Help me figure out what this song is with absolutely no information.
January 13, 2016 6:45 AM Subscribe
Mid to late 1980s punk-ish song with the line "I am not sorry" repeated in the chorus. I always thought it was Hüsker Dü but now I'm not so sure.
I remember hearing this song on the radio in the mid to late 1980s. Probably on a college station in Mass. Very possibly WDJM, out of Framingham State College.
A few months later, my friend's band played it at a battle of the bands. I remember it distinctly because during the performance, the fans of the hair metal group starting throwing things on stage and the drummer got pissed and almost started a brawl. So very punk.
Anyway, the chorus repeated the line "I am not sorry", or something that sounds like that, a few times, with "sorry" dragged out a bit. "I... am... not... soooorrrry." It was a punkish song, with guitars going kachung and drums going boom chucka boom and the like. It was punk but in the way Hüsker Dü is punk. It was more melodic.
It is not "I Apologize" by Hüsker Dü. Of this I am 100% certain. I am so certain that I said it in bold, that's how certain I am. I've combed through Hüsker Dü's more popular songs but I can't seem to find it. Perhaps I was wrong and it is not them.
The band played alternative stuff back when alternative was just that. Other songs they played that night were by REM and The Clash.
This was 30 years ago and I have since lost touch with those friends so I can't ask them.
If you guys can solve this, and I know you can, you will scratch a 30 year old itch.
I remember hearing this song on the radio in the mid to late 1980s. Probably on a college station in Mass. Very possibly WDJM, out of Framingham State College.
A few months later, my friend's band played it at a battle of the bands. I remember it distinctly because during the performance, the fans of the hair metal group starting throwing things on stage and the drummer got pissed and almost started a brawl. So very punk.
Anyway, the chorus repeated the line "I am not sorry", or something that sounds like that, a few times, with "sorry" dragged out a bit. "I... am... not... soooorrrry." It was a punkish song, with guitars going kachung and drums going boom chucka boom and the like. It was punk but in the way Hüsker Dü is punk. It was more melodic.
It is not "I Apologize" by Hüsker Dü. Of this I am 100% certain. I am so certain that I said it in bold, that's how certain I am. I've combed through Hüsker Dü's more popular songs but I can't seem to find it. Perhaps I was wrong and it is not them.
The band played alternative stuff back when alternative was just that. Other songs they played that night were by REM and The Clash.
This was 30 years ago and I have since lost touch with those friends so I can't ask them.
If you guys can solve this, and I know you can, you will scratch a 30 year old itch.
Came to think of "Better off dead" by Bad Religion, but that's from -94: YT
They're not not sorry, but do drag out the "sorry" quite a bit so came to think of it. Perhaps substitute one apology for another?
posted by monocultured at 7:04 AM on January 13, 2016
They're not not sorry, but do drag out the "sorry" quite a bit so came to think of it. Perhaps substitute one apology for another?
posted by monocultured at 7:04 AM on January 13, 2016
Response by poster: I graduated in 1987 so the song was recorded before then.
It it not REM or anyone like them. Way more punk.
posted by bondcliff at 7:06 AM on January 13, 2016
It it not REM or anyone like them. Way more punk.
posted by bondcliff at 7:06 AM on January 13, 2016
The Waitresses - No Guilt (one of my favorite songs.)
I'm sorry I but I don't feel awful
It wasn't the end of the world
I'm sorry but I can't feel helpless
It wasn't the end of the world
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:29 AM on January 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm sorry I but I don't feel awful
It wasn't the end of the world
I'm sorry but I can't feel helpless
It wasn't the end of the world
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:29 AM on January 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
I assumed you checked this one, but is it Sorry Somehow by Husker Du? It ends mostly with "sorry, sorry", but they stick in an "I'm not sorry" in there.
posted by mollweide at 8:51 AM on January 13, 2016
posted by mollweide at 8:51 AM on January 13, 2016
Because I don't feel like working, i'm going through this list trying to figure if any of them are it.
posted by josher71 at 9:47 AM on January 13, 2016
posted by josher71 at 9:47 AM on January 13, 2016
Gah! Timeframe way off. Disregard.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 9:53 AM on January 13, 2016
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 9:53 AM on January 13, 2016
Yeah, it's not Sorry Somehow?
posted by humboldt32 at 9:56 AM on January 13, 2016
posted by humboldt32 at 9:56 AM on January 13, 2016
Response by poster: It's not Sorry Somehow, unless I'm completely misremembering things. I have a clear memory of the...
