Top 10 Songs With the Best Spoken Intros

Ah, music. How it moves us all through despair and hope, through faith and love. Sure, the "Circle of Life" isn't really relevant here, but its lyrics are fitting. There are some songs that get stuck in our head when we're young and then it's not until we're older than we realize some of our favorite '00s songs were pretty sexist and then there are some songs that are so good that we need to bring them back, like Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" and Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back". But, regardless, music is practically a way of life and the greatest songs stick with you forever.

There are some songs, however, that are great partially because they have a particularly unique intro. For example, there are a lot of songs that begin with the singer or rapper speaking, or having a whole dialogue, before any singing actually begins. Some of these are better than others, and some are definitely more memorable than others, but the fact of the matter is that it's about time we reflect on some of my favorite songs that started with a monologue or conversatin. From Taylor Swift to Beyoncé to Usher, here are my top ten songs with spoken intros.

10. "Better Than Revenge" by Taylor Swift

Intro: "Now go stand in the corner and think about what you did. Ha-ha, time for a little revenge."

Reason: Ah, "Better Than Revenge" was one of Swift's most problematic songs as far as slut shaming goes, but it was also one of her most sassy songs. At least before "Shake It Out" came out. Telling an infantile rival to go sit in the corner and think about what they did? I think it's Swift's voice that really just sells it.

9. "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga

Intro: "It doesn't matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M. Just put your paws up 'cause you were born this way, baby."

Reason: You've got to hand it to Lady Gaga for taking a tolerance anthem for the LGBT community and beginning it with a blanket pass for loving guys and the devil. Or maybe she meant the Finnish band HIM? Either way, someone needs to put this on a bumper sticker.

8. "Grace Kelly" by Mika

Intro: "I wanna talk to you." / "The last time we talked, Mr. Smith, you reduced me to tears. I promise you it won't happen again."

Reason: Okay, so this opening is just a riff on lines from The Country Girl, starring the titular Grace Kelly. But it gets points because a) hardly anyone who listens to the song knows that and b) it's just plain fun to say.

7. "I'm a Slave 4 U" by Britney Spears

Intro: "I know I may be young, but I've got feelings too. And I need to do what I feel like doing. So let me go and just listen."

Reason: Remember when Spears released all those songs about being seen as a grown up instead of a young pop star? Like this one and "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman"? This makes the list because Spears has come such a long way, from not wanting to be seen as a kid to having kids of her own.

6. "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy

Intro: "Open up, man." / "What do you want, man?" / "My girl just caught me." / "You let her catch you?" / "I don't know how I let this happen." / "With who?" / "The girl next door, you know. I don't know what to do." / "Say it wasn't you."

Reason: Clearly Shaggy just has the worst friend ever in this song. Good thing he decided later on in the verses to come clean with his girlfriend, who probably isn't an idiot. Still, you have to hand it to this dialogue for asking the important questions before the song started.

5. "Why Don't You Love Me?" by Beyoncé

Intro: "Now, now, now, honey. You better sit down and look around 'cause you must've bumped your head. And I love you enough to talk some sense back into you, baby. I'd hate to see you come home, me the kids and the dog is gone. Check my credentials. I give you everything you want, everything you need. Even your friends say I'm a good woman. All I need to know is why?"

Reason: Is there anyone left who doesn't love Beyoncé? Raise your hand so the Beygency can come for you.

4. "Burn" by Usher

Intro: "Girl, understand why. See it's burning me to hold onto this. I know this is something I gotta do, but that don't mean I want to. What I'm trying to say is that I love you. I just I feel like this is coming to an end and its better for me to let it go now than hold on and hurt you. I gotta let it burn."

Reason: In a complete 180 from "It Wasn't Me", Usher's heartfelt monologue before his equally heartfelt song gets me every time. Let it burn.

3. "The Call" by the Backstreet Boys

Intro: "Hi, it's me. What's up baby? I'm sorry, listen, I'm gonna be late tonight so don't stay up and wait for me okay?" / "Where are you?" / "Wait, wait, say that again?" / "Hello?" / "You're really dropping out. I think my battery must be low. Listen, if you can hear me we're going to a place nearby, alright? Gotta go."

Reason: If you can't recite the entire call from the song literally named "The Call", then we have nothing to say to each other.

2. "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy and Monica

Intro: "Excuse me, can I please talk to you for a minute?" / "Uh huh, sure, you know you look kinda familiar." / "Yeah, you do too but, umm, I just wanted to know do you know somebody named... You know his name." / "Oh, yeah definitely I know his name." / "I just wanted to let you know he's mine." / "Huh... no no, he's mine."

Reason: Before Shakira and Beyoncé teamed up for "Beautiful Liar", there was Brandy and Monica teaming up for "The Boy Is Mine". Spoiler alert: the music video ends with the two women joining forces to give the boy the boot because he was, for some reason, dumb enough to date two women who lived right next door to each other.

1. "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot

Intro: "Oh, my, god. Becky, look at her butt. It is so big. She looks like one of those rap guys' girlfriends. But, you know, who understands those rap guys? They only talk to her, because, she looks like a total prostitute, okay? I mean, her butt, is just so big. I can't believe it's just so round, it's like out there, I mean - gross. Look! She's just so... black!"

Reason: Oh, my, god, Becky, are you surprised?