3 Famous Songs Where the First Line Is the Most Important

Songwriting is an art, and one that requires a keen ear and an aptitude for the spoken word. When it comes to the following three songs, their songwriters were masters of their craft, and the first line of each of them is essential in the context of the songs. Let’s dive into some songwriting masterpieces, shall we?

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“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen (1975)

“Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? / Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality.”

A whole rock opera packed into one track, “Bohemian Rhapsody” sets the stage for this rock classic from the very start. That opening question immediately makes it clear that the listener is in for a surreal, drama-filled, and theatrical time.

This legendary prog-rock song from A Night At The Opera was released in 1975 and quickly peaked at No. 9 on the Hot 100 chart, as well as No. 1 on the UK Singles chart. The song’s long-winded lyrics are still being picked apart and interpreted in different ways today.

“Yesterday” by The Beatles (1965)

“Yesterday / All my troubles seemed so far away / Now it looks as though they’re here to stay / Oh, I believe in yesterday.”

“Yesterday” is one of the most poignant and beloved songs about lost love and regret. And that opening line might just be one of the most famous opening lines of 20th-century songs.

This gorgeous tune from the Fab Four’s self-titled 1965 record was a fast No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 chart. It also happens to be one of a few songs from The Beatles in which Paul McCartney performs totally solo, with just his voice and acoustic guitar. McCartney also wrote the tune, too.

“Like A Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan (1965)

“Once upon a time you dressed so fine / Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn’t you?”

Bob Dylan immediately challenges the listener on this famous folk classic. Which is fitting, considering the whole of “Like A Rolling Stone” is both challenging and confrontational. The first line of this entry on our list of legendary songs is, essentially, a stiff middle finger to a wealthy individual who has fallen on hard times, reduced to the same state as the people they once saw as below them. “Like A Rolling Stone” remains a revolutionary yet cynical classic today, and it initially peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart.

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