Song List

A couple of weeks ago I was chatting with a friend on Facebook while completing some writing assignments—well, more accurately I was procrastinating about completing some writing assignments BY chatting with the friend—and asked him to send me a song. He sent me a link to “I Will Possess Your Heart” by Deathcab for Cutie and we listened together even though we were 260 miles apart, which is one of the coolest things about the internet to me, how you can have intimate moments with people around the globe. When the song had played for about a minute, though, my friend apologized for sending me the full version rather than the radio version—the full version has an instrumental intro that is exactly 5 minutes long.

He was surprised when I wrote back, “I LOVE the long intro!” Long intros are one of my favorite musical effects ever because they slowly build tension up until you think you can’t stand it, and then just when it gets to the point where you REALLY can’t stand it comes the payoff. It’s especially enjoyable when the intro is satisfying in itself and you feel like you’re getting two songs in one. Following is a list of some songs with long (1-5 minute) intros:

“I Need A Lover That Won’t Drive Me Crazy” by John Cougar

This song invented long intros—well, at least it did if you grew up in the 80’s. When I got older I found some examples that predated it. This falls into the category above, where the intro is almost like a separate instrumental song.

“Shine On You Crazy Diamond” by Pink Floyd

Lots of Pink Floyd songs have long intros but this one is the best known. The intro is trippy and sci-fi, just like you’d expect from a Pink Floyd song.

“Foreplay/Long Time” by Boston

This song subscribes outright to my theory about the satisfaction as mentioned above, by giving the prelude a separate title—foreplay. (Gee, I hope my mom isn’t reading this one).

“Push” by The Cure

I put this song on the list because it does indeed have a long intro, but it’s also one of my favorite songs of all time. I played it in order to time the intro— 2 and a half minutes—but this song features some of the most heartbreakingly beautiful guitar licks you’ll ever hear. The intro is unusual in that it’s the same melody as the body of the song. It feels like someone crying wordlessly, trying to suppress it, and then eventually breaking out into sobs.

“Hotel California” by The Eagles

This song is like a movie, and the intro is like a prologue. It sets the mood for the seductive madness that comes afterwards, and almost makes you smell those colitas, whatever they are!

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What are some of your favorite long intros?

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