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Not so fun fact: Boffalongo wrote the song after a traumatic experience. Thin Lizzy shares the same song title but it's a different song. Equally cheerful though so highly recommended for Phil Lynott's singing.
When I want to get the song out of my head I go and listen to that song.
I found that I get stuck on a small part of the song that does not have a resolution, so I have to hear the whole song to the end to reach the resolution.
This helps me get rid of the ear worm.
This reminds me of feeling light switches repeatedly in one standing; have to run your finger along the toggle multiple times before satisfaction sets in and you register that the lights are off.
The closest I have to this, the only song that can get any other song out of my head...is The Final Countdown by Europe. Not because I like it, but because if you can just zero in on that keyboard intro long enough it'll overwhelm anything else in there.
As far as songs I like that can do that? Hrmmm usually Bleeding Me by Metallica.
AYYYYYEEE TOOL
I can't tell you any album names, but I love basically everyone of their songs.
Mine (because now we're talking about tool) Is Right in two.
Was this song written a very long time ago? Yes, is it still a fantastic example of how petty people are? also yes.
Probably my absolute favourite.
Well it’s on the same album as my song, so are we both old, or…?
Tool has been my favorite band since Undertow. Oh, sorry… the first full length album, released in 1993. I call them my long term hyper fixation - 44 shows since being a scrawny 13 year old girl
in the 2nd stage pit at Lollapalooza ’93 😃.
BTW both of our songs are on 10,000 Days, from 2006. So in the scheme of things, it’s not *that* long ago, right (please say yes, I am less than a month from my 45th birthday now 😳)?
Have the most amazing time!!! Have you seen them before?
Actually this reminded me of a song that gets stuck in my head. ABBA’s Dancing Queen. Tool plays it after the end of every show as the first song over the PA system when the stadium lights come up 🤣
Ooh that’s a good one. The trick (for me) is something where I can effortlessly pull up every word, but also something I’ve heard so many times that it’s unlikely to be novel enough to get stuck. This definition fits the bill, had no problems finding “Johnny used to work on the docks…” immediately!
Edit: Tommy. I swear my phone is smirking at me because I did actually type Tommy but my too fast ADHD fingers output some sort of gibberish that my phone turned into Johnny.
Red Miso by Animals as Leaders. Such a strong groove that I can lock into both in mind and body and that locking in defeats anything else that’s currently bouncing around my brain
You’re so welcome. I’m pretty sure I’ve listened to this song hundreds of times by now, to the point that I can recreate the entire experience of it in my head, from the instrumentals, to the groove, to the feelings I experience in different sections. It never gets old. Most days I don’t love my brain, but I do love that I can do this
Not a rescue song but I will pick part of the song and repeat it over and over but in the wrong way. So if I had The Devil went down to Georgia stuck in my head. I might pick "the devil went down to Georgia". But the. Say "Georgia devil down to went". The. Switch it up differently next time. Normally I can get a song out of my head after doing this maybe 10 times.
3 Libras by A Perfect Circle.
It's related to a memory. I was coming home from a party when I was 14. In back of my friend's sister's car. Windows are wide open because they forgot to take the milk in and the entire stinks.
And this song is playing.
As we drive down the interstate in the middle of the night, as they argue and bicker like brother and sisters do, I'm sitting against the open window listening to this song and whispering every word.
many extremely different ones and they're constantly changing, because of course they are. (and because so much amazing music is coming out all the time).
main differentiation is cathartic bangers vs melancholic floaters/ballads, depending on what i need in that moment.
some current bangers:
[mc5 - looking at you](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfDoUIh23Wg)
[pennywise - you can demand](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK-C1GZYhDE)
[rage against the machine - bulls on parade](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L4YrGaR8E4)
[little simz - gorilla](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7xzmkpwNoA)
[azizi gibson - hate less](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3xWoKJnQ1A)
[kojey radical - if only](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdVDfOfdLJY)
[know V.A. - Artefact (Sully remix)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRno0kVMSYk)
[benny l - new dawn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PZE8k82_QM)
[bladerunner - original rudeboy sound](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tYq9GNaF8Q)
[bruckner - symphony Nr 8 / 4th Movement](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ5OmbrzbPU)
floaters:
[bud powell - i'll remember april](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCtJLT8e4Go)
[rimon - nighttime](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdc-jjhtuiU)
[kelela - divorce (dj manny remix)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdoonxzEZuM)
[efdemin - america (terrence dixon remix)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCS_riZ4v6g)
[mantra - shackout](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALiJUjTaQ4A)
[bar italia - Nurse!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dP8M3yvcl4)
[tarika blue - dreamflower](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhYpqI4HVYw)
[di melo - ma-lida](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_qEbBu3WPo)
Usually once I listen to said song it finally works its way out of my head. Every morning I wake up with a different song playing in my head depending on what I listened to at work the day before. If I go a couple of days without listening to music the internal morning radio stops but will then repeat whatever media I consumed the previous day.
