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Though quite well-known, few know my name.
And in it, you'll find others' fame.

For what it's worth, I'll name a few,
I'm sure you want me to - don't you?

What's up? Are you not having fun?
Would you escape before I'm done?

Against all odds, this is the last,
Good riddance, now what's past is past.

A hint:

Hint 1 involves robots.

And another:

Hint 2 is that the answer is a three-word phrase.

Lack of answers suggest we need more.

Hint 3 is that the answer is a title of something.

And another for good luck:

Hint 4 is that after the first couplet, every line of the poem contains a direct clue to something important.

Pre-bounty final hints ahoy:

Hint 5 is that the answer is a song title.

And last one:

Hint 6 is that the impression that I get is that people aren't looking close enough.

Since we're getting close, here's one that might push you over the line:

While he's got the broad idea right, Dan's answer is not the standard I'm looking for, and if you think I'm going to award the bounty to him you're a lunatic.

A hint that states the qualities of the correct answer, particularly those that have already been worked out:

The correct answer is the title to a song, with three words in it. The song is in English, and it is indeed better known by another title, which is the first line of the song - and to which the title was later "officially" changed. The answer also hints towards "an alternative presentation of the same thing".

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  • $\begingroup$ Good name ;) I'd +1 but that's not fair $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Jul 26, 2016 at 11:37
  • $\begingroup$ I don't know why, but after reading the riddle and first hint, first thing came to mind is 'One-Punch Man' :) $\endgroup$
    – smriti
    Jul 27, 2016 at 4:32
  • $\begingroup$ I'm happy to see that anything I do inspired someone to think of OPM. Not the answer in this case, sadly. $\endgroup$
    – ConMan
    Jul 27, 2016 at 5:16
  • $\begingroup$ And, given the way things are going, I think it's time for a couple more hints. $\endgroup$
    – ConMan
    Jul 27, 2016 at 5:17
  • $\begingroup$ Just before I put this up for bounty, I'll add a few more. $\endgroup$
    – ConMan
    Jul 28, 2016 at 0:45

7 Answers 7

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For each of the final six lines,

there is a title of a song hidden.

Line 1: For What It's Worth by Buffalo Springfield
Line 2: Don't You by Simple Minds
Line 3: What's up? by 4 Non-Blondes
Line 4: Escape by Rupert Holmes
Line 5: Against All Odds by Phil Collins
Line 6: Good Riddance by Green Day

These are easy to hide because

they're not what you would guess the titles would be if you knew the song. Each song is better known for other lyrics. And in fact some of them even have parenthetical titles to clarify which song they actually are.

For What It's Worth = Something's Happening Here
Don't You = Forget About Me
What's Up? = What's going on?
Escape = Do you like Piña Coladas?
Against All Odds = Take a look at me now
Good Riddance = Hope you had the time of your life

So the overall answer must be

the title to a song that's better known in a different way, and where you wouldn't necessarily immediately recognize it from the title.

So given the latest hints, the answer is

In Other Words (a song I do know and love) which is more commonly known as "Fly Me to the Moon".

This fits:
The "lunatic" hint (Moon = luna)
The "standard" hint (it's a jazz standard)
The "presenting something in a different way" hint (In other words = same thing, different words)
The robots hint (it was used in an episode of the show Little Robots)
The I'm well known but few know my name hint, since almost no one would call it In Other Words
And it also hints in a cool meta-way about the puzzle itself...songs that are known in other words.

And for one of my favorite, unconventional versions, check this out. Ukuleles!

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  • 2
    $\begingroup$ You definitely have something here $\endgroup$ Jul 28, 2016 at 3:30
  • $\begingroup$ Maybe Hint 1 helps? I can't see where you might have used it yet (if you use hints that is) $\endgroup$
    – bg6471
    Jul 28, 2016 at 4:25
  • $\begingroup$ @bg6471 Yeah, I don't think I've used that, so that's what I was going on, plus the first couplet, but I couldn't get to a final answer. $\endgroup$ Jul 28, 2016 at 4:33
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    $\begingroup$ Hint 6 "The Impression That I Get" (by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones) => "Knock on Wood". But that still doesn't get me any further than your answers... Nothing in the original poem seems to lead to that being the phrase. $\endgroup$
    – Josh
    Jul 28, 2016 at 14:15
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    $\begingroup$ Wow. Nice job, Dan. This is actually a satisfying conclusion. Also, now that I know the answer: It was sung (briefly) by Talkie Toaster on Red Dwarf, which is another robot connection. I guess robots really like this song. youtu.be/arz57c0YwCY $\endgroup$
    – Josh
    Aug 3, 2016 at 15:09
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Could it be...

Credits? As in the ones after the movies has ended. (I know I'm wrong since the answers says 'What's my real name?')

Though quite well-known, few know my name. And in it, you'll find others' fame.

After the movie ends, the credits shows the names of the actors and actresses

For what it's worth, I'll name a few, I'm sure you want me to - don't you?

People would want to be credited for their work or film

What's up? Are you not having fun? Would you escape before I'm done?

Usually people would leave during the credits after the movie has ended

Against all odds, this is the last, Good riddance, now what's past is past.

The credits will be shown and then gone as it becomes a dark screen (if in a cinema)

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1
  • $\begingroup$ Nice try, but no cigar :) $\endgroup$
    – ConMan
    Jul 26, 2016 at 23:40
2
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Is it :

The Rockafeller Skank - Fatboy Slim

Though quite well-known, few know my name. Most people know the song as Funk Soul Brother and you can also argue that most people don't know Fatboy Slim's real name, Norman Cook.

And in it, you'll find others' fame Rockafeller in the title and also the song is sampled from 4 different songs from other artists (fun fact, he paid out 100% of this song to the artists he sampled from)

The robot could be referring to the music video, where the truck seems to be doing a semi transformer thing, without turning into anything, but it sort of dances...but that might be a stretch

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1
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Could it be...

The Body Electric, by Rush

The lyrics in the chorus are familiar (if you’re old enough)

One zero zero one zero zero one
SOS
One zero zero one zero zero one
In distress
One zero zero one zero zero
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?lyrics=3308

But few people know the title.

And in it, you'll find others' fame:

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3308 says
This is based on Twilight Zone episode #100 - "I Sing the Body Electric." The episode originally aired in 1962. It's about a family who orders a robot "Grandmother" after the death of their young mother. Written by Ray Bradbury, the name came from a Walt Whitman poem. The story was later included in a short stories collection with the same title in 1969.

So you’ve got Ray Bradbury and Walt Whitman, two very famous authors.

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  • $\begingroup$ I'm not familiar with the song, but +1 for finding something that even remotely matches the remaining clues. $\endgroup$ Jul 28, 2016 at 4:54
1
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It's wrong but:

C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat

Because:

It's a song everyone that's heard it refers to as "Everybody Dance Now" (3 words) and if I'm not mistaken featured in the 2005 movie Robots (which satisfies the first hint).

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It could be

"Robots in disguise" (the Transformers theme song)

because...

Though quite well-known, few know my name.

Who thinks about names of theme songs, even if they're this "obvious"

And in it, you'll find others' fame.

the transformers'

I assume the rest of the poem was just a hint as discovered by Dan.

As to the hints:

It's a three-word song title about robots; and it's about things you don't see if you're not looking closely enough.

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Is it maybe

will.i.am who dresses like a robot.

Has a song

What I am

He's contributed to a lot of people's fame

His real name is:

William James Adams, Jr.

Connection:

He may have performed, covered, or produced with these artists.

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