I'm trying to identify this 90s era rock song and it's killing me

[Tommy Carcetti]

I previously remember hearing its catchy instrumental hook from way back but forgot the entire song or who might have sung it.

I heard it recently it over a store's loudspeakers. Unfortunately there was too much background noise to attempt any Shazam, or to get clear lyrics.

It's definitely something out of the alternative rock era, probably from the 90s.

It has a male singer, his voice is low and just slightly distorted.

The lyrics sounded like they contained something to the effect of "You're the one's who's the one" or maybe "I'm the one who's the one"...I tried googling it, but none of the results seemed to be what I was looking for.

And then it has an instrumental bridge hook between verses that sounds somewhat exotic, almost Middle Eastern sounding.

It's an eight note hook, ascending up until the sixth note, then descends, then ascends again. The hook repeats itself several times before it goes back into the verse.

Can anyone possibly identify it for me?

[EYESORE 9001]

1. My wild-ass guess

Something from System of a Down. I won’t be much help with lyrics. I’m just going by your description.

[Wingus Dingus]

3. I thought of SOAD too, but decided too unlikely for piped-in store music.

[EYESORE 9001]

5. Oh, yeah...forgot about that detail...

Muzak wouldn’t touch that with a 10-ft pole.

[Tommy Carcetti]

7. Yeah, I think it was more subdued than SOAD. nt

[Wingus Dingus]

2. It's not Nirvana's "The Man Who Sold the World", is it?

That has a middle-eastern sounding hook to me.

[Tommy Carcetti]

4. No, but good guess.

[Chainfire]

6. And here I thought that rock was dead by the 90s. ;)

[Wingus Dingus]

8. That was rock's best decade.

[highplainsdem]

10. That was late '60s through late '70s.

[Wingus Dingus]

15. My feeling was that those decades were the building blocks

and influences that culminated in the 90's-early 2000's metal and alternative. Great unto themselves, of course--Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, and late-70's early 80's Rush all still hold up today, for example.

[highplainsdem]

24. I can't think of anything from the '80s through the current day

that I believe was better than the best of the late '60s through the late '70s.

This article helps explain why:

https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/the-best-decade-in-rock-and-roll-history-1967-1977-6604620


There's been a lot of good rock music since then. But when you have Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, Bowie at his best, the Beatles and the Stones and the Who at their peak, early Springsteen, the Allman Brothers, CSN&Y... The Small Faces. ELP. CCR. The Moody Blues. Yes. Traffic. Cream. The Doors. Janis Joplin. Jimi Hendrix. Eric Clapton. The Band. Way too many of rock's greatest artists to name. You had the beginning of punk.

There are some artists since then at that level. U2 and Prince are the main ones that come to mind.

But IMO none of the later artists were better than the best from that classic rock decade.

Rock just exploded in the late '60s through early '70s. And in so many different directions.

[Wingus Dingus]

25. I guess it depends on which particular genre or subgenre you like.

If you like pop rock and arena rock, the late 60's-early 80's were your time. Folk, 60's and 70's. Progressive rock, late 60's-early 80's. New wave, 80's. Punk, late 70's-80's. Southern rock, 70's. Metal, late 80's thru 2000's. Progressive metal/alternative/grunge/nu metal, late 80's-2000's. I happen to be a particularly big fan of the last couple categories, so the 90's were like a golden age for me. Pop rock in the 90's was also great (Cranberries, Alanis Morrisette, Matchbox 20, Third Eye Blind, Weezer, Goo Goo Dolls), hip hop was often excellent too back then. So much good music, definitely rivaled the early 70's for sheer choice.

[highplainsdem]

26. Do you like Sleep Token?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/103499740

See the replies there, too.

[Wingus Dingus]

27. Never heard of them, but will give them a listen tonite, thanks!

[Elessar Zappa]

18. I think the 80s and 90s rock

was just as good as the 60s and 70s.

[EYESORE 9001]

11. I'll go along with that

IMO, rock just hasn’t had any balls (for lack of a better term) since the ‘90s.

[highplainsdem]

9. Not the song you're looking for, but this is what immediately came to mind

when you mentioned lyrics repeating "the one" and alt-rock in the '90s (though it's from a 1989 album):

[Wingus Dingus]

12. Is it "Natural One" by Folk Implosion? My husband suggested it:

[Tommy Carcetti]

13. YES! We have a winner!

Thank you!

[Wingus Dingus]

16. It was starting to drive me crazy too, so I asked

him--he often remembers songs I don't.

[NJCher]

28. fistbump for that!

tell your husband:

[AZSkiffyGeek]

20. Wow, Folk Implosion on Muzak...

I'm getting old.

[Wingus Dingus]

22. There is a little blurb ad on the Lithium (alt 90's) channel on Sirius XM

where the host says, "Is it me, or is supermarket music getting cooler?" That's how I'm starting to feel.

[flying rabbit]

14. Cool tune nt

[True Dough]

17. Amazing!

I was truly skeptical that anyone would be able to identify the song based on the limited details in the OP. Your husband is a 90s alt-rock guru!

[Wingus Dingus]

21. LOL, he is that. He's a musician, so he just naturally remembers

many tunes, and especially from the 90's (us being Gen X and all).

[hlthe2b]

23. I never heard anything like a Middle Eastern "riff," but good on your husband for coming up with i

Pretty amazing. Also curious as to what store would be playing this...?

[vanlassie]

19. Amazing! He should get a free pass to the DU Lounge hootenanny!

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