# Do you have a constant soundtrack in your head? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 5, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145 "2005-07-05T15:32:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/1 "2005-07-05T15:32:16Z")
I guess this is a poll of sorts. I know most people can get songs stuck in their heads for hours or days, but do most people _always_ have music playing in their minds? Dangerdad says he does not, and thinks it’s weird, but I do. So I put it to your folks. I _always_ have a tune or something playing mentally. It’s not necessarily very loud–though I get annoying songs stuck on high volume like many people, it’s not always like that. Mostly it’s medium and can be ignored. It’s not very conscious, but if I stop and think for a minute, I’ll realize what’s playing. Usually, it’s something I heard recently, or it might also be a song triggered by a mental association or something–sometimes one I haven’t heard or sung in years (“Memory” showed up the other day, argh). I’m not particularly musical; I haven’t got perfect pitch, I’m only reasonably competent at singing, and I can’t play any instrument well (I took years of piano but was entirely mediocre). What I can do is remember songs. That’s all. So, doesn’t everyone do this? Or am I some kind of weirdo? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/2 "2005-07-05T15:53:04Z")
I am always playing songs in my head. The weird thing for me is that sometimes I get songs stuck in my head that I don’t even like. And yet as I’m walking down the street I has Sweet Home Alabama playing. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/3 "2005-07-05T16:07:01Z")
Personally, most days, when I wake up a song plays in my head. Sometimes, it continues throughout the day, sometimes not. [Here is another thread about this.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=310739) ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/4 "2005-07-05T16:30:19Z")
Every day, all day, I have music in my head. It only stops when I’m sleeping, well, except for the time I dreamed how to join one unfinished song of mine to another. It woke me up, and I went over to the piano and played it, and it was perfect! It was really cool, because they’re in different keys! But yeah, a portable music device and headphones would be superfluous for me. I’ve got a juke box in my head and I don’t know how to shut it off. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/5 "2005-07-05T16:35:07Z")
I have the constant song too. And it is like listening to a recording of the song - not just me humming in my head or something. I’m not particularly musical, either, but I love music and have it playing most of the time. One funny thing to note of my head soundtrack - it very often is a song relating to what I’m currently doing or thinking about, and I don’t even realize it until I stop and think about what I’m hearing in my head. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/6 "2005-07-05T16:44:48Z")
Every second I’m awake, there is music flowing through my head. I’m either composing my own music to work on later, or internally headbanging to whatever is stuck in my head. I’ve had “Highway to hell” stuck in my head for a few days now. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/7 "2005-07-05T16:54:54Z")
I’ve often commented (to my apathetic friends) that my life would be seriously improved by the addition of incidental music. Not least by letting me know when something bad was about to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/8 "2005-07-05T17:13:13Z")
Good idea. It could be done, say, by attaching [a homemade mp3 player](http://web.media.mit.edu/~ladyada/make/minty/index.html) to a motion detector. Put it in a [backpack with speakers](http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Street-Grind-Sound-Hog-Backpack-000380-/sem/rpsm/oid/121674/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do) , and you are all set. [del]You will annoy all your neighbors[/del]. It would be great! Set it to play [Mah Na Mah Na](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mah_Na_Mah_Na) while you walk, and stop playing when you stop. Just like the real song. It could play “Eye of the Tiger”, when you run. Heh. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/9 "2005-07-05T17:23:05Z")
Whenever I drive by McMansions, I’m always thinking… _Helter Skelter, duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh!_ :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/10 "2005-07-05T17:31:38Z")
Does if have to be a musical soundtrack? Cuz if not, yeah, I’ve got one. It goes like this: > [@](#): > > You only think you’ve got them all fooled but they are on to you and they’ll break down your door any minute and expose you for the big fraud you are. Sometimes, RadioHead - Karma Police plays the background soundtrack. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/11 "2005-07-05T20:15:10Z")
I always have music in my head. Sometimes my mind is nice to me and goes through a whole song and then on to another one, but usually it’s particularly persistent bits of things that repeat themselves endlessly. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/12 "2005-07-05T20:29:00Z")
Ever since I was a little girl, I have sung myself to sleep. I don’t know why, but the song I use is “Rock-a My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.” I learned this song at Girl Scout Camp when I was eight years old, and it has been stuck in my head for nearly fifty years. It comes creeping out at nighttime, and I hear it as I fall asleep. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/13 "2005-07-05T21:44:37Z")
I nearly always have music in my head. When I’m talking to certain people, certain songs will play in my mind for those conversations. Otherwise, it may be a random song with no relation to anything. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/14 "2005-07-05T21:48:50Z")
Always, always. It’s embarassing when it comes out of my head and I start singing it though! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/15 "2005-07-05T21:52:13Z")
You know **Quick** , You can almost sing that to Pop Goes the Weasle. ---
**Author:** ![Ashes\_Ashes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/16 "2005-07-05T22:09:19Z")
Except when I’m working on something, and even then I’ll have music running through my head if it’s not a very involved task. I would really like to know who the DJ for my head is, because that guy is insane. The theme to Under Dog followed by samples of Modest Mouse and then that ‘This is Your Land’ song? ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/17 "2005-07-05T22:24:20Z")
Usually have a song running through my head, often the last one I heard or thought of. It’s not uncommon for me to get a single song in there for days at a time either. I also sometimes get two songs running concurrently. I fell asleep one night to a non-sensical (though enjoyable) rendition of _The Saints Go Marching In_ mixed with _Cell Block Tango_ from Chicago. And sometimes I’ll get a word or phrase stuck in my head. Now _that_ is annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/18 "2005-07-05T22:27:48Z")
Always, always, always. I’m another who loves music and usually has it playing constantly. Just now I had Courtney Love’s “Julian, I’m a Little Bit Older” stuck in my head. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/19 "2005-07-06T01:08:50Z")
Nearly always. Not today though, I was too stressed, but most days there are songs in my head for at least 1/3rd of the time I’m awake. More if it’s a day that doesn’t require a lot of deep thinking that drowns the music out. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145/20 "2005-07-06T01:16:48Z")
> [@An Arky](#): > > Whenever I drive by McMansions, I’m always thinking… > _Helter Skelter, duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh!_ :dubious: Wouldn’t that make them **McMansons**? 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-constant-soundtrack-in-your-head/311145.md?page=2)