# Help me identify a song from a movie. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 14, 2001, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-song-from-a-movie/93363 "2001-11-14T19:09:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-song-from-a-movie/93363/1 "2001-11-14T19:09:27Z")
Everytime the original version comes on the radio, I think back to hearing a slow, sad version in a movie. I can’t identify the movie, but I can certainly feel the mood. The song was “If I can’t have You.” It is a depressing song that is sung to a hip, upbeat rhythym. In the movie, it was sung slowly and quite mellow in the background while a female is giving some sad information. It was SO FREAKING DEPRESSING the way it was down. I can’t think of the movie. It is background music for either a painful breakup or someone telling another that they have a dreadful disease. Something in that vein. Can anyone help with this obscure reference? The gauntlet is thrown! ---
**Author:** ![Skelji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Skelji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skelji)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-song-from-a-movie/93363/2 "2001-11-14T19:25:05Z")
Are you thinking of “Saturday Night Fever”? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-song-from-a-movie/93363/3 "2001-11-14T19:51:50Z")
I never saw _SNF_, or it’s sequel, _Stayin’ Alive_, but my Yahoo search says the song is in both movies. If I were to hazard a guess, though, it would be for _Stayin’ Alive_, simply because I think the upbeat version I hear on oldies radio is the one from the _SNF_ soundtrack. Don’t get me started on the notion that records made during the disco era can possibly be “oldies”. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-song-from-a-movie/93363/4 "2001-11-14T19:53:58Z")
Yahoo also reports the song appearing in _Big Daddy_, an Adam Sandler vehicle, IIRC, which I also didn’t see. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-song-from-a-movie/93363/5 "2001-11-14T19:59:51Z")
Hmmm…No on the Travolta flicks. Big Daddy? I have seen that movie and that is probably it. It is probably played when the kid is getting taken away. I’ll check. ---
**Author:** ![Lionors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c37758/32.png) [@Lionors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionors)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-song-from-a-movie/93363/6 "2001-11-16T04:59:36Z")
Although I’ve never seen SNF, my husband was apparently subjected to it a total of five times by various dates who wanted to go see it in the theater, and claims it was in SNF. He refuses to see Stayin’ Alive. I can’t imagine why…\ ---
**Author:** ![Trillian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trillian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillian)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-song-from-a-movie/93363/7 "2001-11-16T05:53:47Z")
“The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai”? - it gets sung near the beginning of the film. ---
**Author:** ![Niobium\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Niobium\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niobium_Knight)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-song-from-a-movie/93363/8 "2001-11-16T05:57:44Z")
go to [http://www.cdnow.com](http://www.cdnow.com) and search for the song. i think it’s called “if i cant have you” actually… ---
**Author:** ![Niobium\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Niobium\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niobium_Knight)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-song-from-a-movie/93363/9 "2001-11-16T06:00:53Z")
here ya go: Bee Gees Greatest If I Can’t Have You Tales Of The Brothers Gibb If I Can’t Have You Big Daddy (Soundtrack) Soundtrack If I Can’t Have You Jerry Braxton Jerry Braxton If I Can’t Have You Brown Dots For Sentimental Reasons If I Can’t Have You Charlotte Charlotte If I Can’t Have You Edson Cordeiro Disco Clubbing V.2 If I Can’t Have You Vol. 2-Disco Clubbing If I Can’t Have You Cover Ups / Various Cover Ups / Various If I Can’t Have You Dance Beat Collective Beegeetastic If I Can’t Have You Yvonne Elliman Best Of Yvonne Elliman If I Can’t Have You Enuff Z’nuff Tweaked If I Can’t Have You Grease/Saturday Night Fever