What's That Song That Goes "Da Da Da"? 6 Ways to Name It

October 28, 2026 · 5 min read Guide

You know the one. It goes "da da daaa, da da da da", it's been looping in your head since this morning, and you can't remember a single lyric to search for.

This has a name, by the way: an earworm. The good news is that you don't need the lyrics to find it. Here are six ways, from the fastest to the last resort.

1. Hum it (fastest)

If you can hum it, a computer can usually name it. Open SoundCatch on your phone or laptop, tap the button and hum or sing "da da da" for about 10 seconds. It matches the melody itself, so being off-key is fine.

Hum your "da da da"

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More detail in our guides to finding a song by humming and humming on iPhone.

2. Search any lyric you remember, in quotes

Even three words help. Put them in quotes and add "lyrics": "under the same sky" lyrics. The quotes make the search engine match those exact words. If you're unsure of a word, swap it for an asterisk: "under the * sky" lyrics.

3. Think about where you heard it

4. Describe it to an AI chatbot

Chatbots are surprisingly good with descriptions: "an 80s song with a saxophone solo and a woman singing about rain" or "the song from that car ad with the dancing dog". Give the decade, genre, instruments, singer's voice and where you heard it. Double-check the answer by listening, because chatbots can guess confidently and wrongly.

5. Ask real people

Communities like r/tipofmytongue and r/NameThatSong on Reddit are full of people who love solving exactly this. Record yourself humming (a voice memo is fine), upload it to a site like Vocaroo, and post the link with everything you remember.

6. Wait for it to come back

Songs you remember usually come from somewhere you'll be again: a shop, a radio station, a playlist. Next time it plays, open SoundCatch, switch to Listen, and it'll name the actual recording in seconds.

Why "da da da" songs get stuck

Earworms tend to be songs with a simple, repetitive melody and a small surprise, like an unexpected jump or a held note. Your brain keeps replaying the bit it can't "finish", which is also why the melody stays while the lyrics vanish. Naming the song and listening to it all the way through is one of the most reliable ways to make an earworm go away.

FAQ

Can I find a song with no lyrics at all?

Yes. Humming or whistling the melody is enough for hum-recognition tools like SoundCatch or Google's hum to search.

What if humming doesn't find it?

Try humming the chorus for longer, then use lyrics search, the "where did I hear it" clues, or ask r/tipofmytongue.

Let's name that song

Hum the "da da da" for 10 seconds and see what comes back.

Find my song →

Read more: Hum to Search Online · Find a Song From a TikTok · Shazam for Desktop