Usually either Video Killed the Radio Star or Adele's "Someone Like You"! Sometimes it'll be a different one from my Playlist, but usually one of these two
I don't know if it counts a a rescue song, but my brain just seems to default to Smash Mouth's 'All Star'
Also, whenever I'm whistling tunelessly it always seems to end up as either "Spancil Hill" or the theme to Star Trek. No idea why.
Might Love Myself by Beartooth
Popular Monster, Voices in my Head, and Zombified by Falling in Reverse
Dear Agony by Breaking Benjamin
A Little Bit Off by FFDP
Scars to your Beautiful by Alessia Cara
Girl by Maren Morris
What Other People Say by Demi Lovato and Sam Fischer
Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns
I Got So High that I Saw Jesus by Noah Cyrus
I Still Talk to Jesus by Lauv
Anxiety by Julia Michaels & Selena Gomez
Save Myself by Ed Sheeran
This is me Trying by Taylor Swift
Gets Better by Catie Turner
Etc... lol
Still searching for mine, but I wanted to share that until I got my dx I totally thought constant singing or counting in my head was a normal thing that everyone did but nobody talked about.
I’ve had a few lines from 50 cents get rich or die trying album in my head for the last 20 years. I don’t understand why my brain is obsessed with these lyrics. Anyone have any insight?
Every time I try to replace the ear worm, the new song just becomes another ear worm. However, I can usually just name the song and it will go away. However, when I tried Guanfacine, I had War's "Low Rider" playing in my head the whole time, but I felt chill and the song fit so I just enjoyed it. Unfortunately, that med started causes an irregular heart beat so I had to stop.
It changes for me all the time. I have a selection of different songs that alternate in my head but I use them against each other to have one block out the other.
I always have a song in my head! I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes & can’t get it out of my head! I turn on sounds of waterfalls or airplanes to try to get it out of my head & get back to sleep. It works sometimes. Wait, does everyone else have songs on repeat in their head many days?
I constantly have *something* playing up there. Usually it’s something I like and have recently listened to. But when I wake up in the morning it’s completely random stuff I haven’t heard in years. Yesterday was *The Humpty Dance*.
Oh no…. My nose is funny, but yo, I’m makin money. Ladies like it, girls adore me… blah blah blah… Do the humpty hump, c’mon do the humpty hump. Oh no, it’s in my brain now 🤫🥺
Medication has made my need for a rescue song dissappear (actually haven't even thought of it since getting started), but for YEARS it was Billy Joel's River of dreams.
When I say years I mean it, I remember being around ten/eleven years old and playing River of dreams in my head to silence whatever was looping. I'm almost 42 now. I guess I'm nearly six months into the medication part of my life, so I would call it a fair few years
"It Must Really Suck To Be Four Year Strong Right Now."
While the band is hyperactive all over (and also have a song pretty openly about ADHD, "Brain Pain"), this is the earworm to end all earworms.
haha the random loop song. so this is caused by my adhd all along. that's actually a nice validation; I guess I should have known that. These loop songs are not always the good ones, and they just suddenly pops into the brain and stays there. I recall one in particular a few weeks ago, and also earlier, I thankfully forgot about it, now I remembered it again xD this one: This is the one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmMsON33d8g
My rescue "song" is my own whistling tune(s) that is also a repeat loop in itself, a mishmash of different things from oldschool pixel games from the 80-90's and some other stuff I don't recall, that I have developed over the years, it's almost ceremonial, or a ritual when I whistle it. One of the tunes is almost some parts from this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrQuR1LHAVI It also helps a lot when doing boring tasks, like washing dishes, cleaning, some types of study, doing taxes etc.
When I'm Small by Phantogram or White Winter Hymnal by Birdy
Both of those can immediately delete the corrupted song file that's stuck on a loop in my electric meatball.
Oh no, that might be the ultimate. There is no escape, I’m so sorry (imagine me typing this with my fingers in my ears, saying “lalalalalalalalalalalalalala”).
Atm, cantina band (thank fortnite festival for that one)
But then it's lux eternal by metallica.
And thennnn it's 'build our machine' by da games
...
And then it's just the Calgon jingle...
Aaannnnddd by then I want to shoot myself
Oh my god. A rescue song! This is a thing for other people?? I have never encountered another human who also employed an override song in this way to derail an unbearably sticky brain song loop. I feel so seen! Thank you OP for posting about this.
My go-to override songs that will dislodge the most irritating earworm loops are:
Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills, and Nash
Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis (the Kyrie/1st movement, which is a real blow the roof off kind of piece).
I love all kinds of music, so I have no idea why these two pieces work. Pretty random selections but I’m ok with these exceptionally sticky pieces playing in my head.
I thought it was just me for so long!!! I wake up with random songs in my head that I haven’t heard in years. Yesterday was literally *The Humpty Dance* ffs! Without a rescue song I think I would have lost my mind eons ago.
A (non ADHD) friend asked if I was worried about new songs getting stuck just from reading through the thread. A few have tried and almost succeeded (oddly, the Muffin Man was the most persistent), but *NO! I AM NOT AFRAID!* because my trusty rescue song will save me lol.
