Who Wrote "Say Something" Song: Reddit Mystery Solved
This page provides the answer to the Reddit mystery about the song "Say Something," written by Dina Douglass and performed by the band Too Many Joes.
Although I work as a professional photographer in Los Angeles, I used to sing in an alternative band called Too Many Joes. One of our best-known songs was "Say Something." Little did I know the song had become the focus of an unsolved mystery.
The Reddit Mystery
In January 2015, Kat Carlsen posted on Reddit that she wanted help finding the performer of a song on one of her dad's mix tapes. The mix tape had been given to her dad by a friend who had died. Kat wanted to make a CD of all the songs for him, as the tape had sentimental value. She titled her post Unidentifiable 90s Sounding Song.
Reddit collects and ranks social news in a discussion format, and with 542 million monthly visitors, it is the fourth most popular site in the United States. Many theories were offered, with guesses ranging from the Cranberries and the Sundays to the Corrs and Sixpence None the Richer. Yet no one could identify the band nor the song.
Kat even posted a YouTube video of the song being played on a boom box, but after 14,000+ views of her "Help! What is This Song?" video, there were still no definitive answers.
The Mystery Hits YouTube
In February 2017, the mystery was showcased in a YouTube video called 10 Strangest and Mysterious Reddit Posts. Posted by user Fright Night, the video has been viewed more than 200,000 times. The riddle of the song's origins (at the 2:00 mark) prompted comments suggesting Stevie Nicks, Blondie, Natalie Merchant, Belinda Carlisle, Maria McKee and even that the track was a fake song cobbled together from other songs.
Solving the Mystery
Colorado-based music fan Mary Lettau was fascinated with the mystery. After a bit of research, she found a clue that led her to believe that the band was Too Many Joes. She found a link to an old Los Angeles Times article about the band and decided to see if she could find the singer on Facebook.
She sent me a late-night Facebook message asking if I had been the singer and if "Say Something" was my song, and thus solved a two-year mystery that baffled thousands of people around the world.
Listen To and Buy Our Album
Listen to our songs here:
About "Say Something"
"Say Something" is the first track on the Too Many Joes CD, which is called Charm (released on indie label Piece of Mind Records). The song is about someone observing a friend in an abusive relationship, and wondering why she didn't say something.
The inspiration for the song came out of my frustration at watching a few close friends stay in abusive situations that were ultimately damaging. I just wanted them to say "no" and leave. Writing this song was like writing a letter to a friend, partially as a distant observation and partially as a trusted friend who quietly says "please just leave."
The song's lyrics are at the bottom of this page.
About Too Many Joes
Too Many Joes was an alternative pop band that enjoyed modest indie success. Band members included Dina Douglass on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Kristine Kunego on co-vocals, Nick Benich on guitar, Barry Stevenson on bass and Brad Wilson on drums.
Dina met Nick after putting an ad in the "musicians wanted" classifieds in Music Connection magazine. When Nick called, he said, "Well, I really like Toad the Wet Sprocket," and Dina immediately knew that she'd found the guitarist of her dreams. Nick contacted Barry, Barry brought in Brad, and after a few stabs at finding a great co-vocalist, the band chose Kristine as its final member.
"Say Something" was played a few times on KROQ, then one of America's most influential alternative and new wave stations, but Too Many Joes never achieved more than indie status. Our band was featured on the cover of the Los Angeles Times Calendar section twice, and even on the cover of trade publication CMJ (the influential College Music Journal). But these great press mentions probably only bought us a few cups of coffee.
We ultimately performed our song "If Wishes Were Horses" live on the KTLA Morning News, and the performance helped us land a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell.
Sadly, after years of practices, live shows, label showcases, personnel changes and trying, we eventually disbanded to pursue other interests.
Where Are They Now?
Kristine, a talented singer/songwriter in her own right, went on to front a band called Mrs. Beasley (later Beasley). She creates beautiful digital art that can be seen on her Instagram account at @kristinemeadows70
Nick went on to play in many other bands, including Mrs. Beasley, Greater California, Piccolo Pete and FourEyedFour. He is currently playing with 16 Again.
Barry went on to front a band called The White Liars and now plays upright bass with various groups.
Dina (that's me) moved on to a band called Sugarcoat and performed acoustic shows with Kristine. I later became a professional photographer. If you're reading this, you're already on my web site. Prior to joining Too Many Joes, I sang and played guitar in a band called Walkabout (not to be confused with The Walkabouts). My Instagram is @dinadouglass
We're still trying to track down Brad.
Final Notes
To Kat Carlsen, thank you for trying so hard to find the song. To Mary Lettau, thank you for reaching out to me on Facebook and solving this longstanding mystery. It means the world to us to know that our music is still alive and being appreciated somewhere in the world.
Reddit Mystery Threads and YouTube Videos
Strangest and Mysterious Reddit Posts video (our mystery is at the 2:00 mark)
YouTube video of a cassette playing the song on a boom box
Lyrics to "Say Something"
(c) Dina Douglass
I've seen her sit alone before
Never sure why she was black and blue
I've heard her cry like this before
I've known a lot of men like you
You might have treated her like something
I've seen her hide from you before
I've watched her cower in her room
I've heard her lie for you before
I've known a lot of men like you
You might have treated her like something
Like you
You might have treated her like something
Why don't you realize and say no no
Realize and say no no
Realize and say no no
When you realize you say something
Will you say something
(Second half of the song is a repeat of the first verse and two choruses)
P.S. My darling mom did the beautiful calligraphy of our band name on the CD cover. Thanks, Mom.
Band photo by Vicki Berndt