Anything old that's new again? Name that tune! May 2, 2019 4:30 PM   Subscribe

What's that old song you just heard and now like so much? You've discovered (or re-discovered) it, now play this tune whenever you can; can't get it out of your head?

For me it's "Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" by Aretha Franklin.

How have I missed this one, all these years? Vaguely familiar from the background, I was there in '73 bt somehow it never registered until now.

How about you?
posted by Rash to MetaFilter-Related at 4:30 PM (55 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite

Aretha, always: "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:00 PM on May 2, 2019 [1 favorite]


Oh man, I heard Chairmen of the Board's Finders Keepers on KCSM and now it's on heavy rotation here at the house and, yeah. Those horns.
posted by gyusan at 5:03 PM on May 2, 2019


Moonpools & Caterpillars - Hear
It's like if a Delia*s catalog played music.
posted by phunniemee at 6:40 PM on May 2, 2019


I've had the Macarena in my head for weeks now, but I'm certainly not happy about it.
posted by Chrysostom at 6:41 PM on May 2, 2019 [6 favorites]


This has happened to me recently a couple of times:
recently:
Total Eclipse of the Sun - I think there was a video on the Blue about how the song was constructed musically
Weezer's cover of Take On Me - The Leftovers made me think about this song in a different way, and I really like way Rivers sings it in the cover
awhile back:
Don't You Forget About me - The Handmaids Tale also made me think about this song and then I was obsessed with how pretty it is for awhile
posted by bleep at 7:11 PM on May 2, 2019


Ilya Alekseevich Shatrov - "On The Hills Of Manchuria" (Wikipedia entry)
From Peau d'Ane - "Le cake d'amour" (see also this delight; Wikipedia explains)
This Mortal Coil - "Song to the Siren (Live)"
Mazzy Star - "Look on Down from the Bridge (Live Piano Version)"
posted by Wobbuffet at 7:21 PM on May 2, 2019 [2 favorites]


Pink - Just Give Me A Reason
Fun - Carry On
apparently I really like Nate Ruess

At the New England Folk Festival, there's an annual event - Beatles Sing Along. Good band, and a crowd of mixed age Beatles fans singing with pure joy. I think it was AskMe that recommended I Will as a lullaby; used to sing it to my grandson.

good post, thanks.
posted by theora55 at 7:55 PM on May 2, 2019 [2 favorites]


Thanks to the rainy thread two posts below, this song popped into my head and has been stuck since: Elizabeth and the Catapult - Rainiest Day of Summer
posted by hellopanda at 8:57 PM on May 2, 2019


For me it's been "Blackbird," because of the Mi'kmaq version featured on the CBC recently. It's really beautiful. I made an FPP about it.

And also, "Gotta Get Up" by Harry Nilsson, yes because of Russian Doll. Damn that's a good song.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:22 PM on May 2, 2019 [4 favorites]


I'm on a Bobbie Gentry kick these days. Ode to Billie Joe is obviously so much awesome that I can't even understand how she managed to come up with it. A deal with the devil, I'm sure. Mercury Rev just released an album of Bobby Gentry covers that's pretty good, with a nifty version of Tobacco Road.

The recent A-ha acoustic Take On Me is so so good.

Tell Me Something Good by Rufus and Chaka Khan. That wawa! That song sets my stuff on fire.

Bill Withers has so many good songs but the one I'm stuck on these days is I'm Her Daddy. The line "does she sleep well" hits me in the feels every time.

Tracks of My Tears by Smokey Robinson has been in my head as well. I don't know why but it's okay, I don't mind.

I Heard it through the Grapevine is an amazing song but I seem to have the Slits version in my head. Again, that's okay.

I could go on but maybe that's enough for now.

Ok, maybe one more. Chris Isaak, Two Hearts. The slow build, the exquisite vocals and that high note he hits, the sweet guitar line. I know he's still making music but still, I miss him.
posted by ashbury at 9:47 PM on May 2, 2019 [3 favorites]


As I've mentioned in other posts lately I've been learning to play piano, which - although my primary interest and goal is jazz - has also recently lead me back to songs like:
- Desperado by the Eagles
- Let It Be* by the Beatles
- It's Too Late by Carole King
- Peg by Steely Dan (what can I say, it came back to me)
- Year of the Cat and Time Passages by Al Stewart, which I'm less proud of
- but to counterbalance that, Bach's lovely Prelude in C from The Well-Tempered Clavier

I've been listening to and practicing these songs so much that they're invading and even monopolizing my dreams and turning into constant earworms...but I love 'em anyway!

