# How did "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" get stuck in my head? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 1, 2007, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918 "2007-11-01T20:28:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nd\_n8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/439d5e/32.png) [@nd\_n8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nd_n8)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/21 "2007-11-02T14:39:38Z")
[Manly Baritone] Way out here we have a name, For Rain and Wind and Fire. The Fire’s Hot, The Rain is Wet, And we call the Wind… The Wind. [/Manly Baritone] ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/22 "2007-11-02T14:46:19Z")
**twickster** , you have my heartfelt sympathy. Any earworm from _Oklahoma_ makes me want to reach for the nearest nailgun in order to purchase a moment’s peace. Of course, the worst earworm I’ve ever had (everybody got their nailguns ready?) was: _I LIKE traffic lights I LIKE traffic lights I LIKE traffic lights No matter where they’ve been…_ The agony. The utter, soulsucking, indescribable agony. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/23 "2007-11-02T14:55:24Z")
[QUOTE=koeeoaddi] Mariah! Mariah! They call the wind Mariah. [/QUOTE] Angel’s just gotta have her time, call her Black Mariah! (that’s the song I get stuck in my head when I hear Mariah) ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/24 "2007-11-02T17:48:56Z")
You may enjoy this: for a solid year, A SOLID YEAR, I tell you, my son requested that I sing these three songs each night before he went to bed: My Old Kentucky Home, Eidelweiss and Surrey With The Fringe On Top. Every night. I can make grocery lists, plan outfits for a week, and solve quadratic equation while singing these songs. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/25 "2007-11-02T18:09:27Z")
Oh you have my sympathy! Whenever I hear that song, I always think of the scene in _When Harry Met Sally_ ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/26 "2007-11-02T18:52:36Z")
The best cure I’ve found for earworms is to turn on the radio and pray for something catchy and less irritating. This does not always work. Years ago I caught a GI bug of the very nastiest kind. I came home from church, tossed my Cheerios, and proceeded tossing everything I had eaten, or thought about eating, for the past month. I was so very ill that it hurt to think. All I could do was lie on the couch and hurl in a bucket. (don’t worry, I’m going somewhere with this) I couldn’t so much as lift my arm to reach the remote, which is why I spend serveral hours being accosted by public television pledge drives. (little brother had left PBS on and gone to do something else) I was too sick to request that PBS pledge drives be turned off. It was awful and there was nothing I could do about it. Then my father came in, turned off the tv (relief!) and turned on public radio. Which was also pledge driving. Somewhere in the midst of that, the song “I’m gonna get you” by Bizarre, Inc. climbed into my ear. Where did it come from? I have no idea. They certainly don’t play it on the classical station. So it was hours of “Why waste your time / you know you’re gonna be mine” Dry heave “You know you’re going to be mine” “We only need three more callers to call in with their pledge!” “You know you’re going to be mine” “You are the people who make public radio possible!” “You know you’re going to be mine” “You know you’re going to be mine” “You know you’re going to be mine” “You know you’re going to be mine” “You know you’re going to be mine” “You know you’re going to be mine” “You know you’re going to be mine” “You know you’re going to be mine” “You know you’re going to be mine” Until my parents got tired of watching me wish to die on the couch and sent me up to my room. I think it took me fifteen minutes to climb the steps and walk down the hallway. “Why waste your time” You know you’re going to be mine" I collapsed on the bed, bucket at the ready. “You know you’re going to be mine” “You know you’re going to be mine” Without the pledge breaks, I was alone with my earworm. “You know you’re going to be mine” “You know you’re going to be mine” I rolled over and reached an impossibly heavy arm out to just reach the radio on my nightstand. In a last ditch effort to rid myself of hell with a techno beat, I turned on the radio. The radio was tuned to the local top 40 station. Out of the radio came WHY WASTE YOUR TIME… ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/27 "2007-11-02T19:14:32Z")
I frequently get the songs from “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”. Of course, they’re all songs about working in an office, so if someone around here says there’s no coffee, my brain goes, “NO COFFEE! No coffee?” etc. Or, someone says, “It sure has been a long day” and my brain goes, “Well it’s been a long, been a long, been a long, been a long day.” Don’t even mention New Rochelle. (“That’s the place where the mansion will be, for me and the darling bright young man I’ve picked out for marrying me…”) Gak! ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/28 "2007-11-02T19:16:44Z")
Actually, that song always reminds me of a thread about the child of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes that was headed by one of the best thread titles EVER on this board: [Pics of Suri with the Lunatic Fringe for a Pop](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=387032&highlight=lunatic+fringe) by **Tuckerfan**. Now THAT was funny. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/29 "2007-11-02T20:31:29Z")
True Story: I was mixing up a slurry of glass pellets and an index-matching fluid, and wanted to see if I could get them to completely disappear. I was goinng to place the cuvette of the mixture in one arm of an interferometer, and look for the interference fringes. You can see it coming, can’t you? Someone came in and asked what I was doing. After I explained, he said: [spoiler] Stop! Don’t tell me. You’re looking for the Slurry with the Fringe on the Top! [/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/30 "2007-11-03T00:35:24Z")
[QUOTE=Dung Beetle] I frequently get the songs from “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”. … Don’t even mention New Rochelle. [/QUOTE] How about if I make inquires about the secretarial staff? ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/31 "2007-11-03T01:28:20Z")
It’s taken me awhile to getting around to replying to this thread. But as I was crusing through yesterday, I couldn’t believe how weird it was. Just yesterday morning I was singing ‘Surrey’ as a form of torturing , oops, I mean entertaining my employees! ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/32 "2007-11-03T02:57:24Z")
You know [that thread about whether it’s possible to read while dreaming](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=298380)? I recently _googled_ in my dream. The phrase I googled was “With isenglass curtains you can roll right down, in case there’s a change in the weather.” Apparently I spelled “Isenglass” wrong. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/33 "2007-11-03T23:57:51Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] And how can I get it out? [/QUOTE] Funny you should ask, dear **Twicks**. Sometime in the last few evenings, I returned to the television to hear somebody talking about a guy who had commandeered the stage (of a strip club? a karaoke?) to belt out… and there was a barrel-chested guy in a bright yellow shirt and a bandana, singing Surrey WTFOT. He was no John Raitt, but he was on pitch. Was it on Pushing Daisies? MNI Earl? I dunno. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/34 "2007-11-04T00:18:06Z")
Yeah, “My Name is Earl” had it on Thursday night in the scene **AskNott** describes. I didn’t watch the episode until last night and when I saw that scene I was lik e"well there is **twickster** ’s earworm" 🙂 BTW it was Timothy Stack doing the song and dance. That dude is crazy! ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2007, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/35 "2007-11-04T00:26:45Z")
AWWWW **twicks**! Here, [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNRPQIOdZNM) should help you. No need to thank me. It was my pleasure. Really… ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2007, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/36 "2007-11-04T00:48:24Z")
Of course, there’s always this [antidote](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7V5Qh7Wke8). You’re welcome. GT ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2007, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/37 "2007-11-04T01:47:13Z")
**Twickster** , Did you, by any chance, catch When Harry Met Sally on TBS or something? There’s the karaoke machine scene with that song. Sticks in my head every time. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2007, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/38 "2007-11-04T02:02:31Z")
Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head … ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2007, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918/39 "2007-11-04T04:08:44Z")
Oh, great. Now, when I see WTF in a post, I’ll think “With The Fringe.” :smack: :eek: That’ll teach me to abbreviate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top-get-stuck-in-my-head/424918.md?page=1)