It happens to almost everyone – you hear a song and then just
can’t stop playing it in your head. Some folks call it an “earworm”. Scanning
the literature, I found many different explanations for this. But, all agree
that it usually happens when the mind is not fully engaged or concentrating.
And that the more familiar a song is to you, the more likely it is to “stick”.
I am particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon. Maybe that
means that I don’t concentrate or fully engage my brain. But, there is a song
playing in my head nearly all the time. The current selection can be easily
replaced by a song on the radio, a ring tone or even just the thought of
another song. Maybe that makes me fickle, as well. I think my easy access to
head music explains my puzzlement at the younger generation’s constant need for
electronic music. My internal juke box has a play list that can last for hours.
For some of us, the head song goes one step further – we are
doing it unconsciously. Or, at least, not on purpose. To further complicate
matters, sometimes the unconscious song gets vocalized as a low hum or whistle.
Folks who have spent any time around me have commented on it, asking What’s
that song? , when I don’t even know I’m humming one. I’ve caught a few folks,
mostly at check-out lines, doing it. It always seems comforting to find others
of the flock and know that I’m not alone in my quirk.
Another mental music trait is called a “drive song”. This is
a “default” mental song that is played in the absence of a convenient earworm.
And yes, I have one. I played it for years, before finding out what it was. The
first time I recognized it was watching Richard Dreyfuss in Always. He played a
fire pilot and hummed the tune when under stress. When I heard it, I nearly
left my seat. THAT”S MY SONG !!, I shouted, to the bewilderment of my viewing
companion. That event set me on a quest to discover what it was. I tried the
movie credits to no avail. I tried humming the tune for every music buff who
would tolerate it, but no one could recognize it. My discovery moment came from
another movie about George Custer. As the troops started to march – THERE WAS
MY SONG !! Yes, my drive song is the “7th Cavalry March”. I have no
idea how I picked up the tune without knowing what it was. Maybe I heard it as
a boy and really liked it.
The “default” 7th Cavalry thing happens all the
time for me. Sometimes I realize it, sometimes not. I have found it useful to
give me a boost of energy on long walks or when I’m tired. That marching
cadence really works for me.
Further research revealed that before it was adopted by the 7th
Cavalry, it was an Irish pub song called Gary Owen, which I equally enjoy. So,
with my confession revealed, I unabashedly present both versions for your
listening pleasure. If one of them sticks in your head, I do not apologize.
I’ll likely be humming it for several hours.
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