# Songs You Can't Get Rid Of.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 26, 1999, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213 "1999-10-26T18:23:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 1999, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/1 "1999-10-26T18:23:00Z")
The title Flora picked for her post has triggered one of my idiosyncrasies… There are three or four songs that, once I’ve heard them, I cannot get out of my mind. They just keep playing away in the background… Anyway, one is, as you might expect from my first paragraph, “Careless Whisper.” Another is “San Antonio Rose” – a coworker and I were doing a project that involved estimates for the San Antonio, Texas MSA and he began whistling it. It was **two weeks** before I stopped hearing that song playing in my head! And I don’t particularly care for either piece of music! That’s mine. What’s yours? ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 1999, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/2 "1999-10-26T18:59:00Z")
I thought you meant songs that once they dropped off the charts and quit being played on the radio you thought you were rid of them. But then much to your dismay you find them being constantly played in movies and commercials. My nomination is “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Arrrgh! Yeah, like anyone is going to rent your damn cars NOW! ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 1999, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/3 "1999-10-26T19:17:00Z")
That could be another thread. A third one could be songs that were spoiled by being used in commercials. I like Bob Seger’s “Like a Rock” and I will **never** buy a Chevy truck for their abuse of it! ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 1999, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/4 "1999-10-26T20:27:00Z")
I just can’t seem to get enough… of that stupid GAP commertial. By brain just cannot be satisfied; it has to hear that damn song 20 or 30 times in a row before it’s happy. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 1999, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/5 "1999-10-26T21:58:00Z")
“Obsession”… I will collect you, and capture you… “Istanbul, Canstantinople”…It’s nobody’s business but the Turks… ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 1999, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/6 "1999-10-26T22:11:00Z")
funneefarmer, I have to second “Istanbul, not Canstantinople”. (We are talking about the They Might Be Giants version, right?) In fact, I sometimes use it to get rid of some other songs that get lodged in my cranium. ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 1999, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/7 "1999-10-26T22:16:00Z")
There’s another version ? ---
**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 1999, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/8 "1999-10-27T07:48:00Z")
Devo’s “Whip it” usually never leaves my head. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 1999, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/9 "1999-10-27T12:49:00Z")
“It’s a Small World,” “Islands in the Stream,” and “Seasons in the Sun.” For whatever reason, these are the most persistent ones I’ve come across. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 1999, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/10 "1999-10-27T18:49:00Z")
“Muskrat Suzie, Muskrat Sam… do the jitterbug in muskrat land.” Ridiculous song. Now it’ll be stuck there for days again. Godammit! ---
**Author:** ![saraam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@saraam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saraam)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 1999, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/11 "1999-10-27T18:56:00Z")
I don’t know who sings the song “Red Rubber Ball” that’s always on the oldies station. Whenever I hear it, however, it is not the entire song that sticks in my head. Just the maddeningly short and simple “bouncy, bouncy, …bouncy, bouncy…bouncy, bouncy…” all day long. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 1999, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/12 "1999-10-27T19:58:00Z")
Yes, the TMBG version is a cover of a much older tune 🙂 * * * **\>^,^\<** “Cluemobile? You’ve got a pickup…” OpalCat’s site: [http://opalcat.com](http://opalcat.com) The Teeming Millions Homepage: [fathom.org/teemingmillions](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions) ---
**Author:** ![meredith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@meredith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meredith)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 1999, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/13 "1999-10-27T21:43:00Z")
## A hex on Polycarp for starting this ;), but since this song is now in my head, I thought I’d see how far it can be spread-“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. Stays with me for weeks! meredith “Everybody needs underwear!”-Rob Petrie ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 1999, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/14 "1999-10-27T21:45:00Z")
the only songs that haunt me are annoying pop songs i don’t like that i don’t know the words to. They melodies just haunt me until i can find something to push them out of my head. Oh that and the Sailor Moon theme song. * * * Magnificent to behold - Greatly to be praised. ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 1999, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/15 "1999-10-27T22:08:00Z")
“Istanbul” was recorded by The Kingston Trio. I don’t know if they originated it or not. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 1999, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/16 "1999-10-27T22:19:00Z")
Some Barney crap has been going thru my mind lately. My son doesn’t even watch it anymore! Also,in another post,someone mentioned Damn,I wanna Be your Lover or something like that. I hadcompletely forgooten that one(who was it by?),but its enjoyable. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 1999, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/17 "1999-10-27T23:38:00Z")
The grocery store had a song playing I had forgotten and it’s tops with what I hate. Some country song that goes…One two buckle my shoe, three four etc It’s a damn nursery rhyme for Gods sake. The Barney “I love you” song got mentioned at work today and I can’t forget that thing either. Then their’s that awful Ity Bity song by Garth Brookes. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 1999, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/18 "1999-10-27T23:38:00Z")
The grocery store had a song playing I had forgotten and it’s tops with what I hate. Some country song that goes…One two buckle my shoe, three four etc It’s a damn nursery rhyme for Gods sake. The Barney “I love you” song got mentioned at work today and I can’t forget that thing either. Then there’s that awful Ity Bity song by Garth Brookes. ---
**Author:** ![Kakkerlak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bb73d2/32.png) [@Kakkerlak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kakkerlak)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 1999, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/19 "1999-10-28T00:49:00Z")
This one happens every week; the long string of telephone touch-tone keys that compose my long-distance calling card code sound precisely like the opening of “Video Killed the Radio Star”. It totally distracts me and I forget who I’m calling. * * * “It ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive” Bruce Springsteen ---
**Author:** ![Byzantine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@Byzantine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Byzantine)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 1999, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213/20 "1999-10-28T00:56:00Z")
That Mambo #5 keeps rolling around in my head. I’ve only heard it once and it just WON’T LEAVE! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-cant-get-rid-of/10213.md?page=2)