These are the first words that began your favourite band's career

2 January 2025, 08:00

Everyone knows about the legendary famous last words, but what about the first? Here’s a selection of lyrics that opened your favourite band’s account at the Bank Of Rock ’N’ Roll.

By Radio X

@RadioX

Do you remember the first time you heard your favourite band? Radio X looks at the songs and the lyrics that were the world’s first experience of some of the greatest groups on our playlist.

1. The Stone Roses

   A great opening couplet from the band’s debut single, So Young from way back in September 1985: “In the misery dictionary / Page after page after page…”

   

   The Stone Roses - So Young (1985)

2. Blur

   She’s So High was the band formerly known as Seymour’s first single in October 1990. They began their contribution to music with: “I see her face / Everyday / I see her face / It doesn't help me / She's so high / I want to crawl all over her.”

   

   Blur - She's So High

3. The Smiths

   “The Most Important Record In The World” was Hand In Glove, released in May 1983: “Hand in glove / The sun shines out of our behinds / No it's NOT like any other love / This one is different because it's us.”

   

   Hand in Glove - The Smiths (Audio Only)

4. Oasis

   Alan McGee's Creation label issued a promo 12" of the Oasis song Columbia at the tail end of 1993, which received a ton of radio airplay. This meant that the first words the wider world heard from the Manchester band were: "There we were now here we are / All this confusion nothing's the same to me."

   

   Oasis - Columbia (Official Lyric Video)

5. The Charlatans

   Tim Burgess’s first appearance on vinyl was with the single Indian Rope in January 1990. It’s opening lines are: “When we were wrong we had no right / Who am I to fade away.”

   

   The Charlatans - Indian Rope

6. Radiohead

   The Drill EP was the first platter from the Oxford superstars, back in May 1992 and Prove Yourself was the opening song: “I can't afford to breathe in this time / Nowhere to sit without a gun in my hand / Hooked back up to the cathode ray / I'm better off dead.”

   

   Prove Yourself

7. R.E.M.

   Michael Stipe’s first recorded (an often incomprehensible) vocal was for the Radio Free Europe single in 1981: “Decide yourself if radio's gonna stay / Reason: it could polish up the grey.”

   

   R.E.M Radio Free Europe

8. Sex Pistols

   One of the greatest opening lines of all time, from J. Rotten in November 1976: “I am an antichrist / I am an anarchist.”

   

   The Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The U.K (official video)

9. The Killers

   In September 2003, a white label 7” appeared in the UK featuring the classic Mr Brightside - Brandon’s first words were: “Coming out of my cage / And I've been doing just fine / Gotta gotta be down / Because I want it all.”

   

   The Killers - Mr. Brightside (Official Music Video)

10. Arctic Monkeys

    The band released a stack of demos on a CD that was given out at gigs and became known as Beneath The Boardwalk. For many people, the first they heard of the Monkeys was the opening lines of A Certain Romance: “Well oh they might wear classic Reeboks / Or knackered Converse / Or tracky bottoms tucked in socks / But all of that's what the point is not / The point is that there ain't no romance around there.”

    

    Arctic Monkeys - A Certain Romance (Beneath the Boardwalk version)

11. Muse

    The first the world heard of Matt Bellamy’s power rock trio was the Muse EP in May 1998, led by by Overdue: “You needed it when I was away / And no matter what I say / You'll never forget when I wasn't there so / Why should I care?”

    

    Muse EP - Overdue

12. Elbow

    The Manchester band’s Noisebox EP in January 1998 featured Powder Blue as the lead track: “Your eyes are just like black spiders / Your hair and dress in ribbons / Babycakes.”

    

    Elbow - powder blue

13. Bloc Party

    Kele and co’s first single was She’s Hearing Voices in February 2004 - their career kicked off with: “She's hearing voices call her / She's hearing voices warn her / She just can't sleep in her bed / She just can't sleep.”

    

    Bloc Party - She's Hearing Voices (EP version)

14. Biffy Clyro

    Iname was the trio’s first single from June 1999 and opened with the notable line: “I'd like to be in a bucket of pee until everything else is just fine / You would believe what I cannot deceive until everything else is just mine / I am over you.” Nice!

    

    Biffy Clyro - Iname

15. U2

    "Monday morning / Eighteen years of dawning / I say how long / You say how long" The words that opened U2's THREE EP in September 1979.

    

    U2 - Three 1979 (Full EP)