# Help Trying to find a song... based on a scant few lyrics and subject

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-trying-to-find-a-song-based-on-a-scant-few-lyrics-and-subject/547484>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 21, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-trying-to-find-a-song-based-on-a-scant-few-lyrics-and-subject/547484 "2010-07-21T16:59:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-trying-to-find-a-song-based-on-a-scant-few-lyrics-and-subject/547484/1 "2010-07-21T16:59:29Z")

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The title tells it all. I have a snippet of a song pop into my head I can’t get rid of or place and its driving me crazy.

I tried to google on the few Lyrics I could remember but nothing…

The song is to a girl who if I recall in the end offs herself. There are two refrains where I believe the lyrics were

“you were (about?) as pretty as the picture you painted in your notebook”  
and  
"you were (about?) as pretty as the roses they put (carved/ painted?) on your headstone (tombstone?)

I believe the title was one word like a name “Allison”?? or something similar

Would have come out late 80’s early 90’s sung by a female.

maybe I’m mad… If anyone could help it would be muchly appreciated

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**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-trying-to-find-a-song-based-on-a-scant-few-lyrics-and-subject/547484/2 "2010-07-21T17:20:35Z")

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Elvis Costello had an album named _My Aim Is True_. THe title of the album comes from one of the songs, called _Alison_. Linda Ronstadt sang the same song on one of her albums (_Living in the USA_).

The lyrics you mention don’t appear in the song in either version AFAIK, but it has somewhat the same subject - it is implied that the singer is going to kill the woman named in the title.

The chorus is

_“Alison,  
I know this world is killing you.  
Alison,  
My aim is true”._

Not sure if that is the same or not.

Regards,  
Shodan