Phrases that, when you see them, you inexplicably start singing them to the melody of something else (and then will forever be associated with that)

--Whenever I'm in a convenience store and see Tillamook County Smokers beef jerky, I sing "Tillamook County Smokers" it in my head to the tune of Michael Jackson's "You Wanna Be Starting Something"

--Neurot band US Christmas has a CD on my desk called Eat The Low Dogs which I've spent the better part of a year singing to the tune of Bubba Sparxxx's "Take The Load Off"

shit, i was just thinking about this a couple hours ago. my brother said something that happened to be a song lyric I liked and i started singing it. forget now

Because of an old "Mary Tyler Moore Show" episode, I am incapable of hearing the name Anna Maria Alberghetti without breaking into "Anna Maria Alberghetti in a taxi honey..."

My Mom is very good at finding an appropriate song with very little prompting. I stopped testing her after I fed her the word "asparagus" and she sang it to the tune of some old song called "The Pair of Us."

Temple Of The Dog: Hunger Strike

I'm doing laundry....doin' lauundraaaaaayyyayayayayaya

haha, i do this all the time. must think... a similar phenomenon is when, apparently out of nowhere, you get a melody stuck in your head, and then realize that the lyrics to that song are what you were thinking/talking about.

oh man, this happened to me the other day. for better or worse it was 'dat nigga delmarrrr!' to the melody of 'that girl is poison' by bell biv devoe. i'm sorry ilx

ahahahaha

I think I'm going to be stuck with "I'm doin' laundryyyyy" from now on, thanks...

I'm sure I have tons of these, but can't remember any of them, so I'm glad there's this thread now.

Two trucking companies who work in the Rock n' Roll touring business always start me singing their names to the tune of Eton Rifles:
'Redburn Trans-fer"
and
"Edwin Shir-ley"

"Cheese and crackers" to the tune of "Shaved Women" by Crass. Try it out!

There was a Charlie Brooker article some time ago in which he said that every time Robert Mugabe was mentioned, his name started going around Brooker's head to the tune of Eleanore Rigby. The same thing has started happening to me since I read the article.

zydrunas ilgauskas gets sung to "hakuna matata" in my head
(i can't remember whether i thought it up on my own or not, but google finds some other people doing the same thing)

this isn't really the same thing cuz it isn't a phrase i saw, but i just heard it today on the radio, so: whenever i hear "jet" by paul macca and wings i always sing "jet! ooohhhooohoohoohhoo, RALPH NADEEEEEER, JAMES SPADER!"

been doing that for years. i can't even remember what the real words are.

Fairly often I'll see something that will prompt the melody to "Girlfriend in a Coma" by the Smiths.
For example, I was downtown and there was a midget handing out pamphlets, and I got "Midget with a pamphlet, I know, I know, it's serious..." in my head.

Oddly, I don't even know how the verses to "Girlfriend in a Coma" go. I barely know the song. But it only seems to happen with this song.

This happens to me all the time. Sometimes I'm not even sure I'm conscious of it.

To the tune of Tina Turner's "Steamy Windows" : "Skidby Windmill".

"The sharif don't like it
Lock the Taskbar
Lock the Taskbar"

thread is everything i wanted it to be and more.

Lock the taskbar is hilarious and also reminds me of a couple of years ago in school when we were told to use only sans-serif fonts in our drawings. After a pause, my studiomate Casey declares: "SER-IF: don't like it! ROCK the caption."

The shower in my last house had embossed directions for unscrewing the head:
<-- REMOVE | REFIT -->
ensuring Sepultura's "Refuse/Resist" was always in my head while showering, even for a couple of years after moving out.

"The sharif don't like it
Lock the Taskbar
Lock the Taskbar"

LOL my bf just told me he does exactly this one too!

My brain can't keep track of the Cure's "Wild Mood Swings" vs Stabbing Westward's "Violent Mood Swings". And since the Stabbing Westward tune came out before the Cure's album did, at any mention of the second I hear the melody of the first.

