# need help w/ song id **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 14, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-w-song-id/683702 "2014-03-14T17:09:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-w-song-id/683702/1 "2014-03-14T17:09:59Z")
An alternative rock song, perhaps from late 90’s, is short at about 2:40, have used google but cannot find this song to identify it. Sung with complex harmony throughout, verse guitar has kind of a wahwah sound, and sounds like a sitar is being used during instrumental break. The lyrics are, as nearly as I can tell… “what you up to now little girl, it’s been so long since I have seen you last” “…and all these dreams as real as they may seem never seem to work out, the way that you planned…” chorus: “and what have you got to lose but a beautiful girl or a little cool” (word “cool” is sustained, and then inspirationally transformed into a scat/humming along with melody/beat, “woo ooh-ooh-ooh, oo-oo-oooh”) Is a really great song, recorded it from satellite Alternative Rock broadcast over a decade ago (back when directv operated their own music service, before they handed it over to Sirius/XM, and now Sonic [del]Crap[/del] Tap), is one of the favorite songs in my collection that has remained unidentified/unnamed, would appreciate knowing who does this song, am now turning to the vast warehouse-knowledge of the posters of the SD to help in this quest. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-w-song-id/683702/2 "2014-03-14T17:25:59Z")
Might try feeding the lyrics you’re most absolutely sure of into youtube. That works for me sometimes. I tried what you gave but noting looked familiar or similar. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-w-song-id/683702/3 "2014-03-14T17:28:30Z")
Try a smartphone app like SoundHound or Shazam. I’ve found SoundHound pretty useful for identifying obscure music. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-w-song-id/683702/4 "2014-03-14T18:21:32Z")
I take it the vocalist is male? ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-w-song-id/683702/5 "2014-03-14T18:49:07Z")
Snowboarder Bo, yeah male vocals, perhaps the same person overdubbed for the three part, perhaps at times four part harmonies. Per the application device advice: don’t have an android, need some kind of app I might be able to download on PC. Thanks for the interest though, much appreciate trying to help out. More lyrics from verse, “where are you going now, little girl, you’ve strayed so far from home there’s no turning back”… ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-w-song-id/683702/6 "2014-03-14T20:56:35Z")
Shazam is available for PC as a free download. [https://www.shazam.com/music/web/windows-8.html](https://www.shazam.com/music/web/windows-8.html) Please let us know what the song is, eh. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-w-song-id/683702/7 "2014-03-14T23:55:57Z")
I don’t have Windows 8, am using 7 but have downloaded BlueStacks, should allow me to use the Shazam application. Will give it a try and report back. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-w-song-id/683702/8 "2014-03-18T04:27:22Z")
Update: I must thank you very much, Snowboarder Bo. The Shazam works pretty well and much better than expected. I went down one of my alternate rock recordings, one I recorded piece-by-piece from satellite broadcast - some unusual songs and definitely off-the-beaten-path… I listed these not as a stealth brag, but these were recorded during the same era, from same broadcast, am hoping they might lend a feel for the origin of this obscure alternative song. True, some of these songs listed below go back to the 80’s… but the recording was done circa '98, so mystery song could not be newer than that. First of all, Shazam had no problem with **Dead or Alive** _Brand New Lover_ , not that obscure - nor **Blind Melon** - _Tones of Home_, **The Call** - _Let the Day Begin_, **New Order** - _Fine Time_, **The Cult** - _She Sells Sanctuary_. But it also correctly identified **Nuclear Valdez** - _Dance Where the Bullets Fly_, **Cowboy Mouth** - _Easy_, **Dub Pistols** - _Keep Keep Movin’_, **Icicle Works** - _Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream) (frantic mix)_, **Fetchin’ Bones** - _Love Crushing_, **Was (NOT WAS)** - _Walk the Dinosaur_, **Haircut 100** - _Favorite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)_, **The Charlatans** - _Weirdo_, **Fatboy Slim** - _Praise You_, **Love Spit Love** - _Long Long Time_, **Pearl Jam** - _Breath_, **Peter Gabriel** - _The Nest That Sailed the Sky_, **Eve 6** - _Sunset Strip Bitch_, **Cirrus** - _Break the Madness_, **Gravity Kills** - _Alive_, **Superdrag** - _Lighting the Way_, **I Mother Earth** - _One More Astronaut_, **Republica** - _Drop Dead Gorgeous_, **Lords of Acid** - _Pussy_, **The Dandy Warhols** - _Every Day Should Be a Holiday_, **The Smiths** - _London_, **The Sugarcubes** (Bork’s startup band) - _Vitamin_, **Peplab** - _Ride the Pony_, **Bad Religion** - _It’s a Long Way to the Promise Land_. It was incorrect on some, though. The song _Relax_ was listed as by “Laughing Us”, instead of **Frankie Goes To Hollywood**. It listed song _Lemon Yellow_ by **Plasticene** incorrectly as _Life’s Free (vox)_ by someone named “Roger Gisborne”. Also it did not recognize **Forest for the Trees** - _Dream_, **Kahleel** - _No Mercy_, **Leah Andreone** - _Sunny Day_ Please! - alternative rock fans of the SD, help! Here are the lyrics to this mystery song. I tried to write out the “ooh’s” to the beat as best I could, tried to capture the rhythm to which it’s sung. The song is sung with rich harmony throughout, at least 3 part if not 4, probably one singer overdubbed, has an old fashioned sound, like from the era of The Monkees. I suspect though is more modern, probably from latter 90’s. lyrics from song I will call, at least until true title is found - “And If I Had Wings” > [@](#): > > Where are you going now, little girl, you’ve strayed so far from home there’s no turning back. > And all these dreams, as real as they may seem, never seem to work out, the way that you planned. > And what have you got to lose but a beautiful girl or a little coo-ooo-oool. ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-oooh oooh. ooh-ooh-ooh ooooh. > What you up to now, little girl, it’s been so long since I have seen you last. > Well, all these dreams, as real as they may seem, never seem to work out, the way that you planned. > And if I had wings, well I would surely learn to fly, eye, eyeeee… ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh… ooh-ooh-ooh ooh ooh. > ~instrumental break~ (Lots of drums, guitar, also sounds like a real sitar in there - rather than synthesizer, can hear the nuances of the strings) > And if I had wings, well I would surely learn to fly. And I try so hard to reach… but I just can’t touch the sky, eye, eyeee. ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh. ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh ooooh… (repeat) Song does not fade, definitive ending with a bass guitar on downward slide - is only 2:30 - very short but totally awesome song. Would not go through all the trouble to identify it if it wasn’t such a richly awesome song. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-w-song-id/683702/9 "2014-03-18T16:08:32Z")
I’m getting nothing, sorry. Maybe this was a band that managed to get a song on the radio, then disappeared? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-w-song-id/683702/10 "2014-03-18T18:24:35Z")
Fuuuuuuuck that song list is straight outta 1998! Sorry you haven’t had any luck so far, but don’t give up hope. It took me years to find out anything about **Trees Of Mystery** , but now I’m in contact with 2 of the guys from the band. Posting those lyrics was a good move; now other people looking for the same thing might for your thread.