Nothing gets the blood pumping and the dopamine flowing quite like singing all the words to one’s favorite song. It might as well be a hobby. However, there are quite a few songs out there that I personally really love, but I couldn’t sing their lyrics from memory if I tried. You might just agree with me when it comes to the following three addictive hits.
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“Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve
This hit from The Verve is a solid song. Those strings are iconic, but the verses? Maybe even the chorus? I wouldn’t know where to start. I can vaguely remember the lines “And I’m a million different people / From one day to the next / I can’t change my mold / No, no, no, no, no.” I’m ashamed to say that the only reason I remember those lines is because they went viral on TikTok recently.
“Bittersweet Symphony” was released in 1997, and the Britpop hit did well across the charts. The mix of orchestral elements and that very late-90s vocal style makes the whole thing come together quite beautifully. I might just study the lyrics of this one soon to try and get a hold on them.
“Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega and DNA
This excellent, mostly a cappella tune is all about storytelling. Interestingly enough, even though the song is so lyric-heavy, many people can’t recall a single lyric outside of “Doo-do-doo-doo do-do-do-doo.” And I’m gonna say that doesn’t count.
“Tom’s Diner” was originally released in 1984, though it is often mistaken for a 90s song. It was later remixed by British producers DNA, giving it a massive charting boost in 1990. It has since been covered quite a few times through the years.
“Spirit In The Sky” by Norman Greenbaum
This famous one-hit wonder is the kind of song anyone can recall from memory, but can you sing the lyrics? I certainly can’t. All I remember is “Gotta have a friend in Jesus,” but the rest of the song’s lyrics completely escape me.
“Spirit In The Sky” was written and recorded by Norman Greenbaum in 1969. It became a huge chart-topping success for him, though none of his subsequent works would chart nearly as well. That doesn’t really matter when your one famous hit is considered by many to be one of the greatest rock songs of all time. I just wish I could remember the lyrics, though.
Photo by Roger Sargent/Shutterstock
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