I used to make-up the car adverts for a local newspaper. Every week I’d have a complicated ad which would take 3 or 4 hours for a company called ‘Portland Carriage’ - everytime I’d have Frank Sinatra in my head singing it to the tune ‘Love and Marriage’.

The car dealership near my parents house - Aylesbury Honda - always gets their name sung to the tune of 'Help me Rhonda'

Chaka, Chaka, Chaka
Chicken & waffles
Chicken & waffles
Chicken & waffles
Chicken & waffles

Chicken & waffles
Let me rock you
Let me rock you
Chicken & waffles
Let me rock you
That's all I wanna do
Chicken & waffles
Let me rock you
Let me rock you
Chicken & waffles
Let me rock you
'Cause I feel for you
Chicken & waffles

This could be ILM's highest earworm risk thread yet. My version of "I'm doin' laundryyyyy" when I'm checking tags to split up the colds and warms: "I'll tumble dry ya"

Also stuck in my head, ever since record store coworkers tried to help a customer seeking "that Bob Marley song, Pajamas," leaving them mystified until she sang it for them:

Pajamas
Pajamas
I'm in pajamas with you
Pajamas pajamas pajamas pajamas pajamas pajamas pajamas
And I hope you like pajamas too
Oh-oh-oh

ahahaha

omg "I'll tumble dry ya" - laundry is never going to be the same!

"The sharif don't like it
Lock the Taskbar
Lock the Taskbar"

Takes me back to my college days, where, stumblinginto yet another cheap-ass mixer, my friends and I would break out into:

"I forgot my wallet...
Oh fuck, it's a cash bar!
Fuck, it's a cash bar!"

Until recently my local corner shop was called Akbar's, and every time I went there I would sing "Akbar's! I wanna take you to Akbar's!" (to the tune of 'Gay Bar', obviously). I do have loads more of these, but usually don't remember them aside from when I do it.

More annoyingly, I've found that whenever someone says "yes" in a certain manner, I have to finish it with "the rhythm the rebel". It is driving me insane.

Argh, "yes, the rhythm the rubbish, without a pause I'm taking out the garbage" went through my head for about a decade whenever I did the trash. What is it about chores that makes them such a breeding ground for these singsongs?

Any street name of the form 2 syllable word + avenue gets 'and I'm caught one more time up on duh-duh avenue' sung to it

On seeing a chinchilla in a city farm: "Chinchilla! Who got the keys to my bima?"

Shih Tzu, that's how we act when we team up.

(there are probably better ways to fill that in)

I'm always on the hunt for names and phrases that can be sung to "Camptown Races." My favorite so far is baseball player Yuniesky Betancourt.

When they lived in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, my parents used to take advantage of the lower gas prices in the U.S. by driving two miles south across the river to Sault Ste. Marie Michigan and filling up there. And when they passed the appropriate sign... http://farm1.static.flickr.com/23/29589361_c80f1d9834.jpg?v=0 ...my dad would usually annoy my mom by singing "Briiidge - to the USA!" Springsteen-style.

"Doug" substituted for the word "love":

Can You Feel The Doug Tonight?
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Doug
Doug Will Tear Us Apart
Now That We've Found Doug
etc.

WHAT

A friend was obsessed with switching out love for lunch: Lunch Will Keep Us Togwether, Lunch Will Tear Us Apart, The Greatest Lunch of All, Stop in the Name of Lunch, When a Man Lunches a Woman....

^^LOL esp. "when a man lunches a woman"

I feel the lunch, baby

then you guys will love this thread

Feel Like Making Lunch

I was hearing "no shakey shakey" to the tune of "push it" after seeing this

http://istor.indyarocks.com/trphotos/NoShakeyShakey1206254587.jpg

the mayor of my town is named fung and while he campaigned I couldn't stop hearing "everybody vote fung tonight" in my head

thank god the election is over

I fear we're veering from the question's intent. Nevertheless, I have to add that whenever I hear the John Denver & the Muppets' version of "Deck the Halls," when Scooter sings "See the blazing yule before us," I sing it as "See the blazing UB40."

as i was shutting my work computer down for the day - 'the server shut down' to the tune of 'the final countdown'

There's a call center company called Ruffalo Cody with an office in Athens that I would ride past, inevitably leading me to sing their name to the tune of "Buffalo Soldier."

There Will be Blood, sung to the tune of "She Will be Loved"

Upon seeing a Ralph Lauren Nautica box unwrapped this morning, I sung in my head, as always:

"Nautica, bloody red eyes go to, Nautica, bloody red eyes go to"

lol

Mrs HD: Ugh, this pre-shredded cheese is just like rubber.

Me: *laughs uproariously*

Mrs HD (wearily): What now?

Me (sings): RUBBER CHEESE
Makes me feel fine
Blowing through the jasmine of my miii-iiiind

rolling "Trump is gonna win" containment thread

"Trump is gonna win, he'll bring his next of kin" to the tune of "There Goes the Neighborhood" by The Busboys ("the whites are movin' in, they'll bring their next of kin").

there's a song from the musical Parade about Leo Frank, the person wrongfully accused of murdering Mary Phagan, and his big number is "I Never Touched That Girl", but all I can hear him singing today is "I never fucked that couch"

The film Demonlover, and "Easy Lover" by Philip Bailey & Phil Collins.

The Nature Valley breakfast bar Oats 'N Dark Chocolate variety to the tune of "Knights In White Satin."

lol

I went down to the Saint Coldstone Creamery

me and my friend being abject children saw the word 'diarrhea' written somewhere when we were in NOLA last week and started singing

MR DIARRHEA
MR BOB DIARRHEA

Patagonia! Patagonia! What makes your fleece vests so soft!?

See, it happened again: There was a headline on Cleveland.com reading "Surgery remove's Ohio snake's toxic, swollen venom gland" and I was all "toxic swollen venom gland, doo dah, doo dah . . ."

― Οὖτις Δαυ & τηε Κνιγητσ (Eliza D.), Thursday, November 6, 2014 3:13 PM (nine years ago) bookmarkflaglink

I realize that most of us are focusing on a lot of other things this morning, but a few weeks ago, I realized that we were coming up on the 10th anniversary of this post. Eliza, every time I think about venomous snakes (which is fairly often), I think of your song and I thank you for it.

Whenever Tears For Fears get to the bridge of “Everybody Wants To Rule The World (“There's a room where the light won't find you / Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down”) I will never not sing to myself, instead: “D-d-d-danger, what’s behind you? / There’s a stranger out to find you”

Lady
Portrait of a lady
You'll make that girl go crazy
If you don't portrait of a lady

fgti, I've thought the same thing!

Really? It’s an uncanny resemblance imo! Glad I’m not the only one

Someone on twitter posted about singing Kier Starmer to the tune of Snow's Informer and and now every time I see his name, I hum it in my head.

I like that Patagonia one...

Whenever Tears For Fears get to the bridge of “Everybody Wants To Rule The World (“There's a room where the light won't find you / Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down”) I will never not sing to myself, instead: “D-d-d-danger, what’s behind you? / There’s a stranger out to find you”

― the trombone just keeps getting bigger (flamboyant goon tie included), Friday, 8 November 2024 03:58 (eleven hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

YES!

“Great Wealth Transfer” —> Billy Bragg’s waiting for the Great Leap Forward… #classtraitor

Back in November 2023 I went to see Wings of Desire at the cinema - it was on at the BFI Southbank, not sure why, mid-way through a Powell and Pressburger season.

It was wonderful, and also really sad because essentially all of the main cast have since passed away, but whenever I think of it I immediately think of this track from Doom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJzveo6IBsU

Because you can sing "wings, wings of desire, wings of desire, wings of desire" along with it. That film would be so much better if they took out the soppy cello music and added some kick-ass MIDI metal music.

