This one's been stumping me for years. The good news is, I found a
link where you can hear the song (it's on a radio station aircheck,
and is not identified by the DJ). Alternative radio station KUKQ in
Phoenix used to play this song in 89/90, but I never knew who
performed it.

Here is a quick link with a one-minute sample: 

http://members.cox.net/jim.ballard/unknown_88-89.mp3 

Here is the link for a radio station tribute site: 

http://daveandrews.tripod.com/kukq.html 

If you scroll down and click on the aircheck with this title: 

"41 minutes of Tim Stone afternoon show, April 15, 1989" 

..it is the very first song that is playing. (Real Media format) 

It's a very quirky alterna-rock song with funky guitars, horn stabs,
processed drums, and female vocals that are reminiscent of Lene Lovich
and Nina Hagen.

I have managed to decipher most of the lyrics, but it's hard to tell
with some of the words, so this is my best guess. Maybe these will
ring a bell for someone:

Who gives a ???? about a little happiness 
You've got your drug wars and of course you're part of me 
You got your money, goodbye 
Somebody ought to spank you 
Now your stinking affairs leave a certain ???? 
..and your ????, your plans and your brotherhoods 
Who can forget about your local ???? ???? 
You got your mother, your daughter 
???? ???? makes you oppose 
Off a ball of confusion, seems like nobody knows 

(chourus, hard to make out) 
She's going to break it, like God made the flu (not sure there!) 
She's such a wonderful thing she's got voodoo 

I confess that I'm an optimist 
that's why when I choose nothing has to miss 
I love everything, anything, all this mess 
in a world where everything takes the test 
You can bleed my pockets if you want to (USE!) 
You can scrape (?) my pockets if you want to (HATE!) 
You can choose a path if you want to (RIGHT!) 
You can use your head if you want to (HOOH!) (?) 

Take me to your leader 
Let's not mess around 
Make yourself a pizza (?) 
We're from out of town 

I chew my lips to pieces over this 
every night they sit like zombies watch the news 
A ???? ???? ???? ???? has gone all wrong 
Now her needle ???? ???? ???? so you know she's got the flu 
A major affair seems to be forgiven 
But making her kill is just not her living 
Money and babes are a pride of living broom 
Now you want to know who pulled and pulled and pulled 

(chourus, hard to make out) 
She's going to break it, like God made the flu (not sure there!) 
She's such a wonderful thing she's got voodoo 
I confess that I'm an optimist 
that's why when I choose nothing has to miss 
I love everything, anything, all this mess 
in a world where everything takes the test 
You can bleed my pockets if you want to (USE!) 
You can scrape (?) my pockets if you want to (HATE!) 
You can choose a path if you want to (RIGHT!) 
You can use your head if you want to (HOOH!) (?) 

(repeat) 

Take me to your leader 
Let's not mess around 
Make yourself a pizza (?) 
We're from out of town 

If anyone knows what this mystery song is, please let me know - thanks! 

Jim

I don't know the answer, but I bet I know who will.  His name is Jay
Cumbie, and he's the DJ for an internet alternative 80's radio
station.  I don't know if I'm allowed to post his email addy here, but
it's his name at Yahoo dot com.

Or go to http://www.radioio.com/radioio80s.php and there's a link to
email him there.

cheezfri

It's "I Confess" by The Tom Tom Club. It's from their album "Boom Boom
Chi Boom Boom" which is out of print, I believe. Good luck finding a
copy!

best, mark

Awesome, that's it Mark! Thanks for solving this mystery. I guess it's
not that 'obscure' of a song.

Jim