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March 20, 2021 8:28 am  #1


Songs with spoken passages

I was listening to The Kinks' 'Come Dancing' the other day in which Ray Davies speaks a couple of lines before the last verse kicks in. It occurred to me that there aren't that many songs with spoken line bits. The Stones' "Emotional Rescue" is another example. Can you think of others? Part of the reason for this post is to goad Lorne into submitting an example.

 

March 20, 2021 9:05 am  #2


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Are You Lonesome Tonight...Elvis
Atlantis....Donovan
Do You Love Me....The Contours
Foxy Lady....Hendrix
Green Green Grass of Home...Tom Jones
Little Red Riding Hood...Sam the Sham
Nights In White Satin.....Moody Blues
My Boyfriend Is Back....The Angels
Leader Of The Pack....The Shangri-Las
Rocky Racoon..........the Beatles

 

March 20, 2021 9:10 am  #3


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Can't leave out Spill The Wine ....Eric Burdon & War

 

March 20, 2021 10:31 am  #4


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Roman wrote:

I was listening to The Kinks' 'Come Dancing' the other day in which Ray Davies speaks a couple of lines before the last verse kicks in. It occurred to me that there aren't that many songs with spoken line bits. The Stones' "Emotional Rescue" is another example. Can you think of others? Part of the reason for this post is to goad Lorne into submitting an example.

one of my favorites since a child is the intro to "m.t.a." by the kingston trio.
 

 

March 20, 2021 12:19 pm  #5


Re: Songs with spoken passages

gopher wrote:

one of my favorites since a child is the intro to "m.t.a." by the kingston trio. 

Yes, that's a favourite of mine, and it was also a favourite of my father's ... it was the first song that came to mind when I saw this topic. And I have an interesting personal anecdote about it as well. A few years ago, I was attending a show that featured my friends Sue and Dwight Peters from the Toronto Transit Commission's Subway Musicians Program, and this song was part of their set as it's also a favourite of theirs. But in introducing it, Sue commented on the fact that there happened to be a TTC fare increase coming up. She knows that I used to work in TTC fare policy, and so as she said this I was thinking to myself, "Please don't tell everyone that there also happens to be a former TTC fare policy person in attendance". But she's a good friend, and didn't blow my cover. 
 

 

March 20, 2021 2:03 pm  #6


Re: Songs with spoken passages

I'll throw in a few from the 'country' side...."Big John" by Jimmy Dean, especially the closing phrase.  Considered by many to be George Jones biggest and best, "He Stopped Loving Her Today".  "Hillbilly Heaven" by Tex Ritter.

 

March 20, 2021 5:52 pm  #7


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Two which sprang to mind (admittedly after I checked the large selection in Songfacts) are -

The already mentioned  - Atlantis by Donovan. A bit quirky because it only has two sung lines, endlessly repeated after the introductory poem

and

China Girl - David Bowie     ... for  personal reasons and because I do like it very much!

 

March 20, 2021 7:34 pm  #8


Re: Songs with spoken passages

One huge hit that has it is "Are You Lonesome Tonight" by Elvis Presley. He even quotes Shakespeare ("All the world's a stage") while referring to him as "someone once said" in the lyric. I still get a kick out of that. 

 

March 20, 2021 9:29 pm  #9


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Have You Seen Her - Chi-Lites
Patches -  Clarence Carter
Smokin' In the Boys Room - Brownsville Station
Proud Mary - Ike and Tina Turner

 

March 21, 2021 2:14 am  #10


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Jim Southern wrote:

I'll throw in a few from the 'country' side...."Big John" by Jimmy Dean, especially the closing phrase.  Considered by many to be George Jones biggest and best, "He Stopped Loving Her Today".  "Hillbilly Heaven" by Tex Ritter.

shame on ya, jim! how could you have left out red sovine's "phantom 309"?
 

 

March 21, 2021 2:18 am  #11


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Lorne wrote:

gopher wrote:

one of my favorites since a child is the intro to "m.t.a." by the kingston trio. 

Yes, that's a favourite of mine, and it was also a favourite of my father's ... it was the first song that came to mind when I saw this topic. And I have an interesting personal anecdote about it as well. A few years ago, I was attending a show that featured my friends Sue and Dwight Peters from the Toronto Transit Commission's Subway Musicians Program, and this song was part of their set as it's also a favourite of theirs. But in introducing it, Sue commented on the fact that there happened to be a TTC fare increase coming up. She knows that I used to work in TTC fare policy, and so as she said this I was thinking to myself, "Please don't tell everyone that there also happens to be a former TTC fare policy person in attendance". But she's a good friend, and didn't blow my cover. 
 

did you guys ever check out the 70's uk punk band, subway sect?
 

 

March 21, 2021 6:01 am  #12


Re: Songs with spoken passages

It's me Karen wrote:

Have You Seen Her - Chi-Lites
Patches -  Clarence Carter
Smokin' In the Boys Room - Brownsville Station
Proud Mary - Ike and Tina Turner

Good list, and I especially like Have You Seen Her ... it's done in such a heartfelt way. Another one I really like in that regard is Honey Come Back by Glen Campbell. In both cases, the spoken parts play a major role in why I like the songs so much. 

 

March 21, 2021 6:08 am  #13


Re: Songs with spoken passages

gopher wrote:

did you guys ever check out the 70's uk punk band, subway sect?
 

I had to look them up because I had never heard of them ... interesting name, though. 
 

