Song lyrics as ledes

[Mizzougrad96]

East High has seen paradise by the dashboard light...

 

[dirtybird]

Never is the correct answer to this question. Extra credit if you have multiple adverbs and swear words in front of "never."

This pretty much sums it up.

 

[Ace]

Lede with a song lyric?

That'll be the day.

 

[Ace]

pick,

As an aside to whether or not to use song lyrics in the lede (I vote not), consider the context of the song.

In your Meatloaf case, the song is about wanting to have sex with someone you don't love.

If that really fits the bill for the senior legion baseball gamer, go for it.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I agree with IJAG. There's a fine line.

Two out of three ain't bad is a good lede. Some get the reference, some don't, but if you don't it won't ruin the rest of the story.

 

[BillySixty]

You are allowed one in your life. Most of us use it up by the time we write our fifth article for the college newspaper.

 

[Starman]

I suppose this should be on "Journalism," but what the heck.

We have one guy on our staff who does it ALL. THE. TIME.

Like in about 48% of all the stories he files.

ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.


Oh yeah. Thomas Wolfe too.


Gag me.

 

[Small Town Guy]

The headlines read these are the worst of times, but the LA Dodgers didn't believe it was true on Thursday night, snapping a 24-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Giants.

 

[YGBFKM]

Haha, that's great, MC. I'm trying to figure out a way to work "Grandpa pissed his pants again" into a lede, but it's not happening. Maybe I'll shift my efforts to "My Daddy didn't pull out, but he never apologized."

 

[joe]

Song lyrics as ledes: Don't.

Easiest way to date your writing is to fork it up with pop culture references. shirt should have died when Curry Kirkpatrick left SI.

 

[Steak Snabler]

I would do anything to craft a clever lede ... but I won't do that.


By the way, the greatest Sporcle quiz ever:

http://www.sporcle.com/games/Barbaloot/meatloaf

 

[Mizzougrad96]

What's a worse lede, a song lyric or a question?

I probably did 4-5 song lyrics as ledes during my career. I don't think I ever used a question for a lede.