Best Hooks

[sabre14]

What are some of the best (or your personal favorite) hook lyrics in Country music?

Gary Allan - "Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)"

"Every heartache will fade away, just like every storm runs out of rain"

Jamey Johnson - "In Color"

"You should have seen it in color"

George Strait - "Here For A Good Time"

"I ain't here for a long time. I'm here for a good time"

[.indulgecountry]

If you could put a price tag on everything that haunts me
Then you'd know what that drink cost me
"What That Drink Cost Me" - Sara Evans


Hey, word's gonna get around
Everybody dies famous in a small town
"Famous in a Small Town" - Miranda Lambert


If you go before I do
Gonna tell the gravedigger that he better dig two
"Better Dig Two" - The Band Perry


I bet you're in a bar
'Cause I'm always your last call
"Last Call" - Lee Ann Womack


Ain't life sweet, from the passenger seat
"Passenger Seat" - SHeDAISY


I could conquer the world with just one hand
As long as you're holding the other
"Holding the Other" - Lauren Alaina


He's just an old memory
That don't remember me
"Old Memory" - Ashton Shepherd

[zjames]

People say I got a drinkin' problem
But I got no problem drinkin' at all
"Drinkin' Problem" - Midland

To the things I can count on
That keep me going strong
I hold on
"I Hold On" - Dierks Bentley

Funny how a melody sounds like a memory
Like the soundtrack to a July Saturday night
Springsteen
"Springsteen" - Eric Church

But it don't matter where I'm goin'
I'll still call my hometown home
"Dime Store Cowgirl" - Kacey Musgraves

Mind your own biscuits
and life will be gravy
"Biscuits" - Kacey Musgraves

Follow your arrow wherever it points
"Follow Your Arrow" - Kacey Musgraves

Tl;dr - I need some new music from Kacey...

[bboat11]

"Oh, I like you too.
And to tell you the truth,
That wasn't my chair after all."
George Strait - "The Chair"

"I thought I was king of the mountain,
But I was only a fool on the hill."
George Strait - "King of the Mountain"

"Better baby your baby,
'Cause if you don't,
One day your baby'll be gone."
George Strait - "Baby Your Baby"

"One look at you,
And just look at me."
George Strait - "Just Look At Me"

"I got one heart, one love,
One dream I’m dreamin’ of.
Wouldn’t have known what to give it all to
If I didn’t have one of you."
George Strait - "One Of You"

"Four minus three equals zero,
‘Cause I’ll be nothing without your love."
George Strait - "4 Minus 3 Equals Zero"

"I said no one could break my heart,
But you’re livin’ proof
That’s a lie,
And that’s the truth."
George Strait - "That's The Truth"

"I’ve got so many ex’s and owe so much,
I oughta be on Hollywood Squares."
George Strait - "Hollywood Squares"

"But if I’m so much like my dad,
There musta been times you felt her way.
So tell me word for word what he said
That always made you stay."
George Strait - "So Much Like My Dad"

"Sittin’ on a stool
Sittin’ on the fence."
George Strait - "Sittin' On The Fence"

"Well it don't really matter,
'Cause I ain't gonna change.
So gettin' kicked out of country
Won't hurt a thing."
George Strait - "Kicked Outta Country"

"If there’s two things that I know for sure,
It’s that you can’t make a woman feel somethin’ she don’t,
And you can’t build a house with no doors.”
George Strait - "House With No Doors"

"Play me dancer, a hold-her-hand-er,
Old honkytonker, pull her up closer,
Slow romancer,
Make her fall in love with me song."
George Strait - "Make Her Fall In Love With Me Song"

"There’s only ten commandments,
But I’ve broke at least eleven.
She’s playin’ hell tryin’ to get me to heaven."
George Strait - "She's Playing Hell Trying To Get Me To Heaven"

And of course, one of the best lyrical reversals I have ever heard:
"But he had no idea
When he hit the road
That without him in her life,
She’d let herself go...

