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Song Stuck in Your Head? You're Not Alone
Reuters ^ | Monday, Feb 24, 2003 | Alison McCook

Posted on 02/24/2003 8:26:14 PM PST by InShanghai

 
Song Stuck in Your Head? You're Not Alone
By Alison McCook

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The vast majority of people say they have been mentally tortured at one point in their lives by a song that keeps repeating itself over and over in their heads.

And new research shows that people most frequently plagued by this phenomenon are those with slightly neurotic tendencies , and people who enjoy and listen to music often.

These mental broken records are also more likely to play the first or last song we hear in different situations, such as the first song that comes on in the morning alarm, or the last song playing before we turn off the car, study findings show.

Songs that topped the list as being most likely to stick around in someone's head included the Baha Men's "Who Let the Dogs Out?" and the Chili's restaurant jingle about Baby Back Ribs.

But the number one song rated most likely to cause this phenomenon, referred to as an "earworm" in Germany, is "other"--indicating that many different songs can become stuck in our heads.

"Just about anything can get stuck in people's heads," study author Dr. James Kellaris of the University of Cincinnati told Reuters Health.

"We each have our personal demonic tunes that get stuck in our heads, I guess," he added.

Kellaris presented results from his current study on Saturday at the Society for Consumer Psychology Winter Conference in New Orleans.

Kellaris's previous research into the phenomenon of earworms revealed that "sticky" songs are those that are relatively simple, repetitive, and contain an element that surprises the listener. This incongruous element can be an interrupted pattern, or something that violates expectations of what comes next.

During the current study, Kellaris distributed surveys to 559 people aged 18 to 49 asking them about their personalities, how often tunes got stuck in their heads, how long the episodes lasted, and when the phenomenon was most likely to happen.

Ninety-eight percent of respondents said they had experienced stuck songs. Most said the episodes occurred "frequently," and lasted an average of a few hours.

Songs with lyrics were most often the culprits, a trend that Kellaris said is not surprising. Often what gets sticky is not just a tune, but also lyrics, a trend he calls "stupid lyrics syndrome." Combining a tune and lyrics ups the chance of song snippets staying with the listener for hours, he said.

Episodes of earworms also tend to strike people with neurotic tendencies more often. These people are not seriously neurotic, Kellaris said, but may simply be more prone to worrying and anxiety, and may have neurotic habits like biting pencils or tapping fingernails.

Women were more likely than men to report feeling annoyed, frustrated, or irritated about having songs stuck in their heads--a trend Kellaris said he is hard pressed to explain.

In terms of how to protect yourself from earworms, Kellaris recommended that people not worry about a stuck song as soon as it appears, and perhaps avoid listening to music for a spell if it becomes too sticky.

Strategies people report using to rid themselves of stuck tunes involved trying to listen to something else, distracting themselves with another activity, and trying to erase the repetition of one song snippet by singing the song all the way through.

"If they can't remember the lyrics, sometimes it helps for them to sing through the entire song, and then it will go away," Kellaris said.

Kellaris said he has also heard a "folkloric" recommendation of chewing on cinnamon sticks to rid the brain of a sticky song.

"Some people swear that will unstick a stuck tune," he said.



TOPICS: Extended News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: greatthreads; lyricalneurosis; music; songs
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To: Interesting Times
It's Seals and Croft, btw. One Croft was bad enough.

Jim Seals and Dash Croft used to be members of which group that had a huge hit, an instrumental save for one word, the title?

The Champs, but S and C joined after the Champs had their huge hit, "Tequila." (Glen Campbell also was part of the Champs for a while.)

"Tequila" was first heard in a movie in which film starring which Mexican comic actor?

"Pepe," starring Cantinflas.

(The Six Degrees of Seals and Croft?)

381 posted on 02/25/2003 6:33:48 AM PST by Charles Henrickson (I actually *liked* S & C's "Closer to Me, Closer to You")
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To: always paddle your own canoe
What's even worse are the various idiotic lyrics that are typically written to that tune that (1) are used for a TV commercial, or (2) used to sing about John Wayne Bobbit's encounter with Lorena and her knife.
382 posted on 02/25/2003 6:36:30 AM PST by Marauder ("We on a roll now.")
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To: ab1
Welcome to FR. ... I ran so far away!

(I'm asking myself why I ever posted this article: arrrrhgggghhhhhhhhhh!)

I come in last night about half past ten,
that baby of mine wouldn't let me in
So move it on over, rock it on over,
move over little dog, the mean old dog is movin'
in.

383 posted on 02/25/2003 6:37:00 AM PST by InShanghai (Saddam will eat pork!)
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To: InShanghai
Ouch! This topic is a nightmare.

Some damage control needed.

Put on Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel, and you'll have a antidote to the miserable songs on this thread.

Web sites are devoted to Canon in D. I play it everyday, in everyway I can find it!

sw

384 posted on 02/25/2003 6:39:22 AM PST by spectre (spectre's wife (Have a whole Album of the same song too))
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To: Marauder
Bzzz! "In the Summertime" was Mungo Jerry (as previously answered), not Roger Miller.

But speaking of Roger Miller, I'll see your "Doo Wacka Doo" and "Dang Me" ("They oughta take a rope and hang me"), and I'll raise you a "King of the Road" ("Trailers for sale or rent") and an "England Swings" ("Like a pendulum do").