*I didn't link to the album version because the only so-called "original" one I can find on YouTube has been "remastered" - to sound like shit.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:04 PM on May 2, 2019 [2 favorites]


“Romeo” by Basement Jaxx, goodness knows why. (Not that I’m sad about it.)
posted by Going To Maine at 10:07 PM on May 2, 2019


Rose Murphy's Busy Line - heard this on an old-time radio show and it is just a great little piece. Apparently Princess Margaret was a huge fan of Rose Murphy.
posted by vacapinta at 11:24 PM on May 2, 2019 [2 favorites]


Come Monday, by Jimmy Buffett.
posted by bryon at 11:25 PM on May 2, 2019 [5 favorites]


I'm on a big Blossom Dearie kick at the minute (1957's Blossom Dearie is PERFECT for this time of year in the northern hemisphere). Totally new to me, but then I am but a wean.
posted by Balthamos at 2:04 AM on May 3, 2019 [2 favorites]


Shirley Bassey: Jezahel
posted by heatvision at 4:13 AM on May 3, 2019


Sunshine after Rain - Elkie Brooks. Always loved her voice and that tune. Haven't heard this song in decades. But man, being an old fart and all, those lyrics hit me like a brick, when I heard this song randomly playing at some construction site I passed. I actually sat down to wait out the end of the song.
posted by ouke at 4:22 AM on May 3, 2019


Garbage, "#1 Crush." Rediscovered via my kid's Shakespeare homework.
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:24 AM on May 3, 2019 [2 favorites]


So much early Black Sabbath, that I rejected as a teen - foolishly.
posted by bystander at 5:08 AM on May 3, 2019 [1 favorite]


So much early Black Sabbath, that I rejected as a teen - foolishly.

Speaking of making the old new again...Charles Bradley, covering Black Sabbath's "Changes."
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:12 AM on May 3, 2019


Older music takes up a lot of my life, and also that of the new person I am currently seeing *blush* and so we have been noticing songs on in the bars, stores, etc. we are in. On Saturday we were in a cafe and bam, Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding.

So many teenage nights lying on my back, staring at the ceiling, thinking I was the only one that knew how beautiful this song was. Sigh.
posted by wellred at 5:29 AM on May 3, 2019 [5 favorites]


Oh! Cold Cold Heart by Hank Williams. Just popped up in my head couple days ago. I’d completely forgotten about it for years; I used to play it on the guitar.
posted by The Toad at 6:16 AM on May 3, 2019 [1 favorite]


I forget how much I love 'Vapour Trail' by Ride until I'm reminded of it for some obscure reason.
posted by h00py at 6:40 AM on May 3, 2019 [3 favorites]


I really wish it wasn't, but the current weather has Travis's Why Does It Always Rain On Me? in my head all the time
posted by scruss at 6:52 AM on May 3, 2019 [1 favorite]


It's a weird one, but I recently heard If God Were Alive (& He Is) You Could Reach Him By Telephone by Paul DeMarinis on WFMU and realized it was something I'd heard decades before and that had been vaguely poking at my subconscious ever since.
posted by moonmilk at 7:49 AM on May 3, 2019


T'Pau's "Heart And Soul" came up randomly on Spotify for me Wednesday night and I'm proud that Young Mike recorded it off the radio because it's a solid jam.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:10 AM on May 3, 2019 [6 favorites]


Marvin Gaye's Symphony
Ebo Taylor's Will You Promise?
posted by thivaia at 8:47 AM on May 3, 2019


Blueberries For Breakfast!
posted by grumpybear69 at 8:49 AM on May 3, 2019


George Harrison's Dark Horse
posted by carmicha at 9:11 AM on May 3, 2019


Can't believe I'd ever be saying this, but I really dig what Postmodern Jukebox did with My Heart Will Go On...
posted by Mchelly at 9:46 AM on May 3, 2019


