46 Songs With Opening Lines That Are Legitimately Iconic

    :: runs to Spotify ::

    You know those songs with iconic opening lyrics, where your head snaps up and your ears perk? And you immediately know what song is playing as ya prep to jam along?

    Well, Reddit user u/herecomesacandle recently asked Reddit, "What’s the greatest opening lyrics to a song that you’ve ever heard?" and got some epic and classic responses.

    Here are some of the best — and if your favorite isn't on here, leave it in the comments! 🎼

    1. "Is this the real life? / Is this just fantasy? / Caught in a landside / No escape from reality / Open your eyes / Look up to the skies and see..."

    2. "Oh, well imagine / As I'm pacing the pews in a church corridor / And I can't help but to hear / No, I can't help but to hear an exchanging of words..."

    3. "Turn around..."

    4. "Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh / Caught in a bad romance..."

    5. "I read the news today, oh boy..."

    album cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club with the Beatles and other famous figures painted together

    6. "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death / I take a look at my life and realize there's not much left..."

    album cover of Gangsta's Paradise showing Coolio with skyscrapers lit in the background

    7. "It's Britney, bitch."

    album cover of Blackout showing Britney Spears looking at the camera while wearing a fedora

    8. "When I was a young boy / My father took me into the city..."

    album cover of The Black Parade with a skeleton in a marching in a military dress

    9. "I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand..."

    album cover of Excitable Boy showing Warren Zevon

    10. "Old man, look at my life / I'm a lot like you were..."

    album cover of Harvest with an orange circle on a yellow background

    11. "Theodosia writes me a letter every day..."

    album cover of Hamilton with the silhouette of Hamilton standing on a star, making the top point of it

    12. "There must be some kinda way out of here / Said the joker to the thief..."

    album cover of Electric Ladyland showing Jimi Hendrix sining

    13. "Somebody once told me / The world is gonna roll me..."

    album cover of Astro Lounge with a building sticking out of a planet in space

    14. "Marky got with Sharon / Sharon got Sherice / She was sharing Sharon's outlook / On the topic of disease / Mikey had a facial scar / And Bobby was a racist / They were all in love with dyin' / They were doing it in Texas..."

    album cover of  Electriclarryland showing a cartoon drawing of a pencil stuck in a boy's ear

    15. "Coming out of my cage / And I've been doing just fine..."

    album cover of The Killers' Hot Fuss showing a hazy blue sky over high-rise buildings.

    16. "Hello darkness, my old friend..."

    album cover of Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. showing Simon and Garfunkel at a train platform

    17. "A long, long time ago / I can still remember how / That music used to make me smile..."

    album cover of American Pie with Don McClean giving a thumbs up, while his thumb has the American flag with one star painted on it

    18. "Now this is the story all about how / My life got flipped, turned upside down..."

    album cover of Yo Home to Bel-Air showing Will Smith doing a jumping split

    19. "Let's get down to business..."

    album cover of Mulan showing Mulan riding her horse

    20. "The world is a vampire..."

    album cover of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness showing different people on stars or clouds in space

    21. "Look / If you had / One shot / Or one opportunity / To seize everything you ever wanted / In one moment / Would you capture it / Or just let it slip?"

    album cover of 8 Mile showing Eminem walking down a road passing under a sign that reads, "8 Mile Rd Mobile Court"

    22. "Please allow me to introduce myself / I'm a man of wealth and taste / I've been around for a long, long year / Stole many a man's soul and faith..."

    album cover of Beggars Banquet with the name of the album and band written in cursive

    23. "Oh, Mama, I’m in fear for my life from the long arm of the law..."

    album cover of Pieces of Eight with a woman facing the viewer while her right eye is covered by the profile of another woman's head

    24. "I hate every ape I see / From chimpan-A to chimpan-Z..."

    album cover of Songs in the Key of Springfield showing the Simpsons family and other characters

    25. "Oh, my, God, Becky / Look at her butt..."

    album cover of Mack Daddy showing Sir Mix-a-Lot sitting with his legs out of the seat of a gull-winged car

    26. "Hello? Is there anybody in there?"

    album cover of The Wall showing a brick wall with the name of the band and album written over it

    27. "I wanna be the very best..."

    album cover of Pokemon 2.B.A. Master showing Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu running forward

    28. "We come from the land of the ice and snow / From the midnight sun, where the hot springs flow..."

    album cover of Led Zeppelin III with different drawings of zeppelins, countries, planes, butterflies, and other things with the name of the album in bubble letters

    29. "Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today / To get through this thing called life..."

    album cover of Purple Rain showing Prince standing with his motorcycle as Apollonia watches from an open door in the background

    30. "Early in the morning, risin' to the street / Light me up that cigarette, and I'll strap shoes on my feet..."

    album cover of Sublime showing Bradley Nowell's back with 'Sublime' tattooed across it

    31. "At first I was afraid, I was petrified / Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side..."

    album cover of Love Tracks with Gloria Gaynor facing the side as she holds a mic

    32. "I hurt myself today / To see if I still feel / I focus on the pain / The only thing that's real..."

    album cover of American IV: The Man Comes Around showing Johnny Cash's profile in black and white

    33. "Am I loud and clear, or am I breaking up? / Am I still your charm, or am I just bad luck? / Are we getting closer, or are we just getting more lost?"

    album cover of Siren Song of the Counter Culture showing a speaker hanging from a track blaring music

    34. "Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba / Sithi uhm ingonyama..."

    album cover of The Lion King with Simba looking up into the sky from Pride Rock

    35. "Tonight, I’m gonna have myself a real good time / I feel alive / And the world, I'll turn it inside out, yeah / I'm floating around in ecstasy..."

    album cover of Jazz with concentric circles and repeating figures on bicycles across the bottom

    36. "Ooga-chaka, Ooga-ooga / Ooga-chaka, Ooga-ooga..."

    album cover of Hooked on a Feeling showing Blue Swede in fur coats in the clouds

    37. "ARE YE READY, KIDS?"

    album cover of SpongeBob Squarepants with Spongebob's face blown up

    38. "ALL ABOARD! (maniacal laughter)"

    album cover of Blizzard of Ozz with Ozzy Osbourne holding a cross as he sits on the floor

    39. "Somebody said you got a new friend / Does she love you better than I can?"

    View this video on YouTube

    Konichiwa

    "Dancing on My Own" by Robyn

    40. "The world was on fire and no one could save me but you..."

    View this video on YouTube

    Reprise

    "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak

    41. "Listen to the wind blow / Watch the sun rise..."

    42. "There is a house in New Orleans..."

    album cover of The Animals showing the band members standing in suits

    43. "I said a hip-hop, the hippie the hippie / To the hip, hip hop you don't stop / Rock it to the bang bang boogie / Say up jump the boogie to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat..."

    album cover of Sugarhill Gang showing members of the group rapping with mics to a crowd of people

    44. "Carry on my wayward son..."

    album cover of Leftoverture with an old man writing with a quill

    45. "Do you have the time to listen to me whine..."

    album cover of Dookie showing a drawing of a bunch of people and a giant explosion in the center as a plane flies way

    46. "When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me / Speaking words of wisdom, let it be..."

    album cover of Let It Be showing headshots of all four Beatles in four squares

    What are some of your favorite opening song lines? Comment below!