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Coffee Break

Coffee Break: National Repeat Day!

by Jill Riley and Nilufer Arsala

June 03, 2026

Inductee Bill Withers speaks onstage during the 30th Annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Public Hall on April 18, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. He repeats the phrase "I Know" 26 times in the song,"Ain't No Sunshine."
Inductee Bill Withers speaks onstage during the 30th Annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Public Hall on April 18, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. He repeats the phrase "I Know" 26 times in the song,"Ain't No Sunshine."Mike Coppola/Getty Images

There are many techniques used in songwriting, and one of them in repetition. Luckily, Wednesday is National Repeat Day!

That doesn’t mean we are going to play the same song over and over again for 30 minutes (although that would be funny!), but it does give us a chance to explore songs with repeating lyrics.

Sometimes, repetition could accentuate a point, and sometimes it could be used to fill time and end up as a defining feature of the song. (Looking at you, Bill Withers.) Either way, let’s explore songs with lyrics so nice they had to be sung twice… or more!

So for today’s 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs with repetitive lyrics would you like to hear?

Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

Have an idea for a Coffee Break topic? Submit your idea for a future theme and browse past Coffee Breaks in our archive.

Songs Played

Coffee Break: National Repeat Day!