B-52s - "Rock Lobster" (I kid...)
posted by papayaninja at 7:06 PM on April 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
The B-52s - "Rock Lobster" (I kid...)
posted by papayaninja at 7:06 PM on April 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
"Does He Love You?" by Rilo Kiley is a perfect example of this.
posted by lunasol at 7:28 PM on April 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by lunasol at 7:28 PM on April 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
Gotye - Somebody that I used to know
Decemberists - Mariner's Revenge
posted by rhapsodie at 7:29 PM on April 6, 2015
Decemberists - Mariner's Revenge
posted by rhapsodie at 7:29 PM on April 6, 2015
Lady Waters and the Hooded One by Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians
posted by ROTFL at 7:43 PM on April 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by ROTFL at 7:43 PM on April 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Lord Melody - Wau Wau of which there's also a nice Peter Tosh cover called Shame and Scandal.
posted by GrapeApiary at 7:47 PM on April 6, 2015
posted by GrapeApiary at 7:47 PM on April 6, 2015
The kids just love Spearhead's Hole in the Bucket, which absolutely qualifies.
posted by BrunoLatourFanclub at 7:48 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by BrunoLatourFanclub at 7:48 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane covered by various people but most famously, Dean Martin.
Take A Letter, Maria by R. B. Greaves
posted by hydrobatidae at 7:56 PM on April 6, 2015
Take A Letter, Maria by R. B. Greaves
posted by hydrobatidae at 7:56 PM on April 6, 2015
One Man Guy, by Loudon Wainwright III. Also memorably performed by Rufus Wainwright.
Also Miss Otis Regrets, a classic performed by numerous people.
posted by cushie at 7:58 PM on April 6, 2015
Also Miss Otis Regrets, a classic performed by numerous people.
posted by cushie at 7:58 PM on April 6, 2015
The Piña Colada Song.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 7:59 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 7:59 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Tom Waits - Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis
posted by GrapeApiary at 8:05 PM on April 6, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by GrapeApiary at 8:05 PM on April 6, 2015 [4 favorites]
I guess the Kinks' Lola is too obvious?
posted by HoteDoge at 8:18 PM on April 6, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by HoteDoge at 8:18 PM on April 6, 2015 [4 favorites]
That's the Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
posted by Majorita at 8:32 PM on April 6, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by Majorita at 8:32 PM on April 6, 2015 [6 favorites]
The Beatles — "Norwegian Wood" (read the comments)
posted by John Cohen at 8:38 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by John Cohen at 8:38 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Not mainstream, but funny: I'm Going Ugly Early Tonight by Bill Whyte
posted by rakaidan at 8:52 PM on April 6, 2015
posted by rakaidan at 8:52 PM on April 6, 2015
The Church - Loveblind, which is like a noir detective story turned into a hypnotic song.
posted by Athanassiel at 9:15 PM on April 6, 2015
posted by Athanassiel at 9:15 PM on April 6, 2015
A more current example of this is Kendrick Lamar's "Blacker the berry".
posted by msali at 9:42 PM on April 6, 2015
posted by msali at 9:42 PM on April 6, 2015
Eurovision, 1976: Brotherhood of Man, Save All Your Kisses For Me.
Sorry.
posted by humph at 3:26 AM on April 7, 2015
Sorry.
posted by humph at 3:26 AM on April 7, 2015
The slight twist of Led Zeppelin's, "Ocean", similar to "Memphis, Tennessee".
posted by jadepearl at 4:50 AM on April 7, 2015
posted by jadepearl at 4:50 AM on April 7, 2015
I guess the Kinks' Lola is too obvious?
Lola was going to be my suggestion, too.
I would also think Nick Lowe's Marie Provost would fit in here. It's a jaunty little rocker, but if you listen to the lyrics, it's not what one would expect.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:20 AM on April 7, 2015
Lola was going to be my suggestion, too.
I would also think Nick Lowe's Marie Provost would fit in here. It's a jaunty little rocker, but if you listen to the lyrics, it's not what one would expect.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:20 AM on April 7, 2015
Oh, this song is dreadful but fits the criteria: "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" by Heart.
posted by dlugoczaj at 7:47 AM on April 7, 2015
posted by dlugoczaj at 7:47 AM on April 7, 2015
Don't know if you're looking for songs that aren't pop or rock, but if you are: "Nel giardin del bello" from Verdi's Don Carlo.
posted by holborne at 7:48 AM on April 7, 2015
posted by holborne at 7:48 AM on April 7, 2015
Not the biggest shocker, but "Redondo Beach" by Patti Smith.
posted by kitty teeth at 7:49 AM on April 7, 2015
posted by kitty teeth at 7:49 AM on April 7, 2015
Paul and Storm's Your Love Is is full of reversals (and totally hilarious).
posted by ferret branca at 7:53 AM on April 7, 2015
posted by ferret branca at 7:53 AM on April 7, 2015
Led Zepplin's Fool in the Rain is even more dramatic. I've seen it as a sort of a companion to that Rays song.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:35 AM on April 7, 2015
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:35 AM on April 7, 2015
I Hold Your Hand In Mine--Tom Lehrer.
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:50 PM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:50 PM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Night Accident, by Robbie Fulks (performed by someone else here - I can't find the original which I like a better). It has enough twists and reveals to make a decent short play.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 1:06 PM on April 7, 2015
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 1:06 PM on April 7, 2015
Can't link to it from work, but Guess Who I Saw Today by Nancy Wilson (not the one from Heart) is an old jazz song with a twist/reveal at the end. Nancy's voice / delivery makes it great.
posted by widdershins at 2:27 PM on April 7, 2015
posted by widdershins at 2:27 PM on April 7, 2015
Jim Stafford had some AM radio hits in the mid-1970's with oddball story-songs that had funny punch-lines: 'Wildwood Flower' & 'My Girl Bill'...
posted by ovvl at 5:44 PM on April 7, 2015
posted by ovvl at 5:44 PM on April 7, 2015
Shades of Gray by Cry Cry Cry (decent knowledge of recent (twenty years or so) U.S.A. history necessary to understand the reveal)
posted by tzikeh at 6:34 PM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by tzikeh at 6:34 PM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
And, uh, there's always the infamous Timothy....
posted by tzikeh at 8:26 PM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by tzikeh at 8:26 PM on April 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
A few more:
He Stopped Loving Her Today
The Ballad of Lucy Jordan
The Mayor of Candor Lied (you think you get the twist midway through, but there's another one still to come)
posted by tzikeh at 8:47 PM on April 7, 2015
He Stopped Loving Her Today
The Ballad of Lucy Jordan
The Mayor of Candor Lied (you think you get the twist midway through, but there's another one still to come)
posted by tzikeh at 8:47 PM on April 7, 2015
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