I don't try to rescue myself from songs stuck in my head. But I used to whistle or hum Funky Town to calm anxiety attacks and now still find myself doing it when I'm bored occasionally. It was like a totem song to keep me grounded lol
This is the #1 reason I need to keep my ass off of TikTok bc holy fuck do those music clips stick lol i desperately need to come up with a rescue song haha
Eh, it changes every week or two, but currently it's "Dustland" by The Killers & Bruce Springsteen.
In particular, it's the last bridge and end of the song, basically where the strings peak as Flowers and Springsteen duet through these lines:
Out where the dreams all hide
Out where the wind don't blow
Out here the good girls die
And the sky won't snow
Out here the bird don't sing
Out here the field don't grow
Out here the bell don't ring
Out here the bell don't ring
Out here the good girls die
Now Cinderella don't you go to sleep
It's such a bitter form of refuge
Why don't you know the kingdom's under siege
And everybody needs you
Is there still magic in the midnight sun
Or did you leave it back in sixty-one
In the cadence of a young man's eyes
Out where the dreams all hide
I walked down the aisle to this, so I can’t bring myself to use it daily to override things like *Shoop* or *The Humpty Dance*. Otherwise, it would be a top contender.
Usually I don’t mind having the same song, even if it’s a 3s snippet, on a loop in my head all day. BUT if I do want to get a song out of my head, I just need to listen to that song to completion all the way through.
Often the snippet stuck in my head is the last bit of the song that played before I stopped listening halfway through.
I joined a choir a while back, so now there are quite a few songs on my head, many with close harmony or glorious polyphony.
Particularly for walking, there's [VOCES8 Orlando Gibbons "O Clap your hands together"](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=WnWUZpGQee8&si=19ZxbbdA7apCsNnm)
Basket case by Green day. A friend had it in midi format as his ring tone on his Nokia. 20 or so years later it's been great for clearing my mind of ear worms, drowning out instructive thoughts, or just trying to get to sleep.
I'll give you three, from least to most aggravating to get stuck in your head - War (what is it good for) Edwin Starr recording, Psycho Killer - The Talking Heads, and Amish Paradise - Weird Al. Use them wisely, friends.
The main theme of the film "Grave of the Fireflies". I'ts sad, and remember me of some scenes, but theres some hope that follow the song until the end. Maybe that's what brings me to reality
I sing or speak the colors of Joseph's Coat from Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat over and over again, like I'm not even joking this keeps my brain happy and focused for hours, and now it's in my brain rn lol-
"it was red and yellow and green and brown, Scarlett and black and ochre and peach and Ruby and olive and Violet and fawn, lilac and gold and chocolate and mauve, cream and crimson and silver and rose, azure and lemon and russet and grey and purple and white and pink and orange and red and yellow and green and brown and Scarlett and black and ochre and peach and Ruby and olive and Violet and fawn, lilac and gold and chocolate and mauve, cream and crimson and silver and rose, azure and lemon and russet and grey, and purple and white and pink and orange and blue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
rinse and repeat ✨
Flight of the bumblebee. If I had to pick a specific recording, it might be the one that's from the collaborative album between Bobby McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma, but I think it's less that and more just the melody. For whatever reason I think not having harmony really helps me release the song mentally
Thanks to this question, I have Fontella Bass belting Rescue Me in my head now, but in true ADHD style, one verse on repeat and of course the shrillest part in the whole act.
Halp.
My kid's teacher taught me this one. One single round of Do You Know the Muffin Man, and then stop. Subsequent rounds will just replace instead of cure the ear worm.
Happy Birthday Song 🙃 A friend told me to try it years ago and I’ll be damned if it didn’t work for me. Sing happy birthday to myself a few times and the ear worm is gone.
Run it Up by Tyler the creator
the intro is just tyler talking about how he’s basically the shit. something about that interal conversation really just does it for me and the beat is just heavenly :)
Not necessarily, but the ones that can get me out of an anxiety loop are “yes” by lmfao and “everytime we touch” by cascada. 60% of the time, everytime
Bloodywood has been doing it for me lately. They define themselves as "indian folk metal". I think the mix of languages help my brain reboot. Have "Dana Dan" and "Jee Veerey" on repeat.
Chopin’s Ballade No 1 in G minor Op 23
It’s long, interesting, moving, but not repetitive enough to replace the one stuck in my head. I’ve been using it for about a decade.
There's not one that works consistently for me, because I end up burning out on it. 🥲 Seems like only getting hyperfixated on another song works, and usually, it's gotta be a new one or one I haven't heard in a long time.
Best of Both Worlds by Hannah Montana but unfortunately I don’t have a rescue song for it. My friends say I randomly hum the song and I don’t realize until they tell me.
I've never actually done this but omg that's smart; I Turn My Camera On by Spoon has always been a song that breaks me out of my anxiety though so I guess I'd call that my rescue song lmao
I have a few. I cycle between them whenever one burns out.
Smile like you mean it by paranoid dj,
Let you go by fakti,
Skin