A line from U2’s 1992 hit One has been voted the UK’s favourite song lyric.
The line “One life, with each other, sisters, brothers” came top of a poll of 13,000 people by music channel VH1.
The song reached number seven in the UK chart when it was originally released, but a new version featuring Mary J Blige recently went to number two.
A lyric from The Smiths’ song How Soon is Now? came second in the poll, followed by a line from Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit.
A call from Bob Marley to “free our minds” in his Redemption Song came fourth, with Coldplay’s hit Yellow in fifth.
Memorable moments from Eminem, Robbie Williams, The Who, Radiohead and Marvin Gaye were also in the top 10.
John Lennon’s Imagine did not feature in the top 20 despite coming top of a similar survey in 1999.
The top five lyrics in the VH1 poll were:
1. U2 – One. “One life, with each other, sisters, brothers.”
2. The Smiths – How Soon is Now? “So you go, and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own, and you go home, and you cry, and you want to die.”
3. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit. “I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now, entertain us.”
4. Bob Marley – Redemption Song. “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds, have no fear for atomic energy, ’cause none of them can stop the time.”
5. Coldplay – Yellow. “Look at the stars, look how they shine for you.”
“Lost my head in my hotel room when the ground shook
Had to choose between the bible and the phone book”
— Chroma Key, “America The Video”
“And the license said you had to stick around
Until I was dead
But if you’re tired of looking at my face
I guess I already am”
— Liz Phair, “Divorce Song”
“How can I feel abandoned even when the world surrounds me
How can I bite the hand that feeds the strangers all around me
How can I know so many, never really knowing anyone
If I seem superhuman, I have been misunderstood”
— Dream Theater, “Misunderstood”
“As much as I definitely enjoy solitude
I wouldn’t mind perhaps
Spending little time with you
Sometimes, sometimes”
— Bjork, “Possibly Maybe”
“And I don’t care if you don’t treat me like a lady
And I don’t care just sit there and don’t disobey me”
— that dog., “Gagged and Tied”
“I can’t distinguish reality from dream
Ghost of Winter, won’t you hear my silent scream?”
— Lillian Axe, “Ghost of Winter”
“You do make a beautiful blinder
you hide things I don’t want to see
Your arms cover me like a blanket
and maybe it’s all that I need.”
— Chroma Key, “Blanket”
“I’m safe here growing in the shade,
Away from all the brightness
I lost my innocence today
When I learned how to write this”
— Veruca Salt, “Celebrate You”
“I write a letter to a friend of mine
I tell him how much I used to love watch him smile
See I haven’t seen him smile in a little while
Haven’t seen him smile in a little while
But, I know you’re laughing from the inside out”
— Blind Melon, “Mouthful of Cavities”
“So I hope you all will see
There just isn’t a place here for me.
I look around and feel
like somebody must be f*cking with me.
I just can’t take any of you seriously
and I can’t keep keeping myself company.”
— Liz Phair, “Batmobile”
“Deny your body’s screaming
But your heart and your soul they’re bleeding
Just to fall asleep is a godsend
Until your demons appear again”
— Anthrax, “Black Lodge”
“There’s no one to take my blame
if they wanted to
There’s nothing to keep me sane
and it’s all the same to you
There’s nowhere to set my aim
so I’m everywhere
Never come near me again
do you really think I need you
I’ll never be open again, I could never be open again.
I’ll never be open again, I could never be open again.
And I’ll smile and I’ll learn to pretend
And I’ll never be open again
And I’ll have no more dreams to defend
And I’ll never be open again”
— Dream Theater, “Space-Dye Vest”
“And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I’ll ever ask of you
You’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when”
— Foo Fighters, “Everlong”
