Songs whose very first word is a given name...

[skullturfq]

People might consider this too obscure, but "Bananas and Blow" by Ween starts with the line "Sancho brought a message from the fat man"

[Russ]

Son of a Preacher Man

Billy-Ray was a preacher's son and when his daddy would visit he'd come along...

[rockgolf]

Yea! At long last I found one!

Wooly Bully - first word is Matty.

Matty told Hatty about a thing she saw. Had two big horns and a wooly jaw.

[Bill]

"We Gotta Get you A Woman" by Todd Rundgren ("Leroy, boy, is that you...")

[TheConfessor]

"House At Pooh Corner" by Kenny Loggins. (Christopher Robin and I walked along...)

[Russ]

"18 and Life" by Skid Row

Ricky was a young boy, he had a heart of stone.

[grodney]

The Road Goes On Forever -- I think by Robert Earle Keen, Jr.

Also performed by The Highwaymen.

"Sherry was a waitress at the only joint in town..."

[rockgolf]

Canadian content: Something To Live For - Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts

"Bobby drives a pickup for the corner store
Four bucks an hour and he's hoping for more"

[grodney]

Gloria by Patti Smith:

"Jesus died..."

[grodney]

Spread Your Wings by Queen

"Sammy was low..."

[Russ]

"Fly from Heaven" by Toad the Wet Sprocket

Paul is makin' me nervous...

[A Wray]

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize ("Paul and Silas bound in jail")

[marpocky]

People might consider this too obscure, but "Bananas and Blow" by Ween starts with the line "Sancho brought a message from the fat man"

I love that song!

Came across another big one on the radio tonight.

"Holly came from Miami, FLA" - Lou Reed, Walk on the Wild Side

[skullturfq]

Another Lou Reed one:

"Dirty Boulevard" starts with "Pedro lives out of the Wiltshire Hotel..."

Also, "Into the Great Wide Open" by Tom Petty starts with "Eddie waited til he finished high school..."

[Ponch]

Butthole Surfers - Pepper

Mikey got with Sharon, Sharon got Sherie

[grodney]

Oh, I smell a Sporcle quiz in this...

How would you structure it? Would you give title and artist, and ask for the name that starts the lyrics?

[rockgolf]

It would be clickable. The names would all be displayed and the song would appear as clues. As each title appeared, you would click on the name that starts the lyrics.

[PhygLeGuy]

These may be in the eye of the beholder, or whatever organ you be usin’ when you be beholdin’ song lyrics.

Safe and Sound by Carly Simon begins with Robert McNamara’s given middle name.

Van Lingle Mungo by Dave Frishberg seemed promising, as it consists almost entirely of an alternation of given names and surnames. As it turns out, the first word is Heenie, which probably shouldn’t count as a given name, although it might qualify as a name most likely to be returned.

Kitty’s Back In Town starts with Catlong. Most likely, Catlong was given the name Catlong at the exact instant that Catlong was conjured into existence by the songwriter.

[skullturfq]

I'm Afraid of Americans by David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails

"Johnny's in America, no tricks at the wheel..."

*if one is being a stickler, one could argue these aren't the first words, because there are some "na na"s before them

[kathwright]

Tom Waits
"Cemetery Polka"

Uncle Vernon
Uncle Vernon
Independent as a
Hog on ice
Hi's a big shot down there
At the slaughterhouse
He plays accordion
For Mr.Weiss

(I'm counting "Uncle" as part of his name... maybe that's a stretch.)

Also: "Jockey Full Of Bourbon"

Edna Million in a drop dead suit