Ka Grease/Saturday Night Fever Ka If I Can’t Have You Greatest Hits Of 1978 / Various Greatest Hits Of 1978 / Various If I Can’t Have You Hot & Rare / Various Hot & Rare / Various If I Can’t Have You Jesse Hultberg Jesse Hultberg If I Can’t Have You Etta James Best Of If I Can’t Have You Chess Box (3-CD set) If I Can’t Have You Essential If I Can’t Have You Her Best If I Can’t Have You Love Songs If I Can’t Have You Love Songs If I Can’t Have You Karaoke Grease & Saturday Night Fever If I Can’t Have You Marie Carmen Koppell Yearning If I Can’t Have You Labelle Moon Shadow If I Can’t Have You Something Silver If I Can’t Have You Scooter Lee By Request If I Can’t Have You Memories Of Times Square Recor Vol. 8 If I Can’t Have You Real Roxanne Go Down But Don’t Bite It If I Can’t Have You Jorge Rico Bee Gees On Panpipes If I Can’t Have You Sand Rubies Sidewinder Sessions If I Can’t Have You Saturday Night Fever (Soundtrack) Saturday Night Fever / London Cast Recording If I Can’t Have You Soundtrack If I Can’t Have You Themes From The Musical If I Can’t Have You Slim Man End Of The Rainbow If I Can’t Have You Carla Stephens My Loves 4 U If I Can’t Have You Rhonda Stisi Under The Covers If I Can’t Have You Sweetbox Sweet Box (+ Bonus Track) If I Can’t Have You Various Artists-50 Mega Slammin’ Party Jams 50 Mega Slammin’ Party Jams If I Can’t Have You Various Artists-Billboard Top Hits 1975-79-Billboard Top Hits If I Can’t Have You 1978-Billboard Top Hits If I Can’t Have You Various Artists-Dancing Queens Dancing Queens If I Can’t Have You Various Artists-Disco Nights Vol. 1-Divas Of Dance If I Can’t Have You Vol. 10-Disco’s Greatest Movie If I Can’t Have You Various Artists-Global Pride Collection Global Pride Collection If I Can’t Have You Various Artists-Great R & B Duets Great R & B Duets If I Can’t Have You Various Artists-Heading Back To Houston Heading Back To Houston 1950-5 If I Can’t Have You Various Artists-Memories Of Time Square Memories Of Time Square If I Can’t Have You Various Artists-No. 1 Hits Of The 70’S No. 1 Hits Of The 70’S If I Can’t Have You Various Artists-Pop Collector’s Edition Disco If I Can’t Have You Various Artists-Pure Series Vol. 1-Pure Disco If I Can’t Have You Various Artists-South Beach Vol. 2-South Beach If I Can’t Have You Various Artists-Ultimate Frenzy Cover Mix Frenzy If I Can’t Have You Various Artists-Whole Lotta…Rock 1978-79 If I Can’t Have You Various Artists (A) Afrodisiac If I Can’t Have You Various Artists (Al) Almighty Classics V.2 If I Can’t Have You Various Artists (Be) Beegeetastic If I Can’t Have You Best Disco Album In World Ever V.2 If I Can’t Have You Various Artists © Celebration Party If I Can’t Have You Various Artists (Ch) Chess Story 1945-1975 (Limited Edition) (Remastered) If I Can’t Have You Various Artists (Di) Disco Fever If I Can’t Have You Disco Inferno If I Can’t Have You Various Artists (Ma) Magic If I Can’t Have You Various Artists (Q) Queer As Folk V.2 If I Can’t Have You Various Artists (Si) Simply The Best: Disco If I Can’t Have You Various Artists (St) Strange Games & Funky Things V.1 If I Can’t Have You Dinah Washington Vol. 5-Complete On Mercury If I Can’t Have You Whole Lotta Rock 1970-78 / Various Whole Lotta Rock 1970-78 / Various If I Can’t Have You Kim Wilde Single Collection 1981-1993 If I Can’t Have You Singles Collection 1981-93 If I Can’t Have You Jackie Wilson He’s So Fine/Lonely Teardrops If I Can’t Have You Reet Petite If I Can’t Have You Various Artists (An) And They Danced The Night If I Can’t Have You - Flamingos Best Of Flamingos If I Can’t Have You Etta James At Last If I Can’t Have You [Duet with Harvery Fuqua] ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-song-from-a-movie/93363/10 "2001-11-16T10:13:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Trillian \* > \*\*“The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai”? - it gets sung near the beginning of the film. \*\* I believe that’s “Since I Don’t Have You”, as recorded by Art Garfunkel, Barbra Streisand, New Edition, and (firstly) a doowop group I can’t remember at the moment: > [@](#): > > I don’t have plans and schemes > And I don’t have hopes and dreams > I don’t have anything > Since I don’t have you > > I don’t have fond desires > And I don’t have happy hours > I don’t have anything > Since I don’t have you