# How do I find a song of which I know neither artist, title or lyrics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2011, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572 "2011-02-16T12:29:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aghris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecccb3/32.png) [@Aghris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aghris)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/1 "2011-02-16T12:29:35Z")
Yesterday I was watching a television show that featured a song that was very similar to a song that I’m looking for for quite some time. Sadly, it wasn’t the same song. But now the song is stuck in my head and all I know of it is the riff. No idea of the artist or title of the song, and I don’t know any lyrics. Is there a database somewhere that you can hum to so it knows which song you mean? (Only slightly serious there, but it would be very helpful). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/2 "2011-02-16T12:31:32Z")
You post something like this on a message board and hope for the best. 😉 What was the show? It would be especially helpful if you know the name of the episode. I think there may be databases that can do the kind of thing you’re looking for, but I don’t know which one to recommend. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/3 "2011-02-16T12:36:00Z")
Try one of those ‘[query by humming](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midomi)’ databases? Though it appears that midomi is down right now… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/4 "2011-02-16T12:36:11Z")
> [@Aghris](#): > > Is there a database somewhere that you can hum to so it knows which song you mean? (Only slightly serious there, but it would be very helpful). Actually, there [are](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Query_by_humming). [Here’s one](http://www.musipedia.org/). ---
**Author:** ![Aghris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecccb3/32.png) [@Aghris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aghris)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/5 "2011-02-16T12:37:42Z")
The show was Scrubs Season 8. Not sure which episode as I watched a bunch in a row, but somewhere between the 4th and 10th or so. The riff goes something like this: Guitar playing staccatto (sp?), with a second guitar’s rising electrical note, quickly followed by two notes, one a bit higher, the second a bit lower. I’m no music buff, so I have no idea which octaf or stuff like that. The mood of the song is very down, and the singer is male. Damn, it’s hard to explain sound in words… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/6 "2011-02-16T12:59:06Z")
Might be [Last Salutation by Randy Coleman](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7AmYGvUEKE). Or [My Road by Quinn Walker](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usSjLTMfJqI). If not, look through [these](http://scrubs.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_music_featured_in_Season_Eight). ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/7 "2011-02-16T12:59:36Z")
Do you have a smartphone? Shazam is usually pretty good at figuring these things out if you can play the song back for it. [Here’s](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285403/episodes#season-8) the episode listing for Season 8. Look through each episode for “Soundtrack listing.” This will probably be your best bet. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/8 "2011-02-16T14:02:42Z")
I [asked a similar question](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=575404) several months ago, posting notes (“ccdeca’G’CdecA’ccdEegAagageDcca’DDdcEcCageca’C”) and in one hour **randomstar** (\*) identified the song ! :eek: 🙂 That thread contained links to on-line Java programs which identify automatically, as well as a link to another thread with more such links. (\* Clicking search just now, this appears to be the only post **randomstar** has ever made, perhaps serendipitously joining SDMB just to answer my query !!?? 😃 . Thanks again, **randomstar**.) ---
**Author:** ![Aghris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecccb3/32.png) [@Aghris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aghris)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/9 "2011-05-07T09:07:40Z")
It’s been a few months and I never found the title of the song, until today when I put on the radio and there it was playing. For those curious of what I meant with my incredibly vague description, it was [Smashing Pumpkins - 1979](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrivjzw0RlI) Thanks to everyone for trying to help me out, even though unsuccessful. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/10 "2011-05-07T15:46:00Z")
I used to work in a record store, long before the digital revolution. People would come in and ask the question, “What’s that song, it goes la la la I love you baby la la la…” :rolleyes: They would then be dumbfounded that none of us had a clue. Geez, do you know how many songs have “I love you” in them? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/11 "2011-05-07T17:04:14Z")
> [@Aghris](#): > > The show was Scrubs Season 8. Not sure which episode as I watched a bunch in a row, but somewhere between the 4th and 10th or so. The riff goes something like this: > > Guitar playing staccatto (sp?), with a second guitar’s rising electrical note, quickly followed by two notes, one a bit higher, the second a bit lower. I’m no music buff, so I have no idea which octaf or stuff like that. > > The mood of the song is very down, and the singer is male. > > Damn, it’s hard to explain sound in words… Hay’s remake of Overkill? Here it is on [YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrGmcuj44DQ) ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/12 "2011-05-08T02:25:03Z")
I’m reminded of one of Married with Children’s greatest episodes: [Hmmm hmmm him…](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPeV8zNIkyI) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/13 "2011-05-08T04:50:03Z")
> [@mkecane](#): > > I’m reminded of one of Married with Children’s greatest episodes: > > [Hmmm hmmm him…](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPeV8zNIkyI) Identified it in seconds! (What Beatles fan wouldn’t?) ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/14 "2011-05-11T09:43:03Z")
I just ran into a song like this tonight… heard it on the radio, went to the website to see the “recently played” list, found out it is broken. Dismay! But if anyone is up for a very vague description, the song sounds like “Boys of Summer” by Don Henley. But I think it’s a new song. The lyrics (IIRC) are nothing like “Boys of Summer” but the music reminds me of it a lot. Does that sound at all familiar to anyone? I’ve heard the song all of once so I can’t even hum it into one of those search engines… ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-a-song-of-which-i-know-neither-artist-title-or-lyrics/571572/15 "2011-05-16T08:02:10Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > I just ran into a song like this tonight… heard it on the radio, went to the website to see the “recently played” list, found out it is broken. Dismay! > > But if anyone is up for a very vague description, the song sounds like “Boys of Summer” by Don Henley. But I think it’s a new song. The lyrics (IIRC) are nothing like “Boys of Summer” but the music reminds me of it a lot. Does that sound at all familiar to anyone? I’ve heard the song all of once so I can’t even hum it into one of those search engines… **Pyro** by **Kings of Leon** if anyone was curious.