I was explaining to someone the other day that I always have some tune “playing” in the back of my mind. I’m functioning normally otherwise and can think reasonably clearly. I suspect that this is probably due to some mixture of the fact that I play music by ear, and that I have lousy concentration in general. (The latter may be the EFFECT, not the CAUSE, though.) The song du jour is often just the last song I heard on the radio on the way to work, but it’s sometimes one that was apparently suggested by a conversation or event. Typically I can figure out why it’s that particular song at that time.
At any rate, the person thinks I’m loony, and of course he may be right. My question is whether this phenomenon is widespread, or if I’m some sort of middle-aged ADD victim? As you read this, and assuming that there’s no music playing where you are, is there something in the “Now Playing Mentally” display?
Just to make things clear, what, exactly, is the question here? The OP is asking, first, is this phenomenon normal? This is a perfectly good GQ question. Secondly, what songs do the Dopers collectively happen to have running through their heads? This is a perfectly good IMHO question. Let me know, so I know whether to move this thread.
Those of you aware of my interests in music won’t find this surprising:
No, there is no music playing in my head. It happens but it is pretty rare and short lived.
This strikes me as an IMHO thread. Even if the first questiopn is the primary one, I doubt we’ll see any specific information on the nature and frequency of this phenomenon. It’ll just be a lot of people saying “yes, it happens to me” (and I expect that is the answer to commonality).
I’ve known you all my life, and I’d say that yes, he’s right. You ARE a loon.
Maybe it runs in the family, cause I have the same problem… but worse. I’ll often start singing along to the song in my head (luckily, I’ve got a good voice).
Right now, teh song is ‘Out of touch’ (I think that’s the title) by Hall & Oates. I think they played it on VH1 while I was asleep (with the TV on) since I normally wouldn’t listen to this song.
My intent was really GQ, not IMHO - I do want to understand how pervasive this phenomenon is, not necessarily what the song is. What song it is makes the answers more interesting, but it’s not to primary question.
seriously, I’ve heard of this phenomenon before, except in the circles of abnormal psychology, where it is called musicolalia (IIRC). There have been cases of people being driven to suicide because they can’t stop the tune in their head.
and strangely enough…the song going through my head today is Du Hast.
My husband and my parents always used to admonish me to “stop singing”, because I always have some song stuck in my head and i’ll inevitably start humming or ‘mumble singing’ it while I’m doing things such as eating or changing clothes, and I don’t even know I’m doing it. My husband will just grab my wrist and say, “J. Stop singing”
The song I usually hear is the last one that was playing in my car. If I’m lucky, the talk jockeys were on rather than a song. If not, I could be thinking of “Tubthumping” all day long.
What’s really bad is if it’s a song from a kids’ CD that I play for my daughter. I could very well have John Lithgow singing “From the Indies to the Andes in His Undies”.
Augh! It’s there now!
“He sings the songs that remind him of the better times…”