Let herself go on a single’s cruise
To Vegas once, then to Honolulu.
Let herself go to New York City.
A week at the spa, came back knocked out pretty.
When he said he didn’t love her no more,
She let herself go."
George Strait - "She Let Herself Go"



Lol I know I make my Martina love pretty obvious, but every once in awhile I have to remind everyone that George Strait is still in fact my favorite male vocalist ;)

[Ten Pound Hammer]

"This ain't nothin' like what I had in mind for me / But then again, my future ain't what it used to be"
-- Megan Mullins, "Ain't What It Used to Be"

"I could be A lover, B true / C no one else but you / And if those choices aren't enough / I could be D voted E ternally to your love / Or how about all of the above"
-- Ty England, "All of the Above"

"Workin' hard all week puts the beer on the table"
-- Josh Thompson, "Beer on the Table"

I'll think of more.

[Andy]

Guy Clark - Hemingway's Whiskey (covered by Kenny Chesney)

"Hemingway's whiskey, warm, smooth and mean
Even when it burns, it'll always finish clean"

[Andy]

Charley Pride - Got Leavin' On Her Mind
(written by Jack Clement)

"She don't hold and kiss me like she did one time
I think my sweet baby's got leavin' on her mind"

[sabre14]

Ashley Monroe - "The Blade"

"You caught it by the handle, and I caught it by the blade."

[Deleted]

I feel really dumb admitting this, but I've never really known exactly what a hook is. Like how is it differentiated from a verse?

[Andy]

Mar 21, 2017 16:51:38 GMT -5 @adam1995 said:

I feel really dumb admitting this, but I've never really known exactly what a hook is. Like how is it differentiated from a verse?

I'm not an expert by any means, and I could be way off here, but my conception of a hook is basically a lyrical "idea" that's clever, catchy or otherwise interesting. The song often revolves around that idea. It's usually just a phrase, or at most a couple lines.

[Deleted]

Mar 21, 2017 18:55:41 GMT -5 Andy said:

Mar 21, 2017 16:51:38 GMT -5 @adam1995 said:

I feel really dumb admitting this, but I've never really known exactly what a hook is. Like how is it differentiated from a verse?

I'm not an expert by any means, and I could be way off here, but my conception of a hook is basically a lyrical "idea" that's clever, catchy or otherwise interesting. The song often revolves around that idea. It's usually just a phrase, or at most a couple lines.

That makes sense. It'd be interesting to see if I could pick one out.

[.indulgecountry]

Mar 21, 2017 20:12:09 GMT -5 @adam1995 said:

Mar 21, 2017 18:55:41 GMT -5 Andy said:

I'm not an expert by any means, and I could be way off here, but my conception of a hook is basically a lyrical "idea" that's clever, catchy or otherwise interesting. The song often revolves around that idea. It's usually just a phrase, or at most a couple lines.

That makes sense. It'd be interesting to see if I could pick one out.

Like 90% of the time it's just the phrase that contains the song's title, so it's not too hard to figure out what the hook is in most songs.

[drock89]

"I know I sound serious;
Well baby, I am
You're a fine piece of real estate
And I'm gonna get me some land."

"I'm Gonna Getcha Good," Shania Twain

[wilddustin]

Last night I came in at two with a ten,
But at ten I woke up with a two
- "Ten With A Two", Willie Nelson or Kenny Chesney

[Andy]

Vern Gosdin - You Never Cross My Mind

"You never cross my mind
You stay there all the time."

George Jones or Patty Loveless - A Thousand Times a Day

"Forgetting you is not that hard to do
I've done it a thousand times a day."

[sabre14]

Apr 6, 2017 19:23:29 GMT -5 Andy said:

Vern Gosdin - You Never Cross My Mind

"You never cross my mind
You stay there all the time."

This one's really good.

[Andy]

Apr 6, 2017 22:39:14 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Apr 6, 2017 19:23:29 GMT -5 Andy said:

Vern Gosdin - You Never Cross My Mind

"You never cross my mind
You stay there all the time."

This one's really good.

Listen to Vern if you haven't, he's among the GOAT.

[sabre14]

Apr 7, 2017 16:20:34 GMT -5 Andy said:

Apr 6, 2017 22:39:14 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

This one's really good.

Listen to Vern if you haven't, he's among the GOAT.

I've only been exposed to a handful of his songs but I will need to check that one out.

[Andy]

Tracy Byrd - Cheapest Motel

"The cheapest motel in town cost him everything."

[Andy]

Apologies for the double post.

