Purse Your Lips and Blow: 4 Great Songs With Whistling Parts

Pop and rock musicians generally have a multitude of instruments at their disposal to bring the sounds they have in their heads to fruition. But now and again, nothing captures the moment quite like someone whistling a tune.

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We could have made this list a lot longer if we chose to do so. But, for now, we’re sticking with four outstanding songs that wouldn’t have been the same without a little whistle.

“Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard” by Paul Simon

Of course, Paul Simon stands out as one of the greatest songwriters of his or any other era. But he consistently elevates those songs by seeking out the sounds that do them proper justice. On “Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard”, a big hit from his first solo album after splitting with Art Garfunkel, Simon enlisted percussionist Airto Moreira to conjure all kinds of squeaks and squiggles to get listeners moving. On top of that, the song is endlessly melodic, especially when Simon breaks into a whistling solo in the middle portion. It’s just the right irreverent touch for a song that never takes itself too seriously, even as listeners get lost in the mystery of the lyrics.

“The Stranger” by Billy Joel

Billy Joel struggled on his early albums to find a producer who was just the right fit. It got to be such a hassle that he threw up his hands and produced his 1976 album Turnstiles himself. When that album flopped (at least commercially), Joel connected with Phil Ramone. And Ramone proved to be the right guy for the gig, in part because he sometimes convinced Joel not to get too fussy. While recording the title track to The Stranger, his breakthrough 1977 LP, Joel whistled over the noirish opening section of the song as a placeholder for whatever instrument would fill that part. Ramone convinced Joel that he couldn’t improve upon the whistling. It turned into perhaps the most iconic part of the song.

“Goodbye Stranger” by Supertramp

Supertramp had enjoyed impressive success throughout the 70s. But no one could have anticipated the lightning strike that was Breakfast In America in 1979. The album shows off the dueling sides of the band’s artistic persona. Roger Hodgson tended to write songs that were a bit more serious and lent themselves to prog-like musical touches. By contrast, Rick Davies leaned more to a style that was earthier and, often, a bit more whimsical. “Goodbye Stranger”, Davies’ big hit from the album, features all kinds of playful touches. That includes the falsetto vocals on the countermelody refrain and a little bit of jovial whistling to get from one section of the song to the next.

“Games Without Frontiers” by Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel didn’t get the mainstream love he deserved until So in 1986. As such, he released several songs in the first decade or so of his solo career that were absolute standouts but only gained a lot of recognition after the fact. “Games Without Frontiers” plays out as an allegory of the inanity of war. Gabriel treats the whims of world leaders as if they were the impulsive actions of children. The endlessly inventive recording includes Gabriel singing the title in French as a kind of alternate refrain. And the pre-chorus features a barrage of whistles chirping out a stirring melody. We bet that you whistle right along with that part when you hear it.

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