# ID a late '60s psychedelic song with heavily distorted lyrics and twangy guitar? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 9, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445 "2009-07-09T13:33:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/1 "2009-07-09T13:33:58Z")
The song in question has extremely distorted lyrics. I can only make out the word “tear” or “tears” in the chorus (“tear” as in “teardrop”, not “tear in half”). Also, the song is punctuated throughout with brief finger-picked electric guitar interludes. Almost certainly played on one string. 99.99% sure that this song came out between 1966 and 1973. It’s straight out of the psychedelic music scene. Oldies stations around here play it fairly often, so I assume it was a good-sized hit. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/2 "2009-07-09T13:43:14Z")
\*\*The Sonics \*\*- [Have Love Will Travel](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20S_kwNb4rg)? (link to YouTube) I know it’s not right because you can make out the lyrics, but they are totally distorted, it has a cool single-string-type riff, is _very_ 60’s and the song totally rocks. I love this tune. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/3 "2009-07-09T14:12:25Z")
“[96 Tears](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FspXc96kHXI)” by ? and the Mysterians? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/4 "2009-07-09T14:14:27Z")
A long shot… [_Lies_ by the **Knickerbockers**](http://www.amazon.com/Lies-Knickerbockers/dp/B00008EV03) (scroll down and listen to the first song sample) The 2nd verse says “Tears” in place of “Lies” ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/5 "2009-07-09T14:20:30Z")
:smack: I don’t know what I was thinking…doesn’t fit your description at all. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/6 "2009-07-09T14:24:17Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > \*\*The Sonics \*\*- [Have Love Will Travel](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20S_kwNb4rg)? (link to YouTube) > > I know it’s not right … Yeah, different tune. The one I have in mind rocks WAY less. It’s kind of dreamy and ethereal. Also, the guitar part is very much buried in the mix except for the one-string plucking interludes. Great link, though … thanks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/7 "2009-07-09T14:27:21Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > A long shot… [_Lies_ by the **Knickerbockers**](http://www.amazon.com/Lies-Knickerbockers/dp/B00008EV03) [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n03a7cLf0M) it is on youtube in all it’s majesty. I think it is all chorus no verse. Great song though. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/8 "2009-07-09T14:32:32Z")
Not “96 Tears”. … I should be more direct – to me, the lyrics in the song I’m thinking about are more than just distorted. They are all but inaudible. I can tell that there _are_ lyrics, but about the best I can do is make out the one word “tear”. Additional descriptive info – the rest of the music stops abruptly when the plucking guitar interludes kicks in, and then restarts abruptly when the guitar interludes are finished. The guitar interludes are very brief … they do not carry the song or anything, but are very notable. ---
**Author:** ![misling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@misling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misling)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/9 "2009-07-09T14:36:13Z")
Wild guess, but how about Hurdy-Gurdy Man. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/10 "2009-07-09T14:45:30Z")
> [@misling](#): > > Wild guess, but how about Hurdy-Gurdy Man. Not that one. Plenty of distortion there, but the one I have in mind has much more distorted lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/11 "2009-07-09T14:47:33Z")
Just a wild guess, but are you sure it’s “tear” and not “dear” as in [Dear Prudence](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ppmdvXsMBE) by the Beatles? That’s got a kind of dreamy, trancey vibe with a twangy one-note guitar pluck. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/12 "2009-07-09T14:56:07Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > Just a wild guess, but are you sure it’s “tear” and not “dear” as in [Dear Prudence](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ppmdvXsMBE) by the Beatles? That’s got a kind of dreamy, trancey vibe with a twangy one-note guitar pluck. Definitely not “Dear Prudence”. DP’s lyrics are way too distinct, and the guitar part is audible throughout the track. Also, the song I’m thinking of is \*a lot \*dreamier/trancier. As far as I can make out, the main tune (as opposed to the plucking guitar interludes) of the song I’m thinking about doesn’t even have a guitar part. There’s probably guitar mixed in there somewhere, but if so, it’s very much buried in the mix. ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/13 "2009-07-09T14:57:41Z")
Maybe it was Status Quo’s [“Pictures of Matchstick Men”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1cJFIGHkJA), released in 1968? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/14 "2009-07-09T15:04:11Z")
> [@ColonelDax](#): > > Maybe it was Status Quo’s [“Pictures of Matchstick Men”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1cJFIGHkJA), released in 1968? This is it! Although in this live version, I can make out the lyrics fairly well. On the radio, I can’t understand any of them 🙂 And I can hear the rhythm guitar part much better, too. (Maybe my car speakers suck? ☹ Seriously, I can’t distinguish the rhythm guitar parts on the radio at all) To those upthread – did I describe this song poorly? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/15 "2009-07-09T15:05:37Z")
OK, so some general questions might narrow it down a bit: Singer’s voice - male or female? Does it have more like a California (Grateful Dead) or London (Beatles) psychedelic vibe? How long is it? Typical AM radio length (about 3 minutes) or extended jam length (full side of an Lp)? Is it something that casual listeners might recognize, or do you think it’s fairly obscure? ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/16 "2009-07-09T15:08:22Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > This is it! Cool, happy to help. I think you described the song well enough. It was the part about finger-picked interludes played on one string that made me think of the Quo. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/17 "2009-07-09T15:09:24Z")
Check out “[Ice In The Sun](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghn9BImr3QU)” by the Quo on YouTube…awesome rocking psychpop (co-written by Marty Wilde, ex-teen idol and father of Kim Wylde). ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/18 "2009-07-09T15:10:29Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > Is it something that casual listeners might recognize, or do you think it’s fairly obscure? “Pictures of Matchstick Men” was a #12 hit on the U.S. Billboard singles chart (and #7 in Britain). The station I hear it on pretty much sticks with Top-40 singles from the 60s & 70s. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/19 "2009-07-09T15:11:42Z")
> [@ColonelDax](#): > > Cool, happy to help. > > I think you described the song well enough. It was the part about finger-picked interludes played on one string that made me think of the Quo. Yeah, the live version on YouTube sounds worlds more distinct than whatver I’m hearing over the car radio. But I can tell it’s the same song. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/20 "2009-07-09T15:18:56Z")
I note also that the word “tear” does not appear in the lyrics of “Pictures Of Matchstickmen” :shrug: I think I was picking up the second syllable of “pictures”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445.md?page=2)