Best Songs Featuring Whistling

I was watching an episode on "One Hit Wonders" on VH1 Classic last night. I was struck by the whistling segment of "Don't Worry Be Happy," which seemed to be a perfect touch for the happy song.

Then this morning I was watching more of the videos on the channel, and again I noticed a whistling segment in a song. This time it was "Patience" by Guns 'N' Roses, and lead singer Axl Rose was performing the whistling.

Having seen these two very different songs each employ whistling, I began to think of other popular songs on which whistling appeared. Here are my ten favorite songs with whistling.

10. "I Like Birds" by The Eels: On this carefree pop track from

Daisies in the Galaxy, E.'s happy whistling resembles the chirping of birds.

9. "Georgy Girl" by The Seekers: I'm not really sure why the whistling is in this deceptively depressing song. Its happy music and carefree whistling cannot completely disguise the lyrics, which describe a girl with low self-esteem being asked "Why do all the boys just pass you by?"

8. "The Ruling Class" by Loose Fur: The anti-establishment tune from Jeff Tweedy's side project has perhaps the sharpest whistling of any song. Tweedy, the front man for Wilco, starts the song with the whistling of contentment before he starts singing about injustice.

7. "Me and Julio Down by the School Yard" by Paul Simon: This song rolls along merrily, in spite of the arrest, the family conflicts, and the "radical priest." Simon's whistling provides a natural transition between the verses.

6. "What a Day for a Daydream" by The Lovin' Spoonful: Jon Anderson and his band make you want to lie back and kick up your feet while listening to this relaxing tune. The soothing whistling sounds as if it is coming from someone reclining on a front porch swing on a spring day.

5. "Now I'm a Farmer" by The Who: This underappreciated track from Odds and Sods features a farmer's whistle as the song fades with the planting of "tomatoes, potatoes, stew, eggplant."

4. "Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding: This classic about being alone and impoverished is somehow comforting. He whistles to emphasize his idleness, and he makes us almost envy his lack of responsibilities.

3. "Whistle for the Choir" by The Fratellis: I wasn't surprised to hear singing in this acoustic track from the band's debut album Costello Music. What sis surprise me, though, is how well the whistling is delivered and how fresh it still sounds after one thousand listenings.

2. "Two of Us" by The Beatles: Somehow The Beatles made an uplifting song about their pending breakup. The whistling, as well as the lyrics, seem to look back with satisfaction and forward with excitement.

1. "The Stranger" by Billy Joel: The whistling on the title track from Joel's best album teams with the mellow piano to provide an aura of mystery introducing (and closing) the song. The electric guitar seems to explode as the whistling fades.