The actual romance in the final third doesn't work but the rest of the film is great. Also, if you've ever considered visiting Berlin with a black and white film camera, Wings of Desire will push you over the edge.

Led Zeppelin: SO NOW YOU BETTER STOP
And eats a banana yeah / Cos you'll never stop the one they call DUCKULA, COUNT DUCKULA HEHEHE

Every time I come across the new Tory leader’s name my brain helpfully starts looping around “She wasn’t Badenoch, Kemi” to the tune of Toni Braxton - He Wasn’t Man Enough for me.

not infrequently someone asks me to do something, and I reply, "I sure can"

immediately my brain queues up and begins playing "Ashokan Farewell," theme song to Ken Burns' Civil War

doctor is there something wrong with me

this is an instrumental tune. it does not feature the word "Ashokan" being spoken or sung

Not really what the thread's about but every time I see something related to Venom, I do a gibberish version of the Eminem chorus in my head like

Venommmm, erreee enem, Venom memenemenemenemen

Someone on Twitter pointed out that it's an absolutely insane chorus and it stuck with me

Timothee Chalamet, to the tune of "sur le pont d'Avignon"

― Lily Dale, Monday, January 11, 2021 9:05 PM (three years ago) bookmarkflaglink

looks like it's been almost 4 years since this post, and I haven't been able to hear it any other way since. Lily Dale, are you still afflicted? Or once you pass the virus to someone else do the gods give you reprieve

Huh. I sing Timothee Chalamet to the tune of Lenny Kravitz singing "I want to get away."

I sing Chalamet to myself to the tune of that Patti Smith song with the phrase "Hey Salome, Hey Venus." I'm not even sure what song it is (first album, I think).

omg YMP that's incredible

recently started singing “humpty dumpty, did you sit on the wall?/humpty dumpty, did you have a great fall?” to the tune of ozzy’s “mr. crowley”

I hear Timothee Chalamet as the "It's just a shot away / It's just a shot away" part from Gimme Shelter

oh I forget the first name and sing Chalamet to Bryan Ferry’s Avalon

Huh. I sing Timothee Chalamet to the tune of Lenny Kravitz singing "I want to get away."

belated reply: I do still have this! I think I'm permanently stuck with it at this point.

Perhaps I’ve said this before, but “white people”-> “Hot Pockets”

singing "Kid Charlemagne" is something i have done when i have seen Timothee Chalamet's name.

i just posted this yesterday on ilm:

i STILL can't see his name without singing to myself: "MJ Lenderman/Cripplin' mankind..."

its just a thing my brain does to try and make me insane. its been going on for months now...

i have a really annoying thing where any 4 syllable word/phrase/name makes me sing "Love Rollercoaster" to myself.

i'll be driving along and see a building and just start singing "HONG KONG DIM SUM...of love...".

and i will sing that for days...

my brain shows me no mercy.

My main traps remain "Girlfriend in a Coma" and "Camptown Races."

Denzel starred in Training Day, doo-dah, doo-dah.

Chipmunk with a backpack I kmow, I know, it's serious.

Nosferatu
Why don't you come to your senses?
You've been out ridin' fences for so long now

Haha I've been singing Nosferatu to the tune of Paparazzi

eagles nosferatu is gold

my go-to is "Love Shack" for even the most tenuous off-rhyme

stepdad baaaabyyyy
brown hat baby!

“Nano Bible Jewelry “ to Karl’s Disco,Weiner Haven

"the cassette played.. PUPcorn"

https://image.chewy.com/is/image/catalog/237862_MAIN._AC_SL600_V1673015100_.jpg

sports bra, the sports bra, the sports brather sports, brother sports, brother sport, brother sport, brother sport, brother sport

^^ yes i'm still doing this in 2025 jfc

There is a Mr Show sketch where there is a sports bra song … are you familiar?

no i don't know that!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5y7I4yWAYQ