Turn Your Love Around : George Benson
posted by emelenjr at 9:57 AM on May 3, 2019


Boston: More Than a Feeling.
a quintessential guitar rock song of my childhood that I used to hate but now for some reason sticks in my head.
posted by Chrischris at 10:06 AM on May 3, 2019 [3 favorites]


I came (back) across Vampire Weekend's short track "2021", which is (still) my favorite track from their now fully released album, Father of the Bride, and I realize it's because I like the original track by Haruomi Hosono (of Yellow Magic Orchestra fame), which is from 1984. [The comments in my post are pretty good]

A few nights ago, something reminded me to look up Alma & Mater's remix of Underworld's "Born Slippy," which is the better of a pair of "disco edits" (the A-side being a remix of Genesis - "I Can't Dance"), and I danced around while doing dishes again.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:17 AM on May 3, 2019


I ALWAYS do this. I tend to discover bands or groups about 10-15 years after the fact. I also do a lot of trolling through my old favorites in my iPad.

Most recently it was En Vogue's "My Lovin' (Never Gonna Get It)" because of a work colleague's Pandora station, and "Free Your Mind" because one follows close on the other in my head.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:59 AM on May 3, 2019 [3 favorites]


I'm also seeing the early signs of doing a deeper dive into old Steely Dan, after a sudden re-introduction to "Ricky Don't Lose That Number" (I caught a 30th-anniversary screening of Say Anything and there's a scene where John Mahoney's character is blasting this in his car).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:01 PM on May 3, 2019 [1 favorite]


Ha, I was also thinking of Steely Dan after remembering yesterday that it's just two weeks until "May Nineteen".

I also had Rockwell's Somebody's Watching Me pop into my head this week. I can't think of it the same way since this extremely funny episode of the Punch Up The Jam podcast.
posted by rollick at 1:25 PM on May 3, 2019


I'm embracing showtunes again. I think it's pretty adolescent of me, a little arrested, but I can't keep hiding this part of myself. I like the recording of the Broadway revival of The Music Man, 2000 (as opposed to the 2003 TV movie). The label has put it all on YouTube. I've also become fond of the musical of Grey Gardens, which is Problematic in some bits and uneven but truly hits when it hits ("Around the World," Little Edie).

I'm now listening to today's release of the Broadway cast recording (as opposed to the original off-Broadway) of Be More Chill, which is on Spotify. I don't know what the greatest new number is, but I really like the new version of "More Than Survive," the opening number. I also have yet to finish listening to the recently released West End cast album recording of Heathers, which adds a new number and makes some adjustments to tone down the grossness and make JD less appealing.

A while back, I got fond of "Happiness Hotel," which I barely remembered. It made me feel welcome in this crap new world. I've also been listening to a playlist full of Weird Al again, and another full of Frank Zappa. Again: teenage as hell.
posted by Countess Elena at 2:46 PM on May 3, 2019


gil scott heron: song of the wind
nina simone: compassion
albeniz: leyenda (segovia performance)
posted by 20 year lurk at 3:11 PM on May 3, 2019 [1 favorite]


I don't like 80's music or pop in general, but have started taming my inner grumpiness and looking into 'pop tunes that might be fun as covers'.

Last month that somehow got me to take a second look at Missing You, which promptly got stuck in my head for weeks. I SWEAR it's the platfonic ideal of pop song songwriting on so many levels.
posted by twoplussix at 5:22 PM on May 3, 2019




I had something like the opposite of this, where I went back and listened to Mudhoney and they didn't really quicken my pulse at all.

The Throwing Muses Doghouse cassette "Call Me" was sooooo good though, fuck.

I've always kinda hated this creepy-ass braindead catchy-as-fuck song but when I saw this live video of My Sharona I was like okay, The Knack, okay.

It wasn't very long ago but this Jenny Toomey song re-entered from some missing years. It has such a soft revelatory ending like it's climbing up into a clear sky.
posted by fleacircus at 5:52 PM on May 3, 2019


I recently discovered Bedhead, who would have been one of my absolute favorite bands in the 90's if I had only heard of them then, but better late than never:

The Dark Ages

Living Well

Yesterday I read an in-depth review of Abbey Road that made me want to re-listen to an album that was a big part of my childhood (so much so that I know it by heart), but haven't actually listened to for ages.
posted by gamera at 6:05 PM on May 3, 2019


Took me a long time to discover Guy Clark. This particular version of "Dublin Blues" breaks my damn heart every time I hear it. From 1995, and timeless.
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:22 PM on May 3, 2019


Joss Stone: A Natural Woman, Midnight Train to Georgia, Tell Me Something Good with John Legend

Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff, fun.: We Owned the Night
posted by TrishaU at 11:14 PM on May 3, 2019 [1 favorite]


Thanks to three of their songs popping up on one of my Spotify Daily Mix playlists over the course of a week, I've been diving back into early Sebadoh.

Got it (from Bakesale)
Skull (also from Bakesale)
Rebound (yet more Bakesale)

Talking to one of my coworkers I realized that Bakesale came out when he was just two years old, in 1994. That was the year I turned 30.

Thanks to a post... maybe here, maybe elsewhere, I've also had the Tortoise | TNT Full Set 21st anniversary performance on almost constant repeat. It's amazing how well that album has stood the test of time, and the live performance is absolutely stellar.
posted by ralan at 6:28 AM on May 4, 2019


These are not THAT old but have reappeared from my past.

Lullaby by Craig's Brother

This is the Sound
by The Exies

These lend credence to the post on the Blue the other day about how depressed people like to listen to sad music. Both are painful and filled with hurt but I feel better when I bellow along in the car.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 12:21 PM on May 4, 2019


Older? This Will Be Our Year - The Zombies

Newer older Lowlife - Ramified
posted by vers at 5:36 PM on May 4, 2019


Holding Back the Years

whoa, shit: that takes me back. Last-but-one year of grammar school (85-86), not-exactly-sneaking off to the dodgy af pool hall on Pollokshaws Road on skive study periods. I think they had one tape there and it was Picture Book
posted by scruss at 5:39 PM on May 4, 2019


failed above to include an old song that has been ringing in my head, and giving me a touch of comfort, lately, here in the capital, where i routinely see tourbusfuls of schoolchildren from around the country, almost always including some proportion wearing maga hats. peter tosh, circa 1971:
sorry fi' maga dog, the maga dog turn round bite you.
jump outta frying pan, you bound to jump in the fire.
the song isn't germane to anything, politically, as far as i can tell, but the refrain makes me feel better.
posted by 20 year lurk at 8:07 PM on May 4, 2019


I'm on a big Blossom Dearie kick at the minute (1957's Blossom Dearie is PERFECT for this time of year in the northern hemisphere)

Make sure you listen to her schoolhouse rock songs too.

Unpack your adjectives

Figure Eight
posted by vacapinta at 3:39 AM on May 5, 2019


I feel like these ~40 year-old songs would fit really well in a modern-day film soundtrack:

Start! - The Jam
Give Me Back My Man - B52's
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
I'm the Man - Joe Jackson
Pjamarama - Roxy Music
New Amsterdam - Elvis Costello
Police on My Back - The Clash
Making Plans for Nigel - XTC
posted by wheek wheek wheek at 6:19 AM on May 5, 2019


Love Will Tear Us Apart is used on soundtracks all the time.
posted by Chrysostom at 8:17 AM on May 5, 2019


The Monkees' "What Am I Doing Hanging 'Round?" It has a more bittersweet tinge than it did when I was young.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:49 PM on May 5, 2019 [1 favorite]


Mendelssohn's 4th by Apollo 100. Or maybe Jazz Pizzicato. Or maybe the whole album. My sister and I literally wore out our copy of this record when we were kids. I just recently acquired it digitally and haven't stopped listening to it.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 11:36 PM on May 6, 2019 [1 favorite]


How old is old? I just discovered Chance the Rapper's Sunday Candy yesterday and I can't get enough of it. Jamila Woods is awesome in this number. It's been a while since a song caught my attention like this and it feels pretty great. Wow.
posted by misozaki at 3:35 AM on May 10, 2019


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