Most songwriters try to put their best lines in their choruses. This is the part of the song everyone hears and instantly catches on to. Why hide your best moment somewhere else? Well, the four songs below all speak to the merit of doing just that. These iconic rock songs all stick their best lines in the second verse. It’s not the traditional songwriting method, but that’s what makes them stand out that much more.
Videos by American Songwriter
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“Born To Run” — Bruce Springsteen
Most of Bruce Springsteen’s songs are lyrical goldmines. “Born To Run” is no exception. Every verse of this song reveals a little more of this escapist anthem, but the real shining moment comes in the second verse. The fervor for singing along to this song hits just a little harder once Springsteen starts in on the second verse: “Just wrap your legs ’round these velvet rims / And strap your hands across my engines / Together we could break this trap / We’ll run ’til we drop, baby we’ll never go back.”
“New Kid In Town” — The Eagles
The Eagles have always been able to reveal a simple truth in a satisfying way. “New Kid In Town” explores how quickly we can move on in relationships, in a way that is both picturesque and almost mystifying. This song is somewhat narrative, meaning every line carries weight, but the second verse features arguably the best lyric in the track. “You look in her eyes, the music begins to play / Hopeless romantics, here we go again / But after a while, you’re lookin’ the other way / It’s those restless hearts that never mend,” they sing.
“Oh Well” — Fleetwood Mac
It’s always satisfying when a songwriter exhibits strong use of language—when a writer can bend words to their will while maintaining a rhyme scheme and narrative. That’s the case with Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well.”
This Peter Green effort features a second verse that the listener has to double-take to. “Now when I talked to God I knew he’d understand / He said, ‘Sit by me, and I’ll be your guiding hand’ / But don’t ask me what I think of you / I might not give the answer that you want me to,” Green sings.
“Time” — Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd’s songs work on multiple levels. Take “Time” for example. This song can be interpreted in many ways, but overall, it’s about the anxiety that comes with growing older. The second verse best explains this theme, reading, “You are young, and life is long / And there is time to kill today / And then one day you find / Ten years have got behind you / No one told you when to run / You missed the starting gun.” It’s a sobering line that anyone can relate to. Unarguably the best lyric in this song.
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios)
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