Name that tune!
September 25, 2019 6:38 AM   Subscribe

In a particularly difficult name that tune, can you help me find a song that doesn’t have much in the way of sensical lyrics? It’s upbeat, kind of has a 90s mambo revival feel. Lyrics are something like “Doobitdy dibbity dee, la la la la,” repeat x3-4...key change... “Oooooh, sha la la la la, ooh sha-na-na-na, dibbity da da da da da.” Google has led me to many sha la la songs but still can’t find the one I’m looking for.
posted by stillmoving to Media & Arts (23 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Mambo No. 5 comes immediately to mind, but seems like it might be too obvious a suggestion.
posted by OrangeDisk at 7:08 AM on September 25, 2019


Just to rule it out, Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)?
posted by kimota at 7:35 AM on September 25, 2019 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: It is not any of those songs.
posted by stillmoving at 8:06 AM on September 25, 2019


Just to make sure all mid-90s ooh sha-la-la songs are accounted for, is it Mr. Jones by Counting Crows?
posted by prize bull octorok at 8:46 AM on September 25, 2019 [2 favorites]


Do you have a sense of time period or style? Is it something from the 50s featuring a group of female singers? 70s disco? 90s alternapop tune with an acoustic guitar? Maybe some more details like that would help.
posted by acidnova at 9:59 AM on September 25, 2019


Response by poster: Definitely not Counting Crows. I’d say maybe 90s or naughties? Man’s voice singing alone, no real words besides shabalibadoo type scatting.
posted by stillmoving at 10:20 AM on September 25, 2019


US3 - Cantaloop?
posted by Jacob G at 10:33 AM on September 25, 2019


Lucas - Lucas with the lid off?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fRcFSbAcmE
posted by jabes at 10:56 AM on September 25, 2019 [1 favorite]


Prisencolinensinainciusol by Adriano Celentano?
posted by rollick at 11:02 AM on September 25, 2019


A shot in the dark
posted by AJaffe at 11:36 AM on September 25, 2019 [2 favorites]


Just in case, the Counting Crows did a cover of Big Yellow Taxi, the version featuring Vanessa Carlton has a lot of sha-la-la. The whyyouwannagiveitwhyyouwannagiveitwhyyougivingitallaway bit at the end could kinda resemble your doobitdy dibbity dee.

Also have you worked your way through Jason Mraz's discography yet? His songs technically have words, but often sound like they don't.
posted by yeahlikethat at 11:52 AM on September 25, 2019 [2 favorites]


Vertigogo by Combustible Edison?
posted by goatdog at 11:59 AM on September 25, 2019


is it Gypsy Woman?

or maybe Numa Numa?

posted by KillaSeal at 12:33 PM on September 25, 2019


Response by poster: It’s not any of those. But I looooove the Adriano Celentano number!
posted by stillmoving at 1:19 PM on September 25, 2019 [2 favorites]


Try digging around in the Mr Bungle catalog, especially the albums California or Disco Volante, and see if the style, Patton’s voice, or production sounds familiar.
posted by zinful at 2:45 PM on September 25, 2019


Rusted Root - Send Me On My Way. It does have words, but they sound like nonsense the way they're sung.
posted by rollick at 3:06 PM on September 25, 2019


Scatman?
On preview- ooops missed it above!
posted by nouvelle-personne at 3:44 PM on September 25, 2019


It's probably not What Do You Want From Me by Monaco either but hey, sha-la-la
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:48 PM on September 25, 2019


In hopes that it helps your searching, what you describe sounds like an example of what falls under the technical term scat singing.
posted by glonous keming at 4:31 PM on September 25, 2019


Do you remember the context in which you heard it? Radio? Spotify? Ubiquitous radio play x years ago?
posted by moons in june at 5:17 PM on September 25, 2019


Barenaked Ladies’ I Love You?
posted by nouvelle-personne at 7:13 PM on September 25, 2019


Response by poster: I heard it walking by a dance studio recently, but it doesn’t sound contemporary—definitely 90s or naughties-ish. I have tried humming it into Shazam and nothing is recognized. Not the Barenaked Ladies, either.
posted by stillmoving at 12:51 AM on September 26, 2019


If you happen to remember the day of the week and time you walked by the studio, you can figure out which class was playing the song. Likely the dance teacher will know.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 5:53 AM on September 26, 2019


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