 

March 21, 2021 6:50 am  #14


Re: Songs with spoken passages

End of the World - Skeeter Davis
He's Sure the Guy I Love - The Crystals
Sunday And Me - Jay and the Americans
You Can Depend on Me - Brenda Lee
What Happened to Jainie - Johnny Crawford
Bye Bye Baby - The Four Seasons

 

March 21, 2021 7:35 am  #15


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Natural Man - Lou Rawls
Don't Just Stand There - Patty Duke
Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross & the Supremes
Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted - Partridge Family

Last edited by It's me Karen (March 21, 2021 9:36 am)

 

March 21, 2021 9:51 am  #16


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Lorne wouldn’t bite; I was trying to get him to post Charlene’s “I’ve Never Been To Me”, which he absolutely despises. Oh, and there’s a non-singing part in a tune that’s been a source of irritation for some long-time Board members…”Muskrat Love”. The rodents in question do some verbalizing, or perhaps that should be gerbalizing, in the Captain & Tenille’s version.  
 

     Thread Starter
 

March 21, 2021 10:36 am  #17


Re: Songs with spoken passages

To be honest, I heard Charlene not that long ago on an old American Top 40 program, and I didn't mind hearing it. It's the same if I hear Muskrat Love ... I don't mind hearing it on a one-off basis now. I actually find it kind of interesting to listen to records like that from the point of view of what might have made them appealing to others. For instance, when I heard I've Never Been To Me recently, I kept thinking "Roman likes this" all through the song ... you and Charlene are inextricably linked in my mind. 

 

March 21, 2021 12:09 pm  #18


Re: Songs with spoken passages

A DJ friend of mine used to introduce "I've Never Been To Me" by saying it was short for "I've Never Been To Maine." 

Somehow, he kept his job!

 

March 21, 2021 12:14 pm  #19


Re: Songs with spoken passages

So, kind of like Never Been To Spain. I think I might like the song better that way ... would give it a Weird Al Yankovic kind of quality, and it's definitely his type of song. Wish I'd heard that DJ do this with it at the time, but better late than never. Got to thank Roman as well for thinking of me here.  

 

March 21, 2021 12:33 pm  #20


Re: Songs with spoken passages

I thought of one more.  The immortal words said so many times... "If there's anyone here.....  Then, Etta James loudly announces "Wait, wait!  Stop the wedding!"

 

March 21, 2021 2:18 pm  #21


Re: Songs with spoken passages

30,000 Pounds of Bananas-Harry Chapin

 

March 21, 2021 4:07 pm  #22


Re: Songs with spoken passages

The opening segment of Yesterday When I Was Young by the late Roy Clark

 

March 21, 2021 10:15 pm  #23


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Chestnut Mare by the Byrds
Departure, the lead to "In Search of the Lost Chord" by the Moody Blues
Silent Night/Six O'clock News by Simon & Garfunkel
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me by Boy George & The Culture Club
Chantilly Lace by the Bopper
The End by Jim Morrison & The Doors

 

March 21, 2021 10:36 pm  #24


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Not sure if it counts because it's very brief but "Fire" by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown begins with a spoken word intro.

 

March 22, 2021 11:05 am  #25


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Interesting that you mention that the spoken part of Fire is brief, because reedo's mention of Harry Chapin brought to mind how he speaks a couple of lines in Taxi ("Harry, keep the change" and "I stashed the bill in my shirt"). Can't recall if there were any lines like that in the Sequel that he eventually did to this record. 

 

March 22, 2021 3:22 pm  #26


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Here's one that was almost all talk - and only had a little bit of singing in the chorus! It was the semi-novelty hit, "My Girl Bill," by Jim Stafford. What a terrifically written bit of nonsense that song was. 

Last edited by aflem (March 22, 2021 3:22 pm)

 

March 22, 2021 7:26 pm  #27


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Here's one for you Lorne:  a song by a famous Canadian actor who spoke an entire song which was #1 on the Billboard charts in 1964.  Also #1 on the RPM charts in 1964.

Last edited by Little Rich (March 22, 2021 7:32 pm)

 

March 22, 2021 7:37 pm  #28


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Yes, when I saw Roman's post I did think about saying that he must be looking for me to mention Ringo by Lorne Greene ... but then I saw that gopher had given me an even better way of responding by mentioning MTA. I also thought that Roman might quibble with Ringo, since he was really looking for songs that only have spoken passages rather than being entirely spoken -- although I could have argued that the verses qualified as spoken passages, with "Ringo ... Ringo" being sung at the end of each one. 

 

March 26, 2021 5:55 pm  #29


Re: Songs with spoken passages

Strangely enough, the recitation that immediately came to mind for me was the almost-20-minute version of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" by Isaac Hayes.  It may not meet the intent of Roman's original post, but I thought I'd include it since it's one of my all-time favorites.  An honorable mention might be Solomon Burke's version of "Just Out Of Reach".

 

March 27, 2021 4:09 am  #30


Re: Songs with spoken passages

aflem wrote:

Here's one that was almost all talk - and only had a little bit of singing in the chorus! It was the semi-novelty hit, "My Girl Bill," by Jim Stafford. What a terrifically written bit of nonsense that song was. 

from the i bet you didn't know dep't: as a teenager in winter haven, florida, jim stafford played in a band called the legends, among whose members also included kent lavoie (lobo) and gram parsons.
 

 

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