Music Monday: Whistling
In the shower, walking outdoors and even while roaming the halls at work or school. Nothing like a whistle to help put you in a good mood. And so it is with some of rock’s greatest songs – adding a whistle to give the tune some mood boosting.
Here are four tracks that are memorable to my many hours of listening to the radio – from classic rock to modern alternative.
Steve Miller Band – “Jungle Love”
I remember hearing this song all the time on the rock radio station. The line “where everything is peaches and cream” and the guitar twinge that follows are permanently stuck in head, not to mention the whistling that both starts and finishes the song.
“Jungle Love”
Guns N’ Roses – “Patience”
To be honest, this is my least favorite song from this great band. Combining cheesy and horrible lyrics with Axl’s whistle has been burned into my memory from the countless times I heard it played on just about every pop and rock station some 23 years ago. Which also explains why I put the YouTube version here – I don’t own this song.
Guns N’ Roses – “Patience”
Supertramp “Goodbye Stranger”
From the 1979 album, “Breakfast In America”, this song has the least amount of whistling of these four, but since I really enjoy hearing this song, I wanted to include it here.
“Goodbye Stranger”
Peter, Bjorn and John “Young Folks”
A giant alternative hit, these guys showed the younger generation what a whistle can do for a song. It’s very catchy, almost to the point of “please stop” but then you hear it again and start to whistle along.
“Young Folks”
What are some other songs that use the power of the whistle that you can think of? Chat away below.
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I am haunted to this day by the song “Twisted Nerve” by Bernard Herrmann from the “Kill Bill Volume 1” soundtrack. It was flawlessly incorporated into the movie, and is a pretty haunting piece of “whistle music” in its own right!
Oh yes. I know the greatness of that song. Must seek out my copy of Kill Bill soundtrack.
When it was released, “Goodbye Stranger” was never one of my favorites. I don’t know what there was about it that I found so unappealing.
Just the other day it came up on the radio and I was happy to hear it and couldn’t figure out what it was about it I hadn’t liked. (I’m probably more of a fan of it now as it reminds me of when I was younger.)
Sometimes songs either grow on you for life or they become likable later on.
Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard
Now there’s a cool song that I’ve not heard in ages. Thanks for the mention, John.
Guns N’ Roses will always have a special place in my heart because one of their songs was playing when my last baby was born. He was kind of an emergency c-section so we didn’t have time to choose what music there was, it just happened to be on. It was funny because the song was November Rain, which was a song that years ago, every time it was on I would say “I just don’t get her dress” because in the video it was so short in front and so long in back. It became sort of a joke of me saying it each time I heard the song and then laughing. That has absolutely nothing to do with your post, but your mention of Patience, which I love, made me think of that memory.
November Rain is a great song and I love just about anything else GnR did back when they first started.
The video for the song is quite odd, even if the production of it was very well done.
Not sure why Patience never latched on to me. Guess it seemed labored. But as with all music, some will like and some will not. Will make sure you are driving when “Patience” comes on for that road trip we take. 😉
How sad is it that my first thought was “Centerfold” by the J. Geils Band?! Haha
I used to see Peter Wolf in Boston all the time.
Oh yea, now I have the ending to “Centerfold” in my head. Not a bad song.
I’ve always lived Patience! I can’t whistle to save my life, so I can’t whistle along Enugu the song, but I love it.
As I mentioned to Tori, some like this song.
I can’t stand that Guns N’ Roses song personally. My ex-wife played that bloody thing to death. I cringe now every time I hear it 😉
Ah yes.. another non-fan of Patience. Thank you.