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

28 January 2024, 14:00

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. 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

2. 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)

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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)

7. 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)

8. 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)

9. 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)

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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)

13. 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

14. 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)

15. 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)