# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**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, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/21 "2009-07-09T15:24:11Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > To those upthread – did I describe this song poorly? Nope - you did fine. I wouldn’t use the word “twangy” to describe the guitar - that is what pointed me to the Sonics, since their riff is bigger and, well, twangier. The riff in that song sounds more sitar-like - which makes sense, given the era and the other bands from back then that had a sitar-guitar song in the set list (Norwegian Wood, Paint it Black, Heart Full of Soul, etc…) Glad you found out the name - I’m going back to listen to The Sonics!! ---
**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, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/22 "2009-07-09T15:49:46Z")
The Sonics were as low-down, dirty, ass-kicking motherf&\*kers as you could find in 1965. ---
**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, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/23 "2009-07-09T16:01:51Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > The Sonics were as low-down, dirty, ass-kicking motherf&\*kers as you could find in 1965. damn straight. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/24 "2009-07-09T16:02:46Z")
WordMan, I’m just awed that you could identify it from this description. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/25 "2009-07-09T16:06:19Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > 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? ☹ I never thought of the vocals on that song as being as distorted as you describe… they’re not the clearest, but I never found them all that indecipherable. So, maybe it is your speakers… As far as your description, I guess one thing that would have helped to narrow it down would have been to say that the song features a very prominent wah-wah guitar. ---
**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, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/26 "2009-07-09T16:26:37Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > WordMan, I’m just awed that you could identify it from this description. > > 🆒 Well, thanks, but I think \*\*ColonelDax \*\*wins this thread for nailing the 'Quo…but we got to hear some good tracks as a result of the OP! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/27 "2009-07-09T17:22:42Z")
I remember ‘Matchstick Men’ well as it’s on the original Nuggets compilation. Many of drugs were taken to the trippy sounds… But I did not know that they continued on at least through the 90’s and have been one of the UK’s most enduring bands, while receiving no love from the US. AllMusic states that at some point in the 90s they had charted 50 Top Ten singles in the UK, more than _any other_ band. Now that bit of trivia will win you some free drinks at the bar won’t it. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/28 "2009-07-09T17:33:42Z")
I’d like to mention that Camper Van Beethoven did an [amazing cover](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShWNLlz4Ic4) of this song on their Key Lime Pie album. Really takes the song to a whole 'nother level. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/29 "2009-07-09T17:48:22Z")
> [@ColonelDax](#): > > Maybe it was Status Quo’s [“Pictures of Matchstick Men”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1cJFIGHkJA), released in 1968? Love the wah-wah in this tune! This song was the shit when I was in Jr. High. ---
**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, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/30 "2009-07-09T17:48:28Z")
That _was_ a nice cover version. I remember having that key lime-colored cassette! ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445/31 "2009-07-09T18:02:00Z")
[del]WordMan[/del]ColonelDax, I’m just awed that you could identify it from this description. :cool [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-late-60s-psychedelic-song-with-heavily-distorted-lyrics-and-twangy-guitar/502445.md?page=1)