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Help Me Figure Out This Song

UPDATE AT BOTTOM!

I have a song that is driving me crazy.  So far my Facebook feed is stumped.  I am going to give you about a dozen clues, and you are going to help me figure this out.

I heard it on a top 40 station, though it probably wasn’t a top 40 song.  Meaning, I’ve been perusing hit song lists, and nothing feels familiar.  But I get the feeling the song is from this summer, or maybe last spring.

It is a female artist.  She sort of has a scratchy voice.  It sounds like she is singing the song lying down; like she doesn’t have enough energy to sit up.

It is a veeeeeery slow song.  What kicked it off tonight was hearing the song “Say Something” and at first I thought it was MY song, but then a man started singing.  My singer sounds like Alessia Cara crossed with Ellie Goulding singing with complete ennui.  Sort of like a Lana Del Rey.  Sort of… dirge-y.  Or a Florence and the Machine.  Or even an Adele.  Except probably none of those people because I’ve been clicking on their songs all night and haven’t found it.

I can only remember one line from it, and I’m not even remembering it correctly, except that I know it has something where the person is saying “the first” and then rephrases “the second” (or the third…).  Sort of like a vocal strikethrough.  So she’s singing about how she doesn’t get something right the first time, the second or the third time…

Help?

Update:

THE SONG HAS BEEN FOUND!  This is it: Love is Real Try Again by Miranda Dodson.  Christina found it, and she is my favourite favourite favourite person in the world because I had just about given up.  And it has the line I remember: “Why can’t I get it right on the first second time or the third wasted life.”  I can’t even explain the relief I am feeling right now.  Off to buy the song.

Oh my G-d, and it’s about infertility and pregnancy loss.  Yes?  Or am I reading too much into the lyrics?

25 comments

1 Sarah { 10.15.15 at 1:42 am }

Gin Wigmore has a great scratchy sort of voice, but I don’t think any of her songs are particularly dirge-y. I don’t think she is the one you are looking for, but she is worth having a listen to.

2 Charlotte { 10.15.15 at 7:38 am }

I have no idea what song this could even be, but…do you have the app Shazaam? If not, you need it. It ha saved me so many times from going crazy over the name and artist of random songs I hear.

3 Mel { 10.15.15 at 8:04 am }

Not Gin Wigmore, but definitely a Gin Wigmore-y voice. Just think a lot slower. Very bare accompaniment.

Sound Hound lets you hum some of the song, but it couldn’t find a match. But you need the song playing to Shazam it.

4 ANDMom { 10.15.15 at 9:31 am }

The acoustic version of Elle King’s Exes and Oh’s is very slow and languid, and her voice is really scratchy.

5 Mel { 10.15.15 at 9:49 am }

Yes, the voice is very similar to an Elle King. Very lilting and sad and slow. But it’s definitely not Elle King.

The song opens with piano accompaniment, hence why I thought it was “Say Something” but then it’s a woman’s voice.

6 Heather { 10.15.15 at 12:31 pm }

Anna Kendrick- Still Hurting
Could that be the song?

7 Mel { 10.15.15 at 12:36 pm }

I was so hopeful… but no. The voice is definitely lower than Anna Kendrick’s, and more… raspy? I fear that I’m going to need to listen to continuous Top 40 radio to find this song.

8 Heather { 10.15.15 at 12:49 pm }

What about a Lorde song? Hers are usually pretty fast but maybe? Try listing to some of hers.

9 Sharon { 10.15.15 at 1:50 pm }

I’m no help, but I hope you’ll update your post when you figure it out. 🙂

10 Lori Lavender Luz { 10.15.15 at 2:23 pm }

Checking in to see if you’ve found out. I got nothing (sorry).

11 Megan { 10.15.15 at 4:07 pm }

Christina Perri?

12 Amel { 10.15.15 at 5:24 pm }

Could it be “Frail Love” by Cloves?

13 Jess { 10.15.15 at 10:11 pm }

Oh, good luck–having an earworm like this is the worst. It can really drive you crazy. I was thinking some of the things offered up but none are right… so I will just hope you come across the right one!

14 KeAnne { 10.16.15 at 9:28 am }

I heard a song by Jessie Ware today and it made me wonder if she is the artist.

15 April { 10.16.15 at 10:29 am }

Have you found it yet?

16 Mel { 10.16.15 at 10:38 am }

It’s not Frail Love by the Cloves, BUT that is exactly what it is like. Single female voice with a piano.

Tried Jessie Ware… that’s not it.

I’m now unfortunately listening to Top 40 radio stations trying to find this thing.

17 Charlotte { 10.16.15 at 12:59 pm }

Something by Tori Amos? Ani DeFranco?

18 suzanne { 10.16.15 at 7:42 pm }

Try using pandora by searching for a station or artist with a similar sound or voice, then it will play songs similar to that and you may get lucky!
Good luck.

19 Mel { 10.16.15 at 8:53 pm }

It definitely wasn’t as ethereal as Tori Amos. I don’t think they would play Ani on a Top 40 station. It’s definitely a new/newish song.

That’s a brilliant idea to try Pandora. I listened to top 40 music for an hour today. All I ended up doing was hearing a lot of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams.” It was playing on every station.

20 Charlotte { 10.17.15 at 8:12 am }

Do you know what station you heard it on? Most of the radio stations have playlists on their website and you can go back and search for a day and time and get a list of all the songs played. Trying to help you NOt have to listen to endless hours of Taylor Swift!!

21 KeAnne { 10.18.15 at 9:56 am }

I spent a while looking at Top 40 lists yesterday to try to figure it out LOL. Darn it! What about Mary Lambert?

22 Mel { 10.18.15 at 10:29 pm }

Definitely not Mary Lambert.

I know it’s one of 4 possible stations, but none of their websites have a playlist. I know it was a Thursday night, and I can even guesstimate the time, but none of the stations have a playlist.

23 Christina { 10.19.15 at 2:01 pm }

http://mirandadodson.bandcamp.com/album/love-is-real-try-again

Is this it? I feel like it is as you described! I love a good mystery.

24 Amel { 10.20.15 at 8:22 am }

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!! Finally! I was so curious about what the song was he he he he…the song lyrics can surely be applied to infertility and pregnancy loss.

25 Manapan { 10.20.15 at 6:35 pm }

Yes, it really is about her pregnancy losses! She’s since joined the lucky ones of us in the parenting club. http://www.npr.org/2013/02/27/171749560/heavy-rotation-5-songs-public-radio-cant-stop-playing

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