3 Unforgettable Alternative Rock Verses From 1994

When hit songwriters say, “don’t bore us, get to the chorus,” they aim to hook the audience before the audience gets bored with a song and moves on to something else. But a great verse can be equally as unforgettable, as these alternative rock hits from 1994 prove. And with verses this good, there’s no need to hurry to the chorus.

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“Buddy Holly” by Weezer

“What’s with these homies dissin’ by girl?” With an opening line like this, who isn’t going to pay attention to what comes next? Weezer’s power-pop classic became one of the most ubiquitous tracks of the mid-90s, but it almost didn’t happen. Rivers Cuomo was hesitant to include it on his band’s debut album, and it took some arm-twisting from producer Ric Ocasek to change his mind. Hard to imagine 1994 without “Buddy Holly” and its Spike Jonze-directed video featuring a memorable jig by The Fonz.

What’s with these homies dissin’ my girl?
Why do they gotta front?
What did we ever do to these guys
That made them so violent?

“Crush With Eyeliner” by R.E.M.

Following the folk-rock masterpiece, Automatic For The People, R.E.M. decided they wanted to rock without the folk. The Athens band turned up the guitars, and with Peter Buck’s pronounced tremolo effect, “Crush With Eyeliner” gave the 90s its late-night glam anthem. Michael Stipe sings about attitude and identity through a wall of distortion while Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore interjects spoken affirmations. The track feels as dizzying as the events leading Stipe to describe his protagonist as “three miles of bad road.”

I know you,
I know you’ve seen her.
She’s a sad tomato,
She’s three miles of bad road.
Walking down the street,
Will I never meet her?
She’s a real woman-child,
Oh, my kiss breath turpentine.

“Liar” by Rollins Band

Few verses from 1994 are as memorable as Henry Rollins’s sketch of a serial fabulist. On “Liar”, he addresses his victim in polite tones while his band plays a jazzy groove. He sets his mark at ease with a welcoming voice that’s part salesman, part self-help guru. But soon, the mood changes. When the band erupts into a heavy metal deluge of a chorus, Rollins explodes into an unhinged, maniacal force of nature. He can’t contain himself. Laughing at his victim, he can’t believe how easy it was. Sucker!

You think you’re gonna live your life alone,
In darkness and seclusion.
Yeah, I know.
You’ve been out there, tried to mix with those animals.
And it just left you full of humiliated confusion.

Photo by Lindsay Brice/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images