*record scratch sound*
As I'm tying this I was listening to Sorry Somehow on YouTube, which folks here mentioned but I followed a link that BitterOldPunk sent me via Twitter. It is not Sorry Somehow, but then the video changes to Ice Cold Ice and I hear it over my headphones and THAT IS THE FUCKING SONG!
So I guess it was one of those "'scuze me while I kiss this guy" moments because the words were nothing like what I thought they were. I'm Not Sorry sounds just like Ice Cold Ice, doesn't it? Sure it does.
ICE COLD MOTHERFUCKING ICE 30 YEARS OF HEAD SCRATCHING IS OVER I CAN FINALLY REST!
So even though y'all didn't directly answer my question I'm gonna go ahead and give the mighty MeFi hivemind credit for solving this one. Thanks to you all, especially you, Mr. OldPunk.
ICE COLD ICE!
I guess I will not have to hire that private detective to track down Brian Kaufman* and ask him what goddamn song they played that time at the Natick High School "Rocking '87" Show. I gotta say, it was rather brave of a bunch of high schoolers in 1987 to be playing Hüsker Dü in front of a bunch of long haired stoners who were there to hear Destroyer play bad Twisted Sister covers.
FUCKING ICE COLD ICE!
*not his real name. Ice Cold Ice!
posted by bondcliff at 10:31 AM on January 13, 2016 [21 favorites]
*record scratch sound*
As I'm tying this I was listening to Sorry Somehow on YouTube, which folks here mentioned but I followed a link that BitterOldPunk sent me via Twitter. It is not Sorry Somehow, but then the video changes to Ice Cold Ice and I hear it over my headphones and THAT IS THE FUCKING SONG!
So I guess it was one of those "'scuze me while I kiss this guy" moments because the words were nothing like what I thought they were. I'm Not Sorry sounds just like Ice Cold Ice, doesn't it? Sure it does.
ICE COLD MOTHERFUCKING ICE 30 YEARS OF HEAD SCRATCHING IS OVER I CAN FINALLY REST!
So even though y'all didn't directly answer my question I'm gonna go ahead and give the mighty MeFi hivemind credit for solving this one. Thanks to you all, especially you, Mr. OldPunk.
ICE COLD ICE!
I guess I will not have to hire that private detective to track down Brian Kaufman* and ask him what goddamn song they played that time at the Natick High School "Rocking '87" Show. I gotta say, it was rather brave of a bunch of high schoolers in 1987 to be playing Hüsker Dü in front of a bunch of long haired stoners who were there to hear Destroyer play bad Twisted Sister covers.
FUCKING ICE COLD ICE!
*not his real name. Ice Cold Ice!
posted by bondcliff at 10:31 AM on January 13, 2016 [21 favorites]
Response by poster: And I'm kind of amazed that the very song that played after the one with "sorry" in the name was the exact song I was trying to find but couldn't because I was only searching songs with the word "sorry" in the name. This is the sort of thing if I told my mom (after explaining what a Hüsker Dü was, along with a basic history of Rock and Roll) she'd see it as proof of God even if a million people simultaneously died in a tsunami on the other side of the planet.
ICE COLD ICE! IT WAS ICE COLD ICE ALL ALONG!
posted by bondcliff at 10:35 AM on January 13, 2016 [8 favorites]
ICE COLD ICE! IT WAS ICE COLD ICE ALL ALONG!
posted by bondcliff at 10:35 AM on January 13, 2016 [8 favorites]
Heh. I don't have the answer to your question, but hop in, I'll pull you up riiiiiiight next to it...
posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:52 AM on January 13, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:52 AM on January 13, 2016 [8 favorites]
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posted by Krazor at 6:54 AM on January 13, 2016 [2 favorites]