The Top 10: Last lines of songs

Musical endings, some of them unexpected, and none of them by The Beatles

It is not even the right hotel on the album cover

Andrew Sentance‏ suggested this list, a companion chart to that of Best First Lines, and nominated number five. I said no Beatles, but Geoffrey Peter nominated “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,” from “She Loves You”. This is “one more ‘Yeah’ than in the body of the song”, he said. Ian Simcox‏ took my side: “The last words of any Beatles song are a joy – because it means it’s ended.” Here are 10 that are not the Beatles, or Bob Dylan, or Paul Simon.

1. “And I’m afraid I told a lie.” Nick Cave, “The Mercy Seat”. As Chris Dent said, it is “about a death row inmate who protests his innocence throughout the song”. Also nominated by Rob Fuller.

2. “One little boy into one little man, funny how time flies.” Tears for Fears, “Broken”. Julian Self called this “pure poetry”. He added: “Tears for Fears are also the only band in history to name one of their albums after a passing comment made by one of the staff in an east London massage parlour: Everybody Loves a Happy Ending.”

3. “And then one day it happened: she cut her hair and I stopped loving her.” Billy Bragg, “Walk Away Renee”. (The first line is great too: “She said it was just a figment of speech.”) Thanks to David Engert and Martin McGrath.

4. “Don’t confront me with my failures: I had not forgotten them.” Jackson Browne, “These Days.” Nominated by Darren Murphy and Andy Mawn. And yes, I do know he was 16 when he wrote it.

5. “You can check out anytime you want but you can never leave.” The Eagles, “Hotel California.” Chris Woolley said this was wrong: “I stayed at the real Hotel California in San Francisco two years ago, and left after four days.” I cannot tell if this is the hotel in the song, but it seems to have been renamed now: the album cover is actually a picture of the Beverly Hills Hotel.

6. “I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel – that’s all, I don’t think of you that often.” Leonard Cohen, “Chelsea Hotel #2”. Another hotel-based entry from Rob Hutton and Geoffrey Mamdani.

7. “Nobody loves no one.” Chris Isaak, “Wicked Game”. Emma Burnell called this a “wonderful double negative”.

8. “When he woke she was gone with his car and all of his money.” Divine Comedy, “Something for the Weekend”. Thanks to Stuart (aforlornhope) for another in the “surprise twist” subcategory of last lines.

9. “I am human and I need to be loved, just like everyone else does.” The Smiths, “How Soon Is Now”. Yes, it is repeated at the end of each chorus, but I still like it, and so does Ptother.

10. “But I know what I am and I’m glad I’m a man, and so is Lola.” The Kinks, “Lola”. Well, it’s not the Beatles, Dylan or Paul Simon, and it had a lot of nominations, including from David Roberts, Enid Driscoe and George Bosanko.

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Next week: Party names, continuing the election theme, after the Rubbish Party won a seat on East Ayrshire council in last week’s local elections

Coming soon: Greats, either people or things, I haven’t decided which

The e-book of Listellany: A Miscellany of Very British Top Tens, From Politics to Pop is just £3.79. Your suggestions, and ideas for future Top 10s, in the comments please, or to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk