3 of the Best Opening Lines From Bob Seger Songs

There is something quintessentially American about the Detroit-born songwriter and performer Bob Seger. He’s bold and brash. Artful but unapologetic. He hits your music-loving core, simply and directly. And how he does it is with both a distinct musical tone and through his lyrics, which just stick to your ribs.

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Here below, we wanted to explore three of Seger’s songs—specifically, the opening lines to each of them. To feel and see just why they grab an ear so quickly. Like a friend grabbing you and putting his arm around you, Seger delivers the message. Indeed, these are three of the best opening lines from Bob Seger songs.

[RELATED: 3 Eternal Bob Seger Songs that Will Play Forever]

“Turn the Page” from Back in ’72, Live Bullet (1973)

A song about being out on the road. Time passing like lines in the highway. The life of a professional rock musician can be tough. The beauty is being on the stage, playing with friends and for a swath of fans. But every other moment in between is grueling. And so we know the feeling as soon as Seger begins to sing,

On a long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha
You can listen to the engine moanin’ out its one-note song
You can think about the woman, or the girl you knew the night before

“Old Time Rock and Roll” from Stranger in Town (1978)

Fans of the movie Risky Business know this song well. But really fans of classic rock music know it well, too. It’s one of those songs that seems strange to think anyone even wrote it. Perhaps it was found by some early music fans scrawled on the caves of early man. No? OK, it was written by Seger for his 1978 LP Stranger in Town. Amazing. And Seger grabs our ear at the outset of the classic celebratory track by singing,

Just take those old records off the shelf
I’ll sit and listen to ’em by myself
Today’s music ain’t got the same soul
I like that old-time rock ‘n’ roll

“We’ve Got Tonight” from Stranger in Town (1978)

A love song that opens with a man making his case to the object of his affection. The world is harsh outside these doors and while I may not be the man of your dreams, I may be the person you need. That’s the message Seger croons. And it begins with his very first word, as he sings,

I know it’s late
I know you’re weary
And I know your plans don’t include me
Still, here we are, both of us lonely
Longing for shelter from all that we see

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