Everybody sings the chorus, but superfans quote the verse. On this episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate trace the verse from Shakespeare through opera to TikTok, and songwriter Audrey Hobert shares her philosophy of specific verses and anthemic choruses: you can't have the payoff without the setup.

CREDITS

Reanna Cruz: Producer

Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator

Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer

Dion Lee: Art Director

Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer

Nick Ripps: Video Editor

Nate Sloan: Host

Lissa Soep: Editor

Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers

Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.

Links: ⁠Newsletter⁠

Songs discussed:

Aretha Franklin, "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"
Edward Meeker, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"
Third Eye Blind, "Semi-Charmed Life"
Zara Larsson, "Lush Life"
John Denver, "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
Rick Astley, "Never Gonna Give You Up"
William Smith, Choir of New College, Oxford, Edward Higginbottom, "Opening Versicles and Responses"
Georges Bizet, Michel Plasson, Angela Gheorghiu, Les Éléments, Orchestre National Du Capitole De Toulouse, "Bizet: Carmen, WD 31, Act 1: Habanera. "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" (Carmen, Chœur)"
Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"
Built to Spill, "Joyride"
The Killers, "Mr. Brightside"
Gracie Abrams, "That's So True"
Audrey Hobert, "Sue me"
Lizzo, "About Damn Time"
Audrey Hobert, "Drive"
Audrey Hobert, "Bowling alley"

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices