# Looking for a song title **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 9, 2006, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719 "2006-11-09T16:31:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Latent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Latent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latent)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/1 "2006-11-09T16:31:53Z")
Hi, I’m looking for a song title/ composer, and I know this is totally weak but I have very few clues to go by. None of the clues involve words in the song title, or any portion of the composer’s name. So that’s where the trouble starts, but it’s really driving me nuts that I can’t think of it, so here goes: 1. The song is ridiculously common, everyone in the world would get it stuck in their head if you started humming it. 2. It is associated strongly with Christmas, and every year it is used as the theme of a Christmas movie preview. 3. It begins slowly and repeats over and over, getting faster and louder with each repetition. 4. It is a classical piece. Please help me. I have it stuck in my head and I don’t know what it is… ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/2 "2006-11-09T16:35:31Z")
[QUOTE=Latent] Hi, I’m looking for a song title/ composer, and I know this is totally weak but I have very few clues to go by. None of the clues involve words in the song title, or any portion of the composer’s name. So that’s where the trouble starts, but it’s really driving me nuts that I can’t think of it, so here goes: 1. The song is ridiculously common, everyone in the world would get it stuck in their head if you started humming it. 2. It is associated strongly with Christmas, and every year it is used as the theme of a Christmas movie preview. 3. It begins slowly and repeats over and over, getting faster and louder with each repetition. 4. It is a classical piece. Please help me. I have it stuck in my head and I don’t know what it is… [/QUOTE] Is it the one that sounds vaguely like bells? Something like “ding dinga ding” except it’s an actual lyric? If so, I know the one you mean, but I suck because I don’t know the name of it 😛 VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![Latent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Latent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latent)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/3 "2006-11-09T16:37:55Z")
It’s not the carol of the bells, though that does fit the bill as far as the clues goes (If only I could hum over the net… ) 😉 But the carol of the bells is one of my all time favorites too… ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/4 "2006-11-09T16:39:50Z")
Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major? ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/5 "2006-11-09T16:41:26Z")
Listen to it here. > **[Amazon.com: Pachelbel's Greatest Hit: Canon In D: CDs & Vinyl](https://www.amazon.com/Pachelbels-Greatest-Hit-Canon-D/dp/B000003F39)** > > Amazon.com: Pachelbel's Greatest Hit: Canon In D: CDs & Vinyl ---
**Author:** ![Latent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Latent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latent)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/6 "2006-11-09T16:47:34Z")
Good guess, but that’s not it either 😉 It’s a fast paced piece, usually used for Christmas comedies, like the Grinch or whatnot where it demonstrates rapid building to some chaotic point. I had forgotten about the canon in d though, thanks!! ---
**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:** [November 9, 2006, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/7 "2006-11-09T17:14:00Z")
Prokofiev’s Lt. Kije Suite? It’s used in a million movies including _A Christmas Story_. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/8 "2006-11-09T17:19:17Z")
More specifically, the Troika section of Lieutenant Kije would seem to fit. ---
**Author:** ![Latent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Latent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latent)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/9 "2006-11-09T17:20:39Z")
Nope… this one is a little more common, it’s up there with the dance of the sugar plum fairies. It drives me nuts because I know I should know it or be able to find it somewhere, but I can’t nail it down… ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/10 "2006-11-09T17:41:07Z")
Bet a bunch it’s “Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24” by the Trans-Siberean Orchestra Track 8 [here](http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Other-Stories-Trans-Siberian-Orchestra/dp/B000002JX6/sr=1-3/qid=1163093911/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/102-5260455-1196922?ie=UTF8&s=music) ---
**Author:** ![Latent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Latent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latent)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/11 "2006-11-09T17:47:49Z")
Good guess, Gary, but that’s not it either… I’m going to try and hum here, so bear with me 😉 da da da da dun dun dun, dun dun dun, dun dun dun, da da da da dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun da da (Repeat.) ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/12 "2006-11-09T17:49:48Z")
Dammit that’s just Carol of the Bells… ☹ Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/13 "2006-11-09T17:52:48Z")
[QUOTE=Latent] da da da da dun dun dun, dun dun dun, dun dun dun, da da da da dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun da da (Repeat.) [/QUOTE] Not very Christmassy to my mind, but it sounds like you’re thinking of “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Grieg (from _Peer Gynt_). ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/14 "2006-11-09T17:53:26Z")
[QUOTE=Latent] Good guess, Gary, but that’s not it either… I’m going to try and hum here, so bear with me 😉 da da da da dun dun dun, dun dun dun, dun dun dun, da da da da dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun da da (Repeat.) [/QUOTE] Now, that’s just “Mary Had a Little Lamb”! ---
**Author:** ![Latent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Latent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latent)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/15 "2006-11-09T17:58:27Z")
[QUOTE=Biffy the Elephant Shrew] Not very Christmassy to my mind, but it sounds like you’re thinking of “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Grieg (from _Peer Gynt_). [/QUOTE] You got it!! That’s it, thanks a lot! Probably not Chrismassy in and of itself, but it is a very common theme for Christmas previews… Which I know is a bad way to find classical music.. but thanks! Now I can listen to the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![Latent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Latent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latent)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/16 "2006-11-09T18:02:16Z")
And just in case anyone was like, “Whaaa?” you can listen to it here: > **[Amazon.com: Grieg: Greatest Hits: CDs & Vinyl](https://www.amazon.com/Grieg-Greatest-Hits-Various/dp/B000002A21)** > > Amazon.com: Grieg: Greatest Hits: CDs & Vinyl ---
**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:** [November 9, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/17 "2006-11-09T18:31:49Z")
As an old married man I should have realized the associations in one person’s head can never be replicated in anybody else’s head. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-song-title/379719/18 "2006-11-09T20:40:36Z")
Now I’m cracking myself up by singing the words of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” to the “Mountain King” tune.