Argh!! Get that FRIGGIN SONG outta my HEAD!!

[The Peon]

Ok someone PLEASE explain to me why the heck we can't stop thinking about a stupid song? It keeps playing over and over and over and over and over ad-infinitum in our head and doesn't leave. And to make it worse, it's always a crappy song. Hell, I can remember one time a few years back I could not get that stupid Britney Spears song "Hit me baby" out of my damn head . So my question is, why does the brain decide to torture the being so?

[ecoli]

For me, when I've got a stupid song stuck in my head, just start thinking of another song... one that you like better. Hopefully, the other one will be driven out of your head.

[olifhar]

I observe it gets especially bad for me when I lack sleep. The problem is that sometimes it also prevents me from getting sleep.

 

What has worked for me in the past:

 

1. suddenly sprinting a quarter mile down the street

2. holding my breath underwater for as long as possible

3. singing in Japanese

 

Hope this helps!

[insane_alien]

take a CD/MP3/Tape/LP of your favourite song, crank up the volume push play. repeat until cured.

[abskebabs]

I blame radiostations(and music channels if you watch them) for this. It's them that play the same crap over and over and over and over......................................................................again.

[the tree]

Try listening to an even more catchy and irritating song, I recomend Can't Touch This by MC Hammer. See? Your already thinking about it, in a few minutes you wont be able to remember what the song you had in your head previously was.

[The Peon]

No no no! But thanks. The question was why does the brain do this, not how to "fix" it. And this is a science question, why was it moved to general discussion? I would like to know, in bio-chemical or psycho-analytical terms why our brain does this? Why dont we repeat a color in our mind, or a sound? Why is it always a friggin annoying song and why do this to begin with?

[abskebabs]

In that case, perhaps when a song invigorates you, you register that feeling of disdain in your memory much more clearly than when you listen to a song you like. Songs you like may please you but it may just pass by if you get what I mean. I don't know, it's just a suggestion. Perhaps you involuntarily hear crap songs on the radio for example as I suggested, and in doing so you hear them more often than songs you like. This makes them come to the forefront of you memory behind songs you like. Actually I don't think it's something with this deep an explanation, as these things seem to come on a whim.

[Royston]

The Peon, this may interest you, there's a couple of theories discussed here about why certain tunes get stuck in your head...

 

http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=15551&highlight=song+head

[The Peon]

Thank you Snail. I will have to give that thread a read. Meh, I suck at using forum search.

[Royston]

My only advice, is when you get to the line 'hit me baby' think of hitting Britney square on in the face, and the music grinds to a halt...might not work, but it's a nice thought nevertheless.