Song lyrics and weird brain stuff
I have this happen to me a lot. I listen to a song initially, be it for days, weeks or months on end. After this I have an impression of the lyrics. Sometimes I can work out the whole song, no problems. Other times there are words or phrases that aren't clear, and I make a 'best guess' about what is being said, and usually the resulting word or phrase is nonsensical, but I live with it.
Then I hear the song again a few years later, and I immediately know the lyrics that I couldn't figure out before. I think this has happened about 3 times in the last week, and it must have happened a hundred times in the past.
Wtf is this all about? How does it happen?
My theory is that the subconscious brain has time to twist and turn these lyrics about and make sense of them. The old grey matter is doing the figuring out in the background. Then the song is heard, and BAM you know the lyrics.
Does this happen to anyone else, and if so, what are your thoughts?
Then I hear the song again a few years later, and I immediately know the lyrics that I couldn't figure out before. I think this has happened about 3 times in the last week, and it must have happened a hundred times in the past.
Wtf is this all about? How does it happen?
My theory is that the subconscious brain has time to twist and turn these lyrics about and make sense of them. The old grey matter is doing the figuring out in the background. Then the song is heard, and BAM you know the lyrics.
Does this happen to anyone else, and if so, what are your thoughts?
yes.this thing keeps happening to me. english is my second language and i ve started listening to english music lately.i with this i would like to if there are any methods or exercices to avoid this?
Posted by
freeheart |
8:53 PM
I think you're right Bonestorm - it's that grey matter slowing ticking away on the problem subconsciously. It happens to me pretty often and it always comes to you so spontaneously. It just clicks!
Posted by
MadameBoffin |
10:00 PM
Yep, me too - all the time. My theory is that the first time you hear a song, you're listening, actively, trying to figure it out. But you can't, so whenever you hear it, you are trying too hard and you can never get it. Then you forget about it, and the next time you hear it, you're not trying so hard - and it all falls into place.
I swear, sometimes I can hear my brain saying "hey, dummy, this is what it is. Took you long enough!"
Posted by
Sherd |
10:27 PM
I'm the complete opposite. It's me who's trying to figure out the song whilst my brain is just going "laaa ddeee ddadda dum dee dumm" - rubbish. I should take it back.
It sometimes agrees with me that I've got a lyric right "yeh that's it you've cracked it" only to then be corrected by friend as a sing some stupid lyric wrong. Welcome to my life.
Posted by
matt of comooxdom |
6:41 AM
My subconcious once wrote an entire song including middle eight. I was quite proud until I realised it was completely robbed from a rolling stones b side. Bugger.
Posted by
matt of comooxdom |
9:47 PM
You get to know the lyrics then you have to work out exactly what they mean. I'm still trying to workout the lyrics to certain Tori Amos songs after all of these years.
Posted by
Huggies |
11:37 PM
I've never done it myself but I had a friend who would always get lyrics wrong. He thought 'Street Life' was 'Street Light' and 'make love not war' was make love not wool'
Posted by
Citizen_Stu |
6:16 AM
I'm in favour of mondegreens but make love not wool? Heh heh. That's random (and funny).
Posted by
Sherd |
2:18 PM
The funniest one I heard was a friend of mine years ago with an early Metallica song. The lyric is "die by my hand" and he thought it was "dye, dye my hair". It ruined his idea of Metallica for a while there until we set him straight.
Posted by
Bonestorm |
3:16 PM
My friend Liz is notorious for getting song lyrics wrong. Eye of the Tiger became I AM the tiger. Makes sense when you think about it.
Posted by
Steph |
9:50 PM