Amazing dive bar songs
Recently, I made a huge playlist of songs that are
What’s better than listening to whiskey-soaked laments at 1am? made to listen to on the jukebox in a shitty dive bar (with pitchers of shitty beer). Some of these are harder to find, but if you end up in a dingy bar some night with nothing but a a few dollar bills and an Evan Williams on the rocks, think back to this list and throw on whatever you can find.
If you can think of any amazing stuff that fits the vibe here, post them in the comments!
26 of the best:
Andy Williams – The Hawaiian Wedding Song
[The Hawaiian Wedding Song/1959]
Crooner Andy Williams covered this 1926 love song in 1959, turning it into a lazy aloha that fits a dive bar in a strange but perfect way.
Big Star – Thirteen
[#1 Record/1972]
Alex Chilton’s haunting portrait of adolescence is one of the most sad-but-satisfying songs to listen to over a glass of whiskey.
Bob Dylan – It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
[Bringing It All Back Home/1965]
Dylan is an obvious staple at the bar, and ‘It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue‘ is a classic that should be played during every visit.
Bob Dylan – Tangled Up In Blue
[Blood On The Tracks/1974]
Dylan uses a lot of his patented tricks here (that increasingly intensifying talking/chorus thing); this song always reminds me of a less-confrontational ‘Hurricane‘ (see below).
Bob Dylan – Hurricane
[Desire/1976]
Used brilliantly by Richard Linklater during a poolhall scene in Dazed and Confused, ‘Hurricane‘ is an 8-and-a-half minute anthem of racial hypocrisy, but damn if it doesn’t sound perfect in a bar.
Charles Manson – Look At Your Game Girl
[Lie: The Love And Terror Cult/1970]
People tend to forget that Manson was a pretty talented songwriter (Dennis Wilson was a fan!) before all the Manson Family Murders. This song has an eery resemblance to some of Devendra Banhart’s material. And what greater song to play at a grungy dive than that of a batshit-insane murderous cult leader?
Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
[Heart Shaped World/1989]
The bluesy, neo-50s croon of Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game‘ is velvety-smooth—the crème de la crème of jukebox heartbreakers.
The Clash – Guns Of Brixton
[London Calling/1979]
‘Guns Of Brixton‘ hints at the dub-step influences The Clash explored more fully on London Calling followup, Sandinista!. Definitely a weird song (listen for the boings), but it’s amazing when you’re six beers deep.
Danzig – Tired Of Being Alive
[Danzig II: Lucifuge/1990]
Danzig is always great to hear in a dive bar; ‘Tired Of Being Alive‘ boasts a monster crooner-metal chorus that everyone in the joint can sing along to.
Danzig – Sistinas
[Danzig III: How The Gods Kill/1992]
The master of mixing completely different time periods, Danzig gives ‘Sistinas‘ the pretty-50s treatment with black metal undertones; deathly and perfect for late-night, deserted-bar listening.
Elvis Presley – (You’re The) Devil In Disguise
[Please Don’t Drag That String Around/1963]
What would a dive bar be without Elvis on the jukebox? Not a dive bar, that’s what. This is my favorite Elvis song: sad, but with an ass-shaking chorus that begs for booze and pool tables.
The Jesus Lizard – Monkey Trick
[Goat/1991]
A pummeling bass riff takes this song from no-wavish noise-punk and puts it in bottoms-up throwdown territory. Play this on the jukebox during a barfight and someone might get killed.
Joy Division – New Dawn Fades
[Unknown Pleasures/1979]
Suicided musicians are always a good bet for dive-bar jukeboxism, and Joy Division is the most obvious example. The haunting melody and raw, post-punk production of ‘New Dawn Fades‘ has that perfect-for-a-bar mixture of intensity and gloom.
Meat Puppets – Roof With A Hole
[Too High To Die/1994]
Meat Puppets’ ‘Roof With A Hole‘ is a classic grunge jam that sounds even better amidst a room full of dirty drunks and grimy walls and floors.
Nirvana – The Man Who Sold The World
[Unplugged In New York/1994]
Nirvana is always a safe bet, but the best song to play in a murky dive bar is actually the Bowie cover, ‘The Man Who Sold The World‘, from Unplugged In New York. The solo at the end is as haunting as anything could be.
Paul Westerberg – Even Here We Are
[14 Songs/1993]
At only 1:42, you’re not getting much for your quarters on this one, but Westerberg is another staple of the bar, and ‘Even Here We Are‘ is just so delicate. And sad.
The Ramones – She Talks To Rainbows
[Adios Amigos/1995]
Most people at the jukebox will play the Ramones’ late-70s classics (rightfully so), but tucked away on their final album is this little gem, which has a sedated intensity (sad, gentle) almost opposite that of their punk roots.
The Replacements – Here Comes A Regular
[Tim/1985]
One of the most gut-wrenching bar songs ever written, ‘Here Comes A Regular‘ demands to be listened to in a booze-drenched gutterhouse or not at all.
The Replacements – Johnny’s Gonna Die
[Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash/1981]
The dirty bassline on ‘Johnny’s Gonna Die‘ is everything a dive bar should be. Paul Westerberg’s voice was made for these occasions.
Richard Hell & The Voidoids – Blank Generation
[Blank Generation/1977]
Hell’s Blank Generation is one of the best protopunk/punk records ever; and its title track is a straight-shot of wide-eyed boozy delight.
The Rolling Stones – Sympathy For The Devil
[Beggar’s Banquet/1968]
You’re obviously not going to the bar without hearing—and playing—The Stones. ‘Sympathy For The Devil‘ is a sprawling, druggy classic.
Sonic Youth – (She’s In A) Bad Mood
[Confusion Is Sex/1983]
Outstanding no wave from pre-alternative Sonic Youth. The nihilism of ‘Bad Mood—and no wave in general—is lovely to hear in a room full of self-loathing strangers.
Sonic Youth – Tuff Gnarl
[Sister/1987]
One of Sonic Youth’s early forays into popdom; ‘Tuff Gnarl‘ is absolutely suited for barplay (those confrontational lyrics!). It’s less antagonistic than ‘Bad Mood‘ (above), but still plenty anti-social.
The Velvet Underground – Venus In Furs
[The Velvet Underground & Nico/1967]
This song is one of the all-time bar greats; a dive bar staple if there ever was one. Lou Reed’s singing of sadomasochism to a hypnotic backdrop…is ice cold and spine shivering.
The Velvet Underground – Heroin
[The Velvet Underground & Nico/1967]
Another downer from the Velvets. (Really, this entire album is great dive music.) Reed’s tales of heroin abuse could almost be seen as too vivid for some of the lifers.
Wire – Reuters
[Pink Flag/1977]
This classic from Wire’s seminal post-punk album Pink Flag features bleeding guitars set to a churning, steamroller rhythm. Its apocalyptic political edge is awesome to listen to in filth.
on July 30th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
I love to put on Hum – Stars at bars. It usually costs a mint to “download” the song and play it, but it’s worth it. Everyone always gets real pensive and says “I KNOW this song!” And then I get in their face and say “IT’S FUCKING HUM, THAT’S WHY!”
on July 31st, 2008 at 9:31 am
wow. this list could be never ending.
I notice you’ve got tom waits on your updated list but the song that first came to mind was ‘Step right up’.
others that come to mind right now:
echo & the bunnymen – killing moon
the saints – Im stranded
ryan adams – to be young (is to be sad, is to be high)
you am i – berlin chair
ween – gabrielle
Nick cave – do you love me and probably a few others (nick the stripper maybe?)
i know you have lucero covered but what about ‘that much further west’ and ‘tonight ain’t gonna be no good’?
on August 3rd, 2008 at 9:42 pm
The jukebox in the front room of the Cameron Public House in Toronto used to be loaded up with great stuff like Johhny Cash’s Big River, The Demics’ NewYork City, Hank Williams’ Lost Highway, Handsome Ned’s Put the Blame On Me, The Viletones’ Screamin’ Fist, Hank Snow’s Golden Rocket, and Gene Vincent’s Be Bob a Lula. Pretty Goddamn hard to pick a bad song on it. Throw in a few trays of cheap draft and an assortment of sad-eyed old drunks who lived upstairs and you got the perfect Saturday afternoon.
on August 3rd, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Nick Cave – People Ain’t No Good
Replacements – If Only You Were Lonely
Tom Waits – I Wish I Was In New Orleans
Against Me – Baby I’m an Anarchist (Maybe it’s a bit too obvious, but what better song to sing along drunkenly too?)
Leonard Cohen – Closing Time
John Cale – Hallelujah
Guns N Roses – I Used To Love Her
Flogging Molly – If I Ever Leave This World Alive
Pogues – Dirty Old Town
Chuck Berry – Promised Land
Sex Pistols – Pretty Vacant or, really, anything off of Bollocks
on July 29th, 2010 at 2:56 am
missed when you used to actually blog. also cursive / atd-i / hall & oates / forever. the jukebox at bbq bar is pretty awesome. except when someone plays in the aeroplane over the sea in its entirety. .