01/10/2008 (By Larissa Walkiw)

I can't get it out of my head!

I’m sure you can all relate to this: you’re going about your day as usual, when suddenly your brain attacks you with the broken-record version of a song.

As I am writing this, my mind is hosting an eternal repeat performance of Matt Costa’s new single, Mr. Pitiful. My mental acoustics are so loud, that I decided to do a little research on the 'stickiness' of certain songs.

I managed to push the lyrics out of my head long enough to read a couple (BBC and UC) articles on the subject, and this is what I found out:

Certain songs have the ability to stimulate the brain in a particular way. The songs create a type of “cognitive itch” that can only be scratched by repeating the song. Sometimes, the song stimulates the brain in such a way that the mental repetition becomes involuntary, and we get trapped with an incurable case of Rihanna’s Umbrella (did anyone else have trouble battling that one over the summer?). The worst part is that your ears don’t always agree with what tickles your subconscious, so it’s just as easy to get a song you hate stuck in your head as it is a song you like.

It happens to virtually everyone at one point or another, but females and musicians seem to be the most susceptible.

There are a few factors that can up the catchy-factor of a song:

Repetition (whether it is in the melody or in the lyrics)

Simplicity (this explains why pop tunes get trapped more often than classical arrangements)

Incongruity (this is when the tune does something unexpected like throwing in a high note or hitting you with a key change in the chorus)

Hmm… after considering these characteristics, I see that I was doomed from the start with Mr. Pitiful.

Apparently, the best way to deal is to listen to the song until the itch is gone (though some people swear by playing tune tag and passing it on to others).

Either way, here’s the music video of what’s on repeat mode in my head:

Larissa

Comments

1) Christine - 01/10/2008

lol, that's my new favorite song, 1 time is all it takes to get it stuck in your head but at least this one isnt an annoying one :)

2) Jere - 01/10/2008

This happens to me all too often! A really good thing about it happening, is that if I am really bored I find it very amusing!!

3) Larissa - 01/10/2008

http://www.youngfreealberta.com

Christine: It's too catchy not to get stuck in your head, hey? But I am thankful that it's a song and an artist that I really like, otherwise it would be torture!

And right on, Jere! Way to embrace it. Are there any particular activities or times of day that trigger it for you?