# What was that song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 24, 2017, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170 "2017-09-24T12:46:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/21 "2017-09-25T16:10:40Z")
Meatloaf’s “Bat Out of Hell” has a long guitar/piano intro. Late 1970s, male singer ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/22 "2017-09-25T16:34:50Z")
Rush, [Subdivisions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYYdQB0mkEU)? ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/23 "2017-09-25T17:22:13Z")
A couple of years early, but “[Year Of The Cat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqZc7ZQURMs)” by Al Stewart has an intro of over a minute that fits. ---
**Author:** ![LegendHasit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/legendhasit/32/8246_2.png) [@LegendHasit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LegendHasit)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/24 "2017-09-25T21:47:12Z")
All wonderful efforts, but no. May be a longshot, but I thought VH’s Right Now intro was a dead ringer for it. Thanks for playing. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/25 "2017-09-26T01:46:24Z")
The main theme to the classic Italian horror film,“Deep Red” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP7IpPEUy5o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP7IpPEUy5o) ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/26 "2017-09-26T03:08:03Z")
Could it just have been a different Van Halen song that sounds similar and you thought it was a different band or something, don’t they have a couple of songs with similar beginnings? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/27 "2017-09-26T04:02:37Z")
> [@pool](#): > > Could it just have been a different Van Halen song that sounds similar and you thought it was a different band or something, don’t they have a couple of songs with similar beginnings? Honestly, I can’t think of another VH song that has that sort of beginning, especially given the timeframe (which was well before VH started incorporating piano into their sound.) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/28 "2017-09-26T04:57:17Z")
“Sirius” was the Chicago Bulls theme for many years, and may still be, and has been featured as background music in many places. Otherwise, I can’t solve the issue. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/29 "2017-09-26T04:58:21Z")
> [@LegendHasit](#): > > I know I didn’t dream this. > > A rock song came out when I was in elementary school and was used as part of a school play. The intro was very long and instrumental with piano and occasional guitar twang, like a slower version of Van Halen’s intro to “Right Now”. Male singer, somewhere around '79-81. > > When I hear VH’s “Right Now” start, I think it’s going to be that song from elementary school. > > Anyone know what song/artist I’m trying to remember? > > edited to add: The instrumental part was so long that it might have been a stand alone piece before the main song. I just thought of something. Does the school still exist? If so, they may have a copy of the playbill in their archives. Could you contact them and ask? ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/30 "2017-09-26T05:24:26Z")
See if you can find a Top 40 list for the era. ---
**Author:** ![LegendHasit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/legendhasit/32/8246_2.png) [@LegendHasit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LegendHasit)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/31 "2017-09-26T11:18:12Z")
Thanks for all the responses. I’m thinking it wasn’t a top-40 song because I’ve scoured the charts and YT. Lots of great suggestions here, but just not the one. Song was on an LP and before MTV. Pretty sure in the classic rock genre. The school play was not anything formal, so no playbills or other records. Gotta run for a few days. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/32 "2017-09-26T11:58:54Z")
> [@LegendHasit](#): > > IIRC, the long instrumental part is very similar to the first 30 seconds of VH’s [Right Now](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=rMV-fenGP1g), but goes on much longer. [Wildfire?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc3OnSQc48s) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/33 "2017-09-26T14:16:14Z")
I’ve been racking my brain for the past few days, and the only candidates I could think of that sort of match are “Sirius” and “Faithfully” mentioned before (but all are off of the description. The first doesn’t have piano. The second it’s only a short intro.) How certain are you of the instrument and length? The only other song with a long keyboard intro that comes to mind is Boston’s “Foreplay/Longtime,” but that’s organ and it’s uptempo. I’ll [throw a link out there just in case](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTFD5DZwK7g), but it can’t be the song given your description. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/34 "2017-09-26T14:18:01Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > [Wildfire?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc3OnSQc48s) Ooo…that’s a good one. Never heard this before, but it does fit the description, more or less. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/35 "2017-09-26T14:31:26Z")
Eddie Van Halen did the score for a 1984 movie _The Wild Life_, and one of the songs was an early instrumental version of _Right Now_. The only version I can find is [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYJSxyHbhMY), and it unfortunately has annoying dialogue over it. Given the time, lack of a vocalist, and obscurity, this isn’t your song. But still interesting trivia. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/36 "2017-09-26T20:39:30Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > A couple of years early, but “[Year Of The Cat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqZc7ZQURMs)” by Al Stewart has an intro of over a minute that fits. I does fit even though it came out in 1976, and that highlights a problem with the premise of this thread. Why 1979-1981? How does an elementary school kid know if a song is new? Pretty much every song is new to them. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170/37 "2017-09-27T01:09:36Z")
[Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p_xAToFzck)? The description could apply to a few parts, but my guess would be the bit starting at [3:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p_xAToFzck#t=3m16s). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-song/797170.md?page=1)