Of course, once you mention Roger Miller, you immediately think of Ray Stevens, which leads you to Jim Stafford, and then you're into "I don't like spiders and snakes," and. . . .

385 posted on 02/25/2003 6:41:16 AM PST by Charles Henrickson (Help! I can't stop!)
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To: RightFin
Here's one for ya...

My baloney has a first name
It's O-S-C-A-R
My baloney has a second name
It's M-A-Y-E-R
Oh, I love to eat it every day
And if you ask me, why I'll say
'Cause Oscar Mayer has a way with
B-O-L-O-G-N-A

386 posted on 02/25/2003 6:42:29 AM PST by InShanghai (Saddam will eat pork!)
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This is the worst song of all times.

Title: "Best Friend" (AKA Theme to 'The Courtship of Eddie's Father')

By: "Harry Nilsson"

People let me tell you 'bout my best friend,
He's a warm hearted person who'll love me till the end.
People let me tell you bout my best friend,
He's a one boy cuddly toy, my up, my down, my pride and joy.

People let me tell you 'bout him he's so much fun
Whether we're talkin' man to man or whether we're talking son to son.
Cause he's my best friend.
Yes he's my best friend.

I think it's the scat singing at the end of this atrocity that really gives it maximum suckage, plus it's bouncy, so just reading the words should make them stick in your mind...perhaps for days.

387 posted on 02/25/2003 6:43:09 AM PST by kaylar
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To: speedy
"Oh Sweet Pea, won't you dance with me? Won't you won't you won't you dance with me-eeee." I'm gonna get fired if I don't get out of here. Bye all.

Horribly enough, I was just going to post that one.

388 posted on 02/25/2003 6:43:24 AM PST by Interesting Times
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To: Charles Henrickson
Seals and Crofts
389 posted on 02/25/2003 6:43:52 AM PST by strela (Porgie Tirebiter - He's a Spy and a Girl Delighter)
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To: gcruse
What has been stuck in my head for weeks is Momma cleaning the kitchen with that Clorox Bleach

Well, I couldn't resist taking a quick look at this thread on the way out the door this morning, and now I'm VERY SORRY. All the way to work, like a skipping record: "MOMMA'S got the power...MOMMA'S got the power...MOMMA'S got the power...MOMMA'S got the power..."

If I find myself whistling it, I must hunt you all down and cause you grave bodily damage.

390 posted on 02/25/2003 6:45:49 AM PST by T Minus Four
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To: Charles Henrickson
It's Seals and Croft, btw. One Croft was bad enough.

That's not what they think at Seals-and-Crofts-dot-com

391 posted on 02/25/2003 6:46:00 AM PST by Interesting Times
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To: speedy
The real world is calling to me, too. As part of my graduate work, I'm taking a course in Swedish, and tonight's the midterm, so I better go study.

'Course now, I'll be thinking of ABBA records and Ace of Base. . . .

392 posted on 02/25/2003 6:47:55 AM PST by Charles Henrickson (Can you hear the drums, Fernando?)
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To: unix
Jenny Jenny you're the girl for me

You don't know me but you make me so happy
393 posted on 02/25/2003 6:48:18 AM PST by Mad Dawgg (French: old Europe word meaning surrender)
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To: Don W
"Do the Freddy" - Freddy and the Dreamers
394 posted on 02/25/2003 6:49:53 AM PST by Marauder ("We on a roll now.")
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To: T Minus Four
Very seriously ROFLMAO!!!!

My apologies to any FReepers that have been Tortured by this post...
395 posted on 02/25/2003 6:50:21 AM PST by InShanghai (Saddam will eat pork!)
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To: Charles Henrickson
Of course, once you mention Roger Miller, you immediately think of Ray Stevens, which leads you to Jim Stafford, and then you're into "I don't like spiders and snakes," and. . . .

...and thence to Jerry Reed.

Amos Moses was a Cajun, he lived by himself in a swamp.
He hunted alligators for a livin', he'd just knock 'em in the head with a stump...

396 posted on 02/25/2003 6:51:09 AM PST by Interesting Times
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To: Interesting Times
Aggh!! It looks like you're right! It's Seals and Crofts! And all this time. . . .

OK, for my punishment, you'll have to make me sing, "We may never pass this way again," all day.

Now, I promise, I'm breaking away and getting to work.

397 posted on 02/25/2003 6:53:01 AM PST by Charles Henrickson (Crofts!)
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To: Charles Henrickson
Yes, but you'll be back.
398 posted on 02/25/2003 6:55:15 AM PST by Interesting Times
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To: kaylar
Title: "Best Friend" (AKA Theme to 'The Courtship of Eddie's Father')

Very good.

Even after the cumulative numbing effect of the previous 386 posts, many of which I committed myself, that one still made me flinch.

By: "Harry Nilsson"

Who also, let us never forget, gave us "Lime in the Coconut."

399 posted on 02/25/2003 7:02:21 AM PST by Interesting Times
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To: InShanghai
My personal nightmare song came about because I used to be a traveling Disc Jockey in the late 70s early 80s. This song is now etched into my brain forever I am afraid to say.

Have you ever been over to a friend's house to eat
and the food just ain't no good
the macaroni is soggy the peas are mushed and the chicken tastes like wood
400 posted on 02/25/2003 7:06:22 AM PST by Mad Dawgg (French: old Europe word meaning surrender)
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