How do you get rid of the tune that is playing in your head? Mine goes on automatic rewind and it has been weeks now. This time, at least, is an impressive piece—Debussy’s Valse Romantique. It’s playing when I open my eyes in the morning. It’s playing when I write, coming in between pauses in its strong waltz rhythm. It accompanies me in the street, and the grand chords give dramatic background music to the shops and people I pass. The flowing notes disappear only when I’m asleep.
Sometimes the music is just a silly tune like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I have no control over what is playing and why it gets into my head and when it stops. I’m distracted this way, by the music in my head. It was a big problem when I was small. They called me absent-minded. Now, at least, there is no one to chide me.
I think that is why all the people on the bus in the morning are wearing iPods, they’re trying to set their soundtrack for the day.
I used to have music stick in my head like that. Sometimes it annoyed me, so to get rid of it I would sing the Star Spangled Banner. By the time I got through to the end, my mind was swept clean of anything. That song is a real killer!
But, seriously, I miss hearing songs in my head. Every once in a while I hear music from nowhere; I wish it would happen more. Once, a whole orchestra was playing a symphony in my head, waking me up out of a sound sleep. I sat straight up in bed and listened, astounded. It was so beautiful! But then it stopped, was gone, and it never came back. I think music is the humans’ greatest gift and our connection to … y’know, all that stuff.