What IYO, is the most perfectly crafted song ever written?

I feel like I’ve answered this – or something similar. For me, it has to be the combination of Tool’s 10,000 Days/Wings for Marie combined with Wings Part 2.
I can’t vouch for the videos, if I watched them through it would take me 20 minutes to answer. Everything about the combination of those two songs moves me. The music is breathtaking and the lyrics are deep and have brought me to tears on more than one occasion. Unbeatable, in my humble opinion.

My top two choices would be Jimi Hendrix’s cover of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”, and the collaborative cover of People Get Ready, by Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart.

In my opinion, two of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll songs of all time are Bring it Back Again by the Stray Cats and Only the Good Die Young by Billy Joel.

And, yes, I know I’ve mentioned this song a few times, but I think the greatest love song of all time is The Milkman of Human Kindness by Billy Bragg. It embodies everything that true love should be.

Oh I think this deserves a mention.

I’m going to have to think about this one for a while to come up with something better, but one that’s jumping out at me right now is Enter Sandman by Metallica. I like the intro, I like the lyrics, the beat and really the whole song. Plus, I just love me some Metallica.

Pssssst, Cruiser… is your link broken? I’m being directed to a Pandemic sight.

@ucme

StH is definitely one of my considerations.

Wow! Such diversity and really good choices!! Keep em coming!!
@Brian1946 Becks guitar work and sound there certainly deserves a nod!

I knew from the second I first heard this song many years ago, that it was without a doubt – the greatest song I had ever heard.

You ask us to consider, “The lyrics, the melody, the opening lick and the ending, the musicians, the vocals, the beat, the pacing, the breaks, instruments used to get that special sound” ...to me, this song has perfected every single one of those elements to a level that I had never heard before or ever since.

@Brian1946 Immediately came to mind, no brainer really.

@Cruiser-Pick one perfect song?? LOL! Make me.

“Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. The lyrics tell you how the song is played, but more. It’s conveyed so many emotional meanings, and been interpreted in completely different ways by many artists, and it’s written in the most common key ever (C Major). That’s skill. And it manages to make one of the brightest keys sound mournful when it wants.

@iamthemob – I love that song.

@Seelix – It’s one of the truly transcendent things that I know of.

OK @lucillelucillelucille you can pick 2 songs!

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress-Jimmy Webb
Send in the Clowns-Steven Sondheim
The Future-Leonard Cohen
Across the Universe-John Lennon (and credit to Paul McCartney)
Back on the Chain Gang-The Pretenders
Don’t get me started, I may never stop!

@Cruiser Two??I need more than that XD

@lucillelucillelucille That’s what she said! ;)

Queen Bohemian Rhapsody

@marinelife – That’s cheating. That’s like three songs in one. ;-)

@iamthemob Yes, but they’re all great!

I can’t…disagree. Nope…that’s an unassailable position.

This without a doubt.

Greetings @Cruiser. OK kids…..here’s one from “back in the day”: marvelous tumbling words, descending chord sequence, two wonderful guitars, a magical piano solo, great harmonica, a most appropriate kazoo and the best harmonizing from the Scotish side of Lennon and McCartney….from 1974, here is Stealers Wheel (Joe Egan & Gerry Rafferty) with Star…

So they made you a star, now your heads in a cloud,
Now you’re walking down the street with your feet off the ground
They read in the press all about your success,
They believe every word they’ve been told.
After all you’ve been through tell me what will you do,
When you find yourself out in the cold?
When you appear on the stage there’s a standing ovation,
You really live out your performance, you’re the biggest sensation.
You breeze through the door and when you take the floor,
You expect to have it all to yourself.
After all you’ve been through tell me what will you do
When you find yourself back on the shelf?
You breeze through the door and when you take the floor
You expect to have it all to yourself.
After all you’ve been through tell me what will you do
When you find yourself back on the shelf?

Sadly, Gerry passed away a few days ago at the age of 63. I loved his music. Here’s a post I made somewhere on youtube a couple days ago:

The man had a profound effect on this world, on music lovers with his outstanding songwriting skills and heartwarming vocals as well as on all musicians by his outspoken warnings of how one, such as he, could be easily duped into ‘giving up the store’ by not fully reading and understanding the fine print of a contract presented by another whose intent and motive apparently were not abundantly clear to him. Although the ownership rights to much of his music were heavily clouded, the music itself shined through brilliantly to adoring fans, such as myself. Thank you Gerry Rafferty for sharing with us your musical vision and talent and specifically and personally, for penning one of my all-time favorite love songs, Right Down The Line.
Rest in Peace, Gerry.

See ya…..Gary aka wtf…
...but, before I go, here’s a couple more treats, Gerry’s Baker Street and Stealers Wheel with Stuck In The Middle With You
Peace and out…

Similar to @iamthemob, I’m in love and that’s to put it lightly with Hallelujah.
Specifically, the Jeff Buckley cover.

The only song to give me chills more than anything (read: everything) Buckley has done is Josh Groban’s You Raise Me Up.
I become almost motionless whenever I hear his voice. It’s incredible.

Moonlight Sonata.

This question is borderline impossible for me to answer. I love so many songs and think they’re perfect just the way they are. I’m sorry @Cruiser, but the music lover wants to name off tons of songs, but the musician in me says, but they’re all crafted fantastically.

I am tempted to go with the Stones Satisfaction, or the Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again, but the Beatles put it out of the park with Revolution . It is the finest Rock song/Anthem.

I’m still in love with Mozart’s Requiem, but I think the most perfectly crafted songs of modern times are Forsaken by Dream Theater, Ghost Love Score by Nightwish, and High Hopes by Pink Floyd.

Apologies, but I honestly can’t separate these three.

I have been sitting on this question for a while now. I have finally decided that, given your criteria, my choice is Us and Them

I had to give this question a day’s thought. While I agree that Bohemian Rhapsody is technically brilliant, and I’ve always said that it’s the best song of all time, I think I would also have to add Your Latest Trick Maybe not as technically brilliant as Bohemian Rhapsody (but still very close) but it ticks all the boxes for me.

Wow, I love some of the songs mentioned but since you did ask “perfectly crafted song ever written” I am shocked that no one has mentioned much jazz or classical. I would have to say Rhapsody in Blue by Gerschwin and Sing, Sing, Sing by Louis Prima performed by Benny Goodman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mJ4dpNal_k

Paranoid Andriod – Radiohead.

As far as “perfectly crafted”, I would have to consider one of Sousa’s marches (Stars and Stripes Forever, Washington Post, or Liberty Bell come to mind); or one of Scott Joplin’s rags (Swipesy, The Entertainers).