I love difficult puzzles, but without a random stroke of luck, IOW having the song just "dawn on me" --I think this will be nearly impossible without more clues.

Here's my "analysis" so far, maybe it will help another player...

If the singer is also one of the songwriters, then that singer/songwriter has to have the first/last name initials M and R or R and M, such as Marty Robbins or Roger McGuinn, since those are the only repeating letters, and the singer's initials would be repeated as one of the songwriters.

If so that would narrow the remaining letters to: AISCYBML --whereas at least two of those letters belong to at least one other songwriter, since "songwriters" plural is how VNORTH2 shapes the puzzle. "Brother, Can You Spare A..." ...ugh...no "D" in the puzzle letters.

But the above analysis could easily be a case of "barking up the wrong tree", as the singer could just as easily NOT be one of the songwriters!

If the singer in NOT one of the songwriters, the possibilities multiply endlessly...but this could at least mean the song is from the Fifties or Sixties where far more popular recordings were made by singers singing songs they did not have a hand in writing themselves. For instance, think of folk acts such as the Kingston Trio.

Immediately eliminate any titles that come to mind with "The" in the title, or any "T" word, for that matter.

If the singer and songwriters all have two names (iow aren't someone like "Bono"), then it follows

If there are 2 songwriters, then the title has 6 initials/words.

Here's a list with songs that have 6 word titles:

http://www.inthe00s.com/archive/boardgames/smf/1111121915.shtml

If there are 3 songwriters, then the title has 4 initials/words.
If there are 4 songwriters, then the title has 2 initials/words.
There are many bands where all members get songwriting credit for every song. For instance "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. Inspired by a crime, 4 songwriters, but alas, Freddie Mercury is the singer and there's no "F" in the clue.

None of the above has helped me find an answer yet. Perhaps with more clues, the possibilities will narrow somewhat.

Last edited by Michael Zaneski; 03/20/23 03:14 AM.

Fate doesn't hang on a wrong or right choice
Fortune depends on the tone of your voice

-The Divine Comedy (Neil Hannon)
from the song "Songs of Love"
from the album "Casanova" (1996)