Brandy Clark - What'll Keep Me Out of Heaven

"What'll keep me out of Heaven will take me there tonight."

Brandy Clark - Since You've Gone to Heaven

"Since you've gone to Heaven, the whole world's gone to Hell."

[Deleted]

Apr 10, 2017 22:58:58 GMT -5 Andy said:

Apologies for the double post.

Brandy Clark - What'll Keep Me Out of Heaven

"What'll keep me out of Heaven will take me there tonight."

Brandy Clark - Since You've Gone to Heaven

"Since you've gone to Heaven, the whole world's gone to Hell."

I absolutely love "What'll Keep Me Out of Heaven". It's a masterpiece of writing. I really wish Brandy would find radio success, because she truly deserves it.

[Andy]

Sturgill Simpson - Living the Dream

"Ain't no point gettin' outta bed if you ain't livin' the dream
It's like makin' a big old pot of coffee when you ain't got no cream."

[rowdawg21]

"'Cause tomorrow's another day
And I'm thirsty anyway
So bring on the rain"

Jo Dee Messina - Bring On The Rain

"The heaven we had
The hell that I’m going through
Other than that
There ain’t much left of loving you"

Randy Montana - Ain't Much Left Of Lovin' You

...I may be biased ;)

[Ten Pound Hammer]

Apr 20, 2017 16:34:31 GMT -5 Andy said:

Sturgill Simpson - Living the Dream

"Ain't no point gettin' outta bed if you ain't livin' the dream
It's like makin' a big old pot of coffee when you ain't got no cream."

But I don't like cream in my coffee. #AnalogyBackfire

[bboat11]

Apr 23, 2017 8:00:38 GMT -5 Ten Pound Hammer said:

Apr 20, 2017 16:34:31 GMT -5 Andy said:

Sturgill Simpson - Living the Dream

"Ain't no point gettin' outta bed if you ain't livin' the dream
It's like makin' a big old pot of coffee when you ain't got no cream."

But I don't like cream in my coffee. #AnalogyBackfire

And I don't even like coffee! Maybe I should get back in bed...

[sabre14]

Luke Combs - "When It Rains It Pours" (2017)

"and I ain't gotta see my ex future mother-in-law, anymore
Oh lord, when it rains it pours"

Sarah Johns - "He Hates Me" (2008)

"Yeah I love him, wanna have his babies
The only problem is, he hates me"

[Uncle Lumpy]

Reason # 3,572 why I prefer older country compared to new "country". They don't seem to worry about lyrical hooks near as much as they used to. Sure , some were hokey but it took a special talent to find a a different way to twist a phrase.



It's like living in a house with no curtains
The whole world can see what's inside
You can turn out the lights in a house with no curtains
But heartache has nowhere to hide - Alan Jackson



I found an equalizer that makes his memory a no show
And I won't be jonesin' For his loving anymore
Cause I'm one bud wiser than I was a minute ago - Gretchen Wilson



If you wanna make me happy , Pour me some bourbon on the rocks
And play every sad song on the jukebox - Alan Jackson



Take off your wedding band , When he takes you by the hand.
If you're gonna do me wrong, do it right - Vern Gosdin


Well, we must’ve been drunk
When we said we’d stop drinking - Merle Haggard & George Jones




The high cost of livin'
Ain't nothing like the cost of livin' high - Jamey Johnson




And of earthquakes, storms and guns and war
Lord, nothing ever hurt me more than that lonely sound
The closing of the door. - George Jones



while my hands make a living my mind's home loving you
I'm having day dreams about night things
In the middle of the after-noon - Ronnie Milsap


It's not her heart, Lord, it's her mind , She didn't mean to be unkind
Why she even woke me up to say goodbye - Mickey Newbury

[carriefan15]

"If I fall, you're going down with me. You're going down with me baby if I fall"

If I Fall You're Going Down With Me- Dixie Chicks



"Better listen to me he's low, low, low."

Good Girl- Carrie Underwood

[Andy]

Midland - Out of Sight

"She's out of sight and I'm out of my mind."

[Andy]

Eric Church - Where She Told Me To Go
"I guess I wound up
Where she told me to go."

Sara Evans - Three Chords and the Truth
"Just when I thought I was over you
He changed my mind with three chords and the truth"