# annoying tune substitution **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 28, 2001, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-tune-substitution/90049 "2001-10-28T02:41:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pharoah\_chromium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@pharoah\_chromium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pharoah_chromium)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-tune-substitution/90049/1 "2001-10-28T02:41:39Z")
Today I discovered – I have no idea why or how – that the words to “Pinball Wizard” can be sung to the tune of “Wabash Cannonball”. Now I can’t get it out of my head. ---
**Author:** ![TheNewbie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/db5fbb/32.png) [@TheNewbie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNewbie)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-tune-substitution/90049/2 "2001-10-28T03:01:43Z")
Here, maybe this will help ya… Everyone sing along now! **Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream.** [sub]ahhh! now that’s stuck in my head[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-tune-substitution/90049/3 "2001-10-28T03:49:04Z")
You can also do “Amazing Grace” to the tune of the Gilligan’s Island theme song. It’s a good song to start singing to yourself in a quiet voice if you think a meeting has gone on too long. They stare, they laugh, they bleed from the ears, then leave the room. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-tune-substitution/90049/4 "2001-10-28T07:19:42Z")
And I’ve heard that the Gilligan’s Island theme can be sung to the tune of Stairway to Heaven. Certainly “…and they’re here on Gilligan’s Island” matches “…and she’s buying a stairway to heaven.” ---
**Author:** ![ferrisgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e5b9ba/32.png) [@ferrisgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ferrisgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-tune-substitution/90049/5 "2001-10-28T07:56:04Z")
i think gilligan’s island must be the all-purpose tune, since you can also sing any emily dickinson poem to it (or so i’ve heard. the one i know by heart “a bird came down the walk” works.) maybe the pentameter has something to do with it? i’m not smart enough to try to come up with a theory about that, though. ---
**Author:** ![bagkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ab992/32.png) [@bagkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bagkitty)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-tune-substitution/90049/6 "2001-10-28T07:59:34Z")
[sadistic bastard mode] It’s a small world afterall It’s a small world afterall It’s a small world afterall It’s a small, small world [/sadistic bastard mode] There, that should drive any other tune out of your head BWAAAAAHAAAAAAAHAAAA ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-tune-substitution/90049/7 "2001-10-28T08:06:22Z")
My favorite is Emily Dickinson done to “The Yellow Rose of Texas”. I can’t read any of her poetry anymore. ---
**Author:** ![DarkJudicator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@DarkJudicator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkJudicator)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/annoying-tune-substitution/90049/8 "2001-10-28T08:14:58Z")
A radio station here in Oz was doing this kind of thing a little while ago… apparently the Autralian national anthem can be sung to the tune of, among other songs… - House of the Rising Sun - The Gilligan’s Isle theme song - Amazing Grace _hums in head_ nope, Stairway doesn’t work… I know someone who once sang the first part of the periodic table to the tune of the chorus of “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” - that works really well, but makes you look kinda geeky. … Hey, I’m a chemistry major, leave me alone! 😃