For 17 years, internet sleuths from around the world have been on a relentless search to identify what was dubbed “the most mysterious song on the internet.” The puzzle has finally been solved by a dedicated researcher who shared the discovery on Reddit: the song is called “Subways of Your Mind” by a little-known 1980s German band named FEX.
The members of FEX, a band from the city of Kiel in northern Germany, were taken by surprise by the recent interest. Michael Haedrich, now 68, who played keyboard, guitar, and sang backup vocals for the group, expressed his amazement at the revelation, telling Der Spiegel magazine that the band had no idea about the global search effort.
The mystery began in 2007 when a German brother and sister uploaded a song they had recorded on a cassette from the radio as teenagers. Seeking to identify the track, they turned to the internet for help. Music enthusiasts and audiophiles quickly joined the search, analyzing the song’s genre, instruments, and the accent of the lead singer. Many classified the song as fitting within the 1980s “New Wave” genre, but their efforts led nowhere.
The case took off globally in 2019 when the song was posted on Reddit, where a subforum called “r/TheMysteriousSong” attracted tens of thousands of members. The mystery received widespread attention, including coverage by German media. Despite extensive analysis, the track remained unidentified for years, deepening its status as an internet enigma.
The breakthrough came this week when a Reddit user named “marijn1412” made the key discovery. While researching a 1980s music event organized by a German public broadcaster, he stumbled upon former members of FEX. He reached out to the band, who confirmed the song’s identity and shared a version of “Subways of Your Mind,” revealing the track’s long-sought name.
Michael Haedrich, who now resides in Munich, expressed his surprise and delight. He shared that it was incredible to see interest in a song from a band that was largely unknown outside their regional circle over 40 years ago. Now, the band members are eager to reissue the track and are searching for the original recording.
Though FEX’s success has taken decades to materialize, Haedrich noted that for the band, the recognition feels as though it has come all at once.
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