Happy Monday, folks. It’s SOL testing season here in Northern Virginia, so I get to spend most of my free time each school day proctoring! Woo! It’s so much fun. Today, we count it in with a selection of songs featuring – you guessed it – a count in!
- The Beatles, “Taxman”: George starts us off right with a song all about counting. Speaking of taxmen, I might have to fire mine, since between them they almost cost me $2000 this tax season (instead of the $500 it actually ended up being). Of course, considering my taxmen are my brother and my father, and I don’t actually pay them, I guess you could argue I’m getting what I pay for.
- The Presidents of the United States of America, “Cleveland Rocks”: The POTUSes know how to kick it up a notch, and it starts with a, “3, 4!”
- Ryan Adams, “To Be Young”: This song just bleeds in from the opening argument with Dave Rawlins (which isn’t exactly a song, since it’s just the two of them arguing about Morrissey’s catalog). It does feature a hasty count-in, though, so it…counts.
- Outkast, “Hey Ya!”: Why do so many songs that start with a count-in of “3, 4”? Why do we skip the one and the two? Why is five never considered? Is it because we’re always in 4/4 time? That doesn’t seem fair, exactly. Outkast know better, though, giving us a full four count.
- The Avett Brothers, “Will You Return?”: So do the Avett Brothers, actually! It’s nice to hear. And that heavy-strummed banjo.
- Pink Floyd, “Free Four”: I’m not sure if this actually counts, since “free” is not a number.
- Moxy Fruvous, “Earthquakes”: This one makes due with a, “1, 2, 3” count-in, skipping four entirely.
- U2, “Vertigo”: Someone needs to have a conversation with Bono, because, “1, 2, 3, 14” is not how we count.
- Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, “You Got Lucky”: This one just gets a “1” before Petty gives up counting and the song just starts.
- The Decemberists, “Shankill Butchers”: A trailing, “2, 3, 4” leads off this song about youths who will cut you, they will.