He had left it as a lost art, as another forgotten victim of commercialism in the entertainment world. First, it was the age of advertising that caused the demise of TV shows with catchy themes, such as classics like the brady group Prayed Gilligan’s Island or even less old series like Full house Prayed Friends.

Then, apparently, came the near disappearance of songs with spoken word introductions, once staples of popular music. Part of the enduring charm of ’60s bands like the Kingston Trio is the witty introductions to songs like “MTA” or even the earnest preludes to ballads like “Tom Dooley.”

Fortunately, a popular artist released an album in 2017, the first song of which offers a spoken introduction. Tat track tops the following list of ten of those songs that start with speech instead of voice.

Mirage by Bull and Me

Chaz Bundick opens 2017 boo boo album with this track, which begins with him saying, “I just want everyone to have fun, really.”

Andy Warhol by David Bowie

dory features this ode to the eccentric artist, beginning with Bowie trying out various pronunciations of the name in the title.

love me i’m a liberal by Phil Ochs

“Every American community has various shades of political commentary,” protest singer Ochs says in the introduction to this classic. “The murkiest of these are the liberals, twenty-five degrees left of center when times are good, but twenty-five degrees right of center when it affects them personally.”

bombing in the room for the sweet

Lead singer Brian Connelly kicks off this stadium favorite by turning to his bandmates and asking “Are you ready, Steve? Andy? Mick? Alright guys, let’s go!”

Rolling Stone cover by Dr. Hook and Medicine Show

You can hear the guys in the band discussing their reaction to being on the cover, saying “Ah I don’t think so ha ha, just look don’t touch it man”.

While my guitar softly cries for the beatles

As “Bungalow Bill” fades, his successor in the white album begins with George Harrison yelling “Hello, everybody!” before the unforgettable piano joins Eric Clapton’s slow hand on the strings.

one of my turns by Pink Floyd

Toni Tennille speaks at the beginning of this summary of Wall, while asking the troublesome main character questions such as “Are these all your guitars?” and “Do you want to take a bath?”

daydreamer for the monkeys

After Davy Jones asks his friends which track was played, all three reply that it is seven-A. He then tells them that they are picking on him because he is short.

Steve by Alice Cooper

Using the child’s voice in the welcome to my nightmare album, Cooper says “I don’t want you to go” to open this track.

Leader of the pack by the Shangri-Las

Two girls talk about a third girl who seems to be dating someone named Jimmie, wondering “Is she really dating him?” The third girl then admits that she, yes, she has fallen in love with the biker in the title.