What's your favourite line in a song ever? (Page 1 of 3)

An old blues song by Bukka White goes.

"Have you ever seen a one eye woman cry. thing is tears only come out but one eye".

love that tune... Badeye   

"Screen door slams, Mary's dress waves;
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays."

I don't much care for most of Bruce Springsteen's work, but Thunder Road just speaks to me.

My friend Dirty Ed writes songs about rivers and paddling and fishing and people that do those things.  His songs speak to me, as I am one of the ones he writes about.  Anyway, he has a song called "The Paddle" that talks about the freedom his paddle gives him.  In writing about a whitewater run, the chorus of the song (and moderators, it's OK for more than a quick line as I have permission from Dirty Ed to reference his lyrics).  I never felt this way about a paddle, but I have a bicycle.  One of the reasons Jets60's song about a fat old guy reclaiming his youth in the saddle of a bike resonated for me. 

"Into the water I would slip
my knuckles white as I would grip
that old paddle
as I danced upon the waves.

That paddle took me everywhere
it seemed I never had a care.
It brought blue sky and blue water
to wash my blues away."

Three things I liked about this is the imagery of dancing on the waves, which is exactly what whitewater boaters do.  But what beautiful imagery.  Second thing I like about it is his juxtaposition of the term "blue".   Third thing is how he puts the freedom he feels paddling into the physical item of the paddle.  It becomes an icon (not a religious icon, just a physical representation of an emotional state) for the freedom from the day-to-day he feels on the water.  There's another line he sings in "River Morning" where he mentions nothing on his mind but the roar ahead - yes, indeed.  The roar ahead being a massive rapid.  He's putting that clarity of purpose and the emotional state of readiness, awareness, and freedom into the paddle itself.  Terrific song. 

Then there's the song he does about a midget clairvoyant who escapes from jail.  It's called "Small Medium at Large." 

- Zurf

I think my favorite line is from American Pie:

"I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before,
But the man there said the music wouldn't play."

That song is just so moving to me, I love it.

i'm writing this before reading others comments so they dont confuse my train of thought, so if some one's already put this up, i'm sorry.

the one line that came to mind was i think from deep purple [correct me if i'm wrong] cant remember the title but ...

"you cant see the tears when your crying in the rain"

a track and line from the man band;  " many are called but few get up"

there are so many others...no one definite favourite

phill

ps i will include a line from one of my own songs "passions rising"

"love is strange, but i still have the need to be in love"

I have a lot of other favorite lines from many songs as well.

"Don't confront me with my failures.
I've not forgotten them."

"These Days"  --Tom Rush

"She pressed her chest against me about the time the jukebox broke,gave me a peck on the back of the neck and these are the words she spoke."

Spanish Pipedream  by John Prine

'While digesting,readers digest in the back of a dirty book store."

Flag Decal  by John Prine

"There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes,Jesus Christ died for nothin I suppose.

Sam Stone  by  John Prine

"Molly went to arkansas she got raped by dobins dog,she was doin good till she went in the woods and got pinned up against a log"

Pretty Good by John Prine

I could go on and on,I guess John Prine's lyrics work for me.

ok this has took me a few days to think.

I am going to submit ONE line since this thread is about the best LINE and not TWO lines or a VERSE

and the germans killed the jews and the jews killed the arabs and the arabs killed the hostages and that is the news, and is it any wonder why the monkeys confused

ok so it looks like two lines but that only coz the box is not wide enoug hto fit my long one liner in

that is from roger waters amuses to death cd I think the song is what god wants

ken

"Your brothers up in prison and you give me dirty looks,
Instead of stealing radios he should have stole some books"
Guy Davis. one of the most under rated 12 string guitar players ever.

Some great stuff here. I think I need to re-visit John Prine...

Squirrelgurl- another line from American Pie, "Do you believe in rock 'n' roll?" My reply is always, Yes I do, with all my soul. Great song.

Somebody reminded me of the great Half Man Half Biscuit. Their songs mean most to Brits and some of the references don't travel well but even their album and song titles are surreal - The Trumpton Riots, Back in the DHSS, Rod Hull is Alive - Why? In fact google 'em and you'll see.

For a different take on a broken heart, Harry Nilsson, "You're breaking my heart, you're tearing it apart, so f**k you"!

"You may see me tonite with an illegal smile,it don't cost very much but it lasts a long while."

John Prine's Illegal Smile

Just one more,

"
"We were sittin in the backseat just shootin the breeze with her hair up in curlers and her pants to her knees."

"Signed Just Married."

John Prine Dear Abbey