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01/20/2002 Entry: "The Great Lyrics Search"

I would just like to take a moment to state that I [heart] Google.

Why? Because with Google, you can figure out the title and artist of any song you've ever heard even once. All you have to do is remember a short string of the lyrics.

For those of you who are Google-impaired, it's like this. You type those lyrics into Google, being sure to put them in quotes, and follow that with the word 'lyrics'. For example, one afternoon when I went to check my comics, the radio was playing this really cool weird song. And even though I didn't know who sang it, or what it was called, I remembered that the first stanza was 'A friend in need is a friend indeed / A friend with weed is better. / A friend with breasts and all the rest / A friend who's dressed in leather.'

Okay, so some of you nodded and recognized the song right off. I didn't, though. So when I got home, I logged on, zipped into Google, and typed the following:

"a friend in need is a friend indeed" lyrics

Within two seconds, by scanning the listings Google put at my fingertips, I was able to ascertain that the song is called 'Pure Morning' by a group called Placebo. Not only that, but I was able to go look at the lyrics in their entirety.
Unfortunately, this won't work for songs that are truly new or truly obscure, but the web is a big place, and most song lyrics have been archived somewhere.

Man, it wasn't always this easy, as anyone who went to college with me can attest; well, anyone who went to college with me and remembers my years-long search for 'The Friends of Mr. Cairo'. (Brilliant, terrific, spooky song by Jon and Vangelis. It took me something like three years to find out the title and the artist, and then another year to actually locate a copy. Now I have one. You all should too. Gratuitous plug over.)

Replies: add your comment: currently 9 comments

I have that song, actually. The Placebo one. Want?

Posted by Ed @ 01/20/2002 05:35 PM EST

._. Until they make a Google for obscure songs, I cannot heart any search engine, for I am lacking an mp3/album of the song about a creampuff wedding between a wide-eyed optimist and a sarcastic Sagittarius. So sad.

Posted by Juunigou @ 01/20/2002 11:04 PM EST

It's just a placebo; it only works because you think it will.
Sorry, I just HAD to be a smartass and say that.

......

Pleasedonthurtme!!!!! X_X

I like Google too and use that more than any other search engine now. Go with what works, ya?

Posted by Wolf @ 01/21/2002 12:34 AM EST

Wow! That really did work! *is all happy cause she found some song lyrics*

Posted by Tiffany @ 01/21/2002 09:57 AM EST

Yes, that's exactly right. Everybody /should/ have a copy of "Friends of Mr. Cairo". And the rest of that EP (remember that term?) was pretty good, too.

And while they're at it, they should get "Hypercube" by Thomas Dolby and George Clinton, for the sake of pure weirdness. May the Cube be with you.

Posted by Nezumi @ 01/21/2002 10:13 AM EST

"Pure Morning" by Placebo is the "friend in need" song. And thank you, I should try that someday.

Posted by StB @ 01/22/2002 12:02 AM EST

...and I should've read more carefully. *shoots self* Okay, it was a good tip anyway.

Posted by ...er. @ 01/22/2002 12:05 AM EST

Hm, if you want another good Placebo song or two, try "Scared of Girls", or the UNKLE remix of "Without You I'm Nothing", which they did with David Bowie. Wait...*looks at own blog layout* Nevermind me. And yes, I use Google for looking up songs based on one line of the lyrics all the time. It's a wonderful thing, isn't it?

Posted by Priya @ 01/24/2002 02:42 PM EST

This works just as well for songs in any language, provided you spell them correctly. ^_^

That's how I found a lot of my favorite Japanese songs. Yeah. Of course, with the rather arbitrary nature of romanji, it *is* a pain in the ass, but it works.

Posted by Carlos @ 01/27/2002 02:45 PM EST