Sometimes, a Song may come across as mid or ordinary — until that one line kicks in that makes you go, “Whoa!” Lyrics are one of the most important parts of music, and in a musical era that seems to dwindle in this area, finding a song whose lyrics strike you harder than a wrecking ball is akin to finding gold. Some songs deserve their flowers for that one line that stays with you, makes the most sense, or says the conventional unconventionally. Here are 25 of those songs.
1. “Controversy” by Prince
“People call me rude. I wish we all were nude. I wish there were no black and white. I wish there were no rules.”
If there's one thing the Purple One hated, rules and the limitations of tradition and standards were it. Everything about him screamed, “Let's go crazy!” And these lines chanted in his hit song “Controversy” represents everything he stood for.
2. “Lover, You Should've Come Over” by Jeff Buckley
“She is the tear that hangs inside my soul forever.”
In this melancholy tune, the singer pines for his lost Love, awakening to the sudden reality of her absence. And as the final chords play, it leaves you with a tear inside your soul as you think of all the loves you were too young to hold on to.
3. “A Drop in The Ocean” by Ron Pope
“I don't wanna waste the weekend. If you don't love me, pretend.”
There's nothing more heartbreak than unrequited love. It's worse when you can't seem to let them go, even when you know there's no chance of you ever working out. It's simple: they are your heaven and all you want to do is keep them close.
4. “It's My Life” by Bon Jovi
“Luck ain't even lucky, got to make your own break.”
If we're being honest, every single line in this song gives you something to believe in. This classic gem from Bon Jovi is the song that reminds you to live a little or go wild and do whatever you want. It's your life, after all. Like Frankie, you've got to do it your way.
5. “You're The First, The Last, My Everything” by Barry White
“I know there's only one like you. There's no way they could have made two.”
These two lines pack so much emotions, and coming from Barry White's sensual baritone, who could ever deny the sweet allure? More than that, it's a line you want to ponder upon as you gaze on your partner, thinking about how imperfectly perfect they are and how there's no way on God's green Earth there's another like them.
6. “I'd Rather Go Blind” by Etta James
“I would rather go blind, boy, than to see you walk away from me.”
Imagine being so in love with someone that you'd rather lose your sense of sight than see them leave. Etta wasn't playing about her man; she knew with him gone, all she'd be left with would be stormy, stormy weather.
7. “Give Me The Reason” by James Bay
“I've got nothing left without your foot on the drum that beats inside my chest.”
There are many ways to describe heartbreak and the feeling of a dysfunctional heart after losing love; James Bay masters the craft in this gut-wrenching tale of a love story reaching its end.
8. “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)” by The Isley Brothers
“If you leave me a hundred times, a hundred times I'll take you back.”
Love really is something, isn't it? In this classic, The Isley Brothers croon about being hopeless fools in love, regardless of how badly they're being treated.
9. “Black” by Pearl Jam
“I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky. But why, why, why can't it be mine?”
Sometimes, you have to make peace with the fact that all the pictures turn to black even though, like Nelly Furtado, we can't help but wonder why all good things come to an end. Speaking of, the ending of this song, where the singer cries out the highlighted lyrics, will undo you.
10. “Bad” by James Bay
“Just when I'm ready to get over you, you call me up. And then I crumble when you say you're getting over us.”
Double whammy. Another line from this song that hits hard is, “The more I think about you, the more I keep the ghost alive.” Bay needed to take his own advice and let it go.
11. “Supermarket Flowers” by Ed Sheeran
“A heart that's broke is a heart that's been loved.”
It's hard to listen to this song and not break into a thousand pieces, especially when grieving a loved one. Ed Sheeran wrote this song for his grandmother, and even more than usual, he poured his entire soul into it.
12. “Can't Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley
“Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with you.”
And again: “Shall I stay? Would it be a sin if I can't help falling in love with you?” This is another song where every line is packed full of emotions that make your heart swell. You can't help falling in love with this ballad, and you'll want to listen to it every day once you meet someone who makes you feel this way.
13. “Keep Ya Head Up” by Tupac Shakur
“They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor.”
Tsk, tsk. Tupac was never scared to go up against anyone, and not just because the hip-hop culture demanded a certain level of brazenness. It was who he was; bold and daring, even against the government.
14. “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift
“Hey, you call me up again just to break me like a promise. So casually cruel in the name of being honest.”
We know all too well that brutal honesty is more brutal than honesty. We know all too well that very few can rival Taylor Swift with lyrics.
15. “Before Love Came To Kill Us” by Jessie Reyez
“I know nobody gets out of love alive. We either break up when we're young or we say goodbye when we die.”
Jessie Reyez's dynamic vocals will first bring you to your knees, and this is one song you want to avoid if you're fresh out of a breakup. You will ugly cry harder than the green ogre in Shrek 4.
16. “Young Forever” by Jay-Z Feat Mr Hudson
“Let us die young or let us live forever.”
Growing old is quite scary — one of the scariest things to most people. Who could blame them? No one wants to wake one morning and realize how much everything has changed, how much they have.
17. “Marry You” by Bruno Mars
“It's a beautiful night, we're looking for something dumb to do. Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you.”
We've all had one of those nights where we've had too much to drink and go on and do something silly like getting married; Ross and Rachel did, even Britney Spears did. And if you wake up and you wanna break up, that's cool.
18. “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel
“Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again.”
This has to be one of the best openers in music history. Ironically, the whole point of this hit single by the American duo, which is about the inability to communicate one's mind, is to never be afraid to speak up and express oneself.
19. “Let Her Go” by Passenger
“You only need the light when it's burning low. Only miss the sun when it starts to snow. Only know you love her when you let her go.”
You never know what you have until it's gone, eh?
20. “So Long, Marianne” by Leonard Cohen
“Well, you know that I love to live with you, but you make me forget so very much. I forget to pray for the angels, and then the angels forget to pray for us.”
The entire song contains lyrics that would make you weep. It chronicles the singer's emotions after losing his lover, using subtle metaphors to flirt with his thoughts on self-assisted demise from his loveless world.
21. “Jumpsuit” by Twenty One Pilots
“I'll be right there, but you'll have to grab my throat and lift me in the air if you need anyone.”
This line makes more sense if you're a fan and connect the dots on Twenty One Pilots' discography. But to the uninitiated, it inspires a curiosity. In this part of the music video, Tyler has black paint on his neck and wrists — a throwback to his Blurryface era — two of his most important tools in making music. It shows the singer's desire to balance life outside work and music, realizing one is bound to suffer.
22. “You've Got to Learn” by Nina Simone
“You've got to learn to show a happy face, although you're full of misery. You mustn't show a trace of sadness, never look for sympathy.”
In this song, Simone sings about everything we must learn to do in life and love and, most importantly, to listen to good advice so we don't end up paying the price.
23. “PRIDE” by Kendrick Lamar
“Love's gonna get you killed, but pride's gonna be the death of you.”
Kendrick Lamar is a connoisseur with words, and his highly acclaimed album DAMN certainly proves that. On this track, he dissects pride from different perspectives and tackles subjects like love, religion, and social background.
24. “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley
“Maybe there's a God above. But, all I've ever learned from love was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you?”
Leonard Cohen sang the original version. And contrary to what most people think, it's a song about sex, love, and hedonism. Buckley gave it that sensual zest it needed and took it from a song often mistaken to be about religion to a piece with a deeper seductive undertone bringing the lyrics to life the way even the songwriter couldn't.
