'Something something....the...something..'

May 24, 2008 9:27 AM

Yet another...help me find a this song after I supply you with really vague details about it question. But come on, it's fun!

Alright so I have been wracking my brain off and on for a few years now, trying to remember a song that I used to love. I have spent way too much time in the past two days entering random bands into itunes trying to find it, so I am turning to you. I will give you as much detail as I remember.

-Got a lot of play on Boston college radio in the spring/summer of 1998. Specifically it was either on WMBR or WERS as my radio rarely left those stations.

-Song description: Sort of pop-y/phsycadelic love song with a I believe a male vocalist. I remember a high pitched refrain of 'You and I together' and then maybe a reference to the moon and possibly a spoon. Then maybe a line like 'And we all.....something something' and maybe a mention of a field or fields.

-I remember a year later when trying to find the song I mistakenly purchased a Belle & Sebastian 'Boy with the Arab Strap' CD thinking that that was the group. It wasn't.

-Bands and names that pop into my head when trying to remember: Arab Strap, Spoon, Belle and Sebastian...I guess thats it.

If it helps here is one of the weekly playlists from WMBR from that time period: Playlist
And the rest of their playlists: Here

posted by WickedPissah to media & arts (24 comments total)

Oh yea, and thanks for your help. It is all going towards a good cause. A SWEET mix CD.
posted by WickedPissah at 9:28 AM on May 24

Is it the Bee Gees (Underneath the) Starlight of Love?
posted by PinkButterfly at 9:41 AM on May 24

R.E.M. - High Speed Train?
posted by dosterm at 9:48 AM on May 24

Thanks for answering, but nope neither of those songs.
posted by WickedPissah at 10:08 AM on May 24

"In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" by Neutral Milk Hotel?

"And one day we will die and our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea..."
No 'fields' or 'spoon' or 'moon', as far as I can tell, but laying in the sun, a high-pitched male vocalist, and it's on their playlist.

Worth a listen either way, good song. Good luck finding it, either way!
posted by trouserbat at 10:17 AM on May 24

The Wannadies "You and Me Song"?
posted by neblina_matinal at 10:17 AM on May 24

The House Jack Kerouac Built by The Go-Betweens?
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 10:20 AM on May 24

Heh...doesn't really fit many of your criteria, but now it's stuck in my head...this was written for the off Broadway performance of Hedwig And The Angry Inch in 1998...but the recording wasn't available until 1999 and the subsequent film not until 2001.
posted by squasha at 10:31 AM on May 24

neblina_matinal's answer was the one that sprung to my mind when I read your question.
posted by Gratishades at 10:44 AM on May 24

Thanks for all your help so far, but alas the search continues ( and its driving me crazy).

The Neutral Milk Hotel is on the right track in terms of time and type of music.
posted by WickedPissah at 10:51 AM on May 24

Could it be The Magnetic Fields?
posted by nonmerci at 11:36 AM on May 24

Well, the song that came to mind for me is "Bad Touch" by the Bloodhound Gang, but it was released in 2000.
posted by lemonade at 3:10 PM on May 24

Could it be the Apples in Stereo? They were/are really psychedelic and are on that list. They were in the same collective as Neutral Milk Hotel, which you've ruled out. You might also consider the Olivia Tremor Control.
I'm not sure if the timing is exactly right as far as EP/album releases and the time you're referring to, but college radio stations often get stuff before it's released and/or have it in heavy rotation for months, so it's possible.
posted by fructose at 3:36 PM on May 24

Oh and the dude from Apples in Stereo has a kinda high, nasal voice, so that's another matching characteristic.
posted by fructose at 3:37 PM on May 24

Suede, Stay Together? Possibly a little bit early, but definitely got that high-pitched 'you and me together'....
posted by Lebannen at 3:41 PM on May 24

long shot: possum kingdom by the toadies?
posted by ncc1701d at 5:30 PM on May 24

Well The Magnetic Fields released an album 1996-ish that had "You And Me And The Moon" on it. I'm not sure I've ever really known what a psychedelic song is supposed to sound like (Pink Floyd?), but this one is kind of fast-paced pop, almost Men Without Hats-like. Starts off with computery keyboards, goes a bit Fine Young Cannibals-y guitarry/drummy, and settles into a nice happy vibe.

The guy is singing high (for him anyway, often a bass or baritone) and a high, soft, girly voice is singing just behind him. The effect comes out sort of high. The chorus is "You and me and the moooooo-OOO-ooo-OOO-ooo-OOO-ooo-OOO-ooon". I only offer that in case you're having a false memory about the "you and me together" part.

