# Music for Psychological Warfare **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2002, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474 "2002-08-25T07:39:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Blind\_Guardian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@Blind\_Guardian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blind_Guardian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/23 "2002-08-26T02:03:00Z")
Two words: Yoko Ono. _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/24 "2002-08-26T03:04:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bobkitty \* > \*\*I can’t believe it. All these posts and not one mention of a true classic. > > Come on, guys… > > _I’m Henry the Eighth I am, Hen-er-y the Eighth I am, I am…_ > > Five hundred and sixtieth verse, same as the first… \*\* My friend kept singing that song during our visit to Hampton Court Palace. The whole tour group ended up with it stuck in our heads! I’m surprised no one was killed. I knew a girl in school who, for reasons of her own, burned a “torture CD”. David Bowie’s “The Laughing Gnome” was prominently featured. Another friend liked to listen to The Stooges while working on layouts for the school paper. I think the other editors eventually made her stop. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/25 "2002-08-26T03:18:54Z")
Macarena The Chicken Dance LA Style - James Brown is Dead ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/26 "2002-08-26T03:56:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bobkitty \* > \*\*I can’t believe it. All these posts and not one mention of a true classic. > > Come on, guys… > > _I’m Henry the Eighth I am, Hen-er-y the Eighth I am, I am…_ > > Five hundred and sixtieth verse, same as the first… \*\* It’s always been a personal favourite of mine for that. Used to torture my cousins with it. On this subject, I’m reminded of a South Park episode where the ATF thinks that a local party is a Koresh style bunker house. They play Cher’s “Life After Love” claiming that no one can withstand this. Inside the party, someone decides to change the music, and they play… Cher’s “Life After Love”. ---
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/27 "2002-08-26T06:37:14Z")
John Carpenter’s _Halloween_ sountrack…over and over and over and over… Now, _me_…I can listen to that all day, but I’ve found it does tend to creep a lot of people out. ---
**Author:** ![Nurobath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a88e57/32.png) [@Nurobath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nurobath)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/28 "2002-08-26T07:17:17Z")
The passive approach…Kenny G or any other new-age pseudo-jazz. They’ll be comatose in no time and your commandos can just walk right in and get em. If you want them to just kill themselves and save you the trouble I’d go with Michael Bolton. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/29 "2002-08-26T08:09:51Z")
_Death Rape 2000_ by Wiseblood. The same three notes played over and over again for nine minutes. Anything John Tesch ever recorded. Dolly Parton’s covers of _Time For Me To Fly_ and _Stairway to Heaven_. _Metal Machine_ by Lou Reed. Negativeland’s _No Escape From Noise_ album. Give me time, and I’ll come up with a list of stuff that’ll make you claw your ears off at the mere mention of it. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/30 "2002-08-26T08:23:49Z")
“Sabre Dance '94” by Dave Edmunds - also good for apartment dwellers with thin walls who are tired of hearing the neighbors having sex. “Cliffs Of Dover” by Eric Johnson - This one gets played at public events a lot when you’re waiting for some reason. Try listening to it more than three times in a row. That “Hooray For Santa Claus” song from _Santa Claus Conquers The Martians_ - this one could make the Dalai Lama snap after a while. ---
**Author:** ![peri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@peri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peri)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/31 "2002-08-26T08:24:03Z")
“I’m So Glad” - either version, Cream or Deep Purple, would do. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/32 "2002-08-26T21:38:45Z")
A group of preschooler’s singing “It’s the song that never ends”. ---
**Author:** ![Fibonacci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Fibonacci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibonacci)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/33 "2002-08-26T21:51:44Z")
“999,999 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.” Back in the early 80’s when I managed a record store and wanted to clear it out at closing time, **MX-80 Sound** never failed to get us out on time. ---
**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:** [August 26, 2002, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/34 "2002-08-26T21:52:59Z")
Napalm death or Macarena looped over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over. ---
**Author:** ![Berserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Berserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berserker)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/35 "2002-08-27T00:53:46Z")
When I saw this thread I instantly thought of “The Safety Dance” too. I believe Dio’s “Holy Diver” would drive many insane as well. ---
**Author:** ![Osbie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Osbie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osbie)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/36 "2002-08-27T03:02:52Z")
Er, I like the S.A.F.E.T.Y. Dance. But I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, to drive a person absolutely batty, blast Igor Stravinsky’s _Rite of Spring_. Otherwise: _Informer_ by Snow _Too Shy_ by Kajagoogoo _Hi Opal_ by The Straight Dopes _Andy Where’s Your Kilt_ by Andy Stewart _Donald Where’s Your Troosers_ by Andy Stewart (Why no, I don’t have the CD. Why do you ask?) You could always play _Amazing Grace_ on the bagpipes. If that doesn’t incapacitate them to a state of soggy melancholy, I don’t know what will. _Ignacio_ by Vangelis (I like the music - would gladly have Vangelis’ children - but it’s very electronic in parts - might drive less appreciative ears bonkers.) _MacArthur Park_ by Richard Harris. _Someone left that cake out in the raaaaiiiiiinnnnnnnn…_ ---
**Author:** ![Osbie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cdc98d/32.png) [@Osbie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osbie)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/37 "2002-08-27T03:24:00Z")
Oh, but if you want butt-kicking-commando-raid-with-style music… How about Elgar’s _Pomp & Circumstance_? We all know it from graduation ceremonies, but used as raid music? Otherwise… _Russian Easter Festival Overture_ also by Rimsky-Korsakov. _The Flower Duet (dome epais le jasmin)_ from “Lakme” by Delibes ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/38 "2002-08-27T03:27:53Z")
_(Curse y’all to hell and back for making those songs invade my brain shuhdder)_ OK. Better now. _Do you know the way to San Jose?_ Preferably the Muzak version _Feelings_ GGAAAAHHHHHHH!!! _Rhinestone Cowboy_ You know it, you love it. Admit it. _What’s New Pussycat_ on a continuous loop _Beer Barrel Polka_…shoot…ANY polka Anything from Celine Dion ---
**Author:** ![yESTERDAY\_mAN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a87d85/32.png) [@yESTERDAY\_mAN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yESTERDAY_mAN)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/39 "2002-08-27T04:27:53Z")
“I Wanna Talk About Me” by Toby Keith. I lived with a country music fan last summer, and this song was on the car radio far too often. I describe it as a cheese grater on the musical soul. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/40 "2002-08-27T05:20:34Z")
The entire “Oof” album by Happy Flowers. Stockhausen’s compositions A good bit of John Cage’s work as well. “Sympathy for the Devil” by Laibach ---
**Author:** ![by-tor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/by-tor/32/266_2.png) [@by-tor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/by-tor)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/41 "2002-08-27T07:11:04Z")
Whatever it is that that stupid icecream truck plays. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474/42 "2002-08-27T07:37:33Z")
What? No mention of the Benny Hill kazoo theme song? Play this over and over (and over) again and I guarantee they’ll be humming it while they beg you to kill them. A whole album of nothing but a beginning bagpipe learner. Cranked. I’ve heard that POW interrogators use extremely loud white noise to break some prisoners. The Violent Femmes have some pretty obnoxious tracks involving conch shells and that deep bass 6-foot Australian flute thing. I like the Safety Dance. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-psychological-warfare/125474.md?page=3)