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When the final buffalo sings I'll most likely happen.
I'm known to happen when you displace your faith.
If you have a few minutes to rhyme under the boiling point, you might find me within myself
I'm unwanted by those who have sought prime retribution

What am I?

Hint #1:

Titles are important

Hint #2:

If you are feeling stuck, seek the sore O.S.

Hint #3:

A decline in liquid is the prerequisite for aerial rumbles

Hint #4:

The previous hint(hint #3) and the title are one and the same

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  • $\begingroup$ :| I keep wanting few minutes to rhyme under the boiling point to be ... SPOILER?. $\endgroup$
    – feelinferrety
    May 2, 2016 at 23:30
  • $\begingroup$ @feelinferrety that's pretty good, but not the correct interpretation of that $\endgroup$
    – Gordon Allocman
    May 3, 2016 at 12:39

3 Answers 3

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I don't know the full answer but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with

Fleetwood Mac. Based on the title, we're looking for "One of the biggest of some boats (fleet), some trees (wood), and pasta (mac)." So the answer could be one of their biggest songs, or one of their biggest albums?

Hint #3 says "A decline in liquid is the prerequisite for aerial rumbles" which sounds like a reference to the line "Thunder only happens when it's raining" from their hit song "Dreams."

Seemingly unrelated to the Fleetwood Mac reference(s), thinking of the riddle in the context of music, the reference to "displace your faith" made me think of the REM song "Losing My Religion" (which ends with the repeated line "That was just a dream, just a dream, just a dream, dream"). So maybe the answer is "dreams"?

But I don't know how that fits in with the other clues. The only other half-guess at a musical clue is that "under the boiling point" could refer to the group 98 Degrees, but I don't know much about them.

Adding some thoughts from the comments:

"the sore O.S." -> thesaurus? So some of the clues may involve synonyms of the word "dream" or something like that.

Perhaps the reference in the second line isn't merely that the word "dream" is in the song lyrics, but also that the band is R.E.M., which is known to happen while you're dreaming.

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  • $\begingroup$ And the OS line. $\endgroup$
    – SendersReagent
    May 5, 2016 at 18:05
  • $\begingroup$ You are almost there, your assessment of the title is correct as is the 3rd hint, you almost have the second line, think about the first part of the line. Also the 3rd line is likely the hardest line to figure out $\endgroup$
    – Gordon Allocman
    May 5, 2016 at 18:10
  • $\begingroup$ @SendersReagent the 2nd hint, like the first one, it mostly just a tip on how to solve the riddle, not an allusion to the answer itself. (Tip, the second hint may make more sense when spoken out loud) $\endgroup$
    – Gordon Allocman
    May 5, 2016 at 18:15
  • $\begingroup$ To be more apparent, your answer is correct, I am looking for the correct interpretation of all the clues (hints are bonus but not necessary) before I will accept though $\endgroup$
    – Gordon Allocman
    May 5, 2016 at 18:21
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    $\begingroup$ There's also this song by this band that might relate to line #1. $\endgroup$
    – Dan Russell
    May 5, 2016 at 19:50
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Is the answer:

A turning point

When the final buffalo sings I'll most likely happen.

Likely referring to the extinction of the Buffalo, marking a turning point in society. Likely referring to "when the fat lady sings" marking a point of finality, or a turning point.

I'm known to happen when you displace your faith.

A turning point in your life.

If you have a few minutes to rhyme under the boiling point, you might find me within myself

Turning point rhymes with boiling point, and you find it within yourself when under pressure

I'm unwanted by those who have sought prime retribution

Those who seek retribution generally do not want to transform their lives after the fact. The often have the opportunity to create a turning point in some way, but reject it to seek revenge instead.

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  • $\begingroup$ And sorry, posted this before seeing the title, so upon consideration this is probably not right! $\endgroup$
    – Liam Daly
    May 3, 2016 at 0:07
  • $\begingroup$ Interesting answer, but the music tag is very important in finding the correct answer $\endgroup$
    – Gordon Allocman
    May 3, 2016 at 3:49
  • $\begingroup$ Quite right, totally missed the tag! Sorry @GordonAllocman! $\endgroup$
    – Liam Daly
    May 3, 2016 at 4:24
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Note this is the question poster giving a canonical answer to the question. I very likely made some of the clues too hard so I figured I would explain them. Please direct all your upvotes to @SQLnoob's answer as it got the answer and most of the clues corectly

I am:

Dreams

Reasoning:

Title:

Fleetwood Mac's song dreams Some boats -> fleet, some trees -> wood, pasta -> mac
Dreams is one of the most well known songs

Lines:
When the final buffalo sings I'll most likely happen.

The song is Sleep by The Last Bison
Final -> last, Buffalo -> Bison, dreams happen during sleep
This was found by @DanRussell
*I apologize for this being so obscure, I thought they were more popular than they are

I'm known to happen when you displace your faith.

The song is Losing my religion by R.E.M. displace -> lose, faith -> religion, sleep happens during R.E.M. sleep cycle This was found by @SQLnoob

If you have a few minutes to rhyme under the boiling point, you might find me within myself

The song is Time by Hans Zimmer (the theme song to Inception)
few minutes -> Time, rhyme under the boiling point: simmer is to cook just under the boiling point, and Zimmer rhymes with simmer. Inception is a movie based on going into dreams within dreams to plant an idea

I'm unwanted by those who have sought prime retribution

Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold Prime -> 7, sought retribution -> avenged, nightmares are a form of unwanted dreams

Hints:

Hint 1:

The title of the riddle was a clue, as well as the importance of song titles/movie titles throughout the riddle

Hint 2:

the sore O.S. is close to a homonym for thesaurus, the riddle makes heavy use of synonyms to hide the real meaning

Hint 3:

Found by @SQLnoob, this translates to "Thunder only happens when it's raining", part of the chorus of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac

Hint 4:

Both the title and 3rd hint refer to the same song

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