You and Me and the Moon

Brian Wilson 1960 and vine
Summer kisses
In a pendleton shirt, songs and gentle words
Granted wishes

When you look in my eyes I go soft inside
And the sound of your voice sends
Shivers up my spine
And at the slightest touch we're in love
You and me and the mooooooooooooooooooon
You and me and the mooooooooooooooooooon

In a cool gay bar where the people are - entertaining
When the sun pops in we'll still be talking and champagning

Underneath the strobe light
We can dance all night
I'm a little bit shy, you're easy on the eye
And at the slightest touch we're in love
You and me and the mooooooooooooooooooon
You and me and the mooooooooooooooooooon

When you look in my eyes I go soft inside
And the sound of your voice sends
Shivers up my spine
And at the slightest touch we're in love
You and me and the mooooooooooooooooooon
You and me and the mooooooooooooooooooon
You and me and the mooooooooooooooooooon
You and me and the mooooooooooooooooooon
You and me and the mooooooooooooooooooon
You and me and the moooooooooooon

bloo blee bloo blee bloo bleee blooo blooo blee bloo bloo blooo [these are the closing keyboard noises, you see]

There's no "and we all..." part, but now you've got me trying to remember a song with "and we all something something in the end..." which was a slower song with a guy with a kind of exaggerated high wobbly tone.

Here's somebody covering it slower and acoustic just to give you the tune.
posted by Askr at 6:50 PM on May 24

I'm sure this is way off, as it's from 1994 and not indie, but "Live Forever" by Oasis has the line "You and I are gonna live forever" in a male falsetto.
posted by good in a vacuum at 7:04 PM on May 24

Wow you guys are pulling out all the stops for me. I love this site.

There is a part of me that fears that this is a false memory, but I heard the song so many times (and never wrote it down) and can still hear parts of it in my head. Nothing matches so far.

I had high hopes for that post of yours Askr but nope. I do remember the beginning had an odd bass line. The tempo shifted a bit in the song, began with that quicker bass line, then when it go to the 'and we all.....' part it slowed down.

I've scoured that list I posted and tried plugging in all the non-hardcore bands into itunes and nothing is sticking. Real bummah.
posted by WickedPissah at 7:18 PM on May 24

Is there a sort of clapping/stomping beat going on during the "and we all" part? That's what my ultra vague memory of whatever I'm remembering (not the above song) is.
posted by Askr at 7:39 PM on May 24

Hmm, I don't think so, I think it got slow/quieter and that was the 'and we all' part. Part of me wouldn't be surprised if it were a sonic youth song. Not too sure about the Pixies I dont know them that well but they are on that list its just that I can't find samples of the album listed. I also just came across the band Jack Drag. They almost sound like it could have been them too, and the name really stands out in my mind. Not sure why.
posted by WickedPissah at 7:48 PM on May 24

Askr might be thinking of "Instant Karma." Seems less likely that it's what WickedPissah is thinking of, but can't hurt to mention it.
posted by lore at 8:55 PM on May 24

I was a DJ at WERS during that time, and I simply cannot remember any song sounding like that (Oasis & Morphine were my two thoughts and we didn't play those with any regularity.)

Further complicating matters is that WERS (wonderfully) had no set playlists back then. It was up to the individual DJ's to choose what they wanted to play. Therefore, it's unlikely this song you're thinking of would have been in any sort of "high rotation" unless each DJ thought this tune was the bomb-diggity (not unheard of, but while the weekday shows were the same, they had a different DJ each day and given the personalities and tremendously varied tastes, probably not a safe bet.)

Further complicating matters still is that WERS did (and does) separate their programming according to genre. I realize trying to remember what time of day you heard a song ten years ago is a near impossible task, but it's worth a shot... maybe you listened to the radio at the same time each day or something. The shows (during the week) back then were:

6:00 AM -11:00 AM: Coffeehouse (Folk)
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM: JazzOasis (Jazz... like, duh.)
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Gyroscope (World Music)
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Rockers (Reggae Music)
8:00 PM - 11:00 PM: 88.9 at Night (Rap/Hip Hop)
11:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Bluesology (Blues)
2:00 AM - 6:00 AM: Off-Air (Sleepytime)

Any of those genres ring a bell?
posted by Rewind at 7:30 AM on May 25

Hey Rewind. Thanks for posting. Yeah it probably wasn't WERS after you posted the programming. I've already forgotten that they used to break it up like that and my memory of the song is in the afternoon or morning (commuting) but it wasn't a reggae tune and I don't think it quite fit in the Coffeehouse. So it must have been 88.1 or possibly 90.3.

Not sure where else to turn on this one.
posted by WickedPissah at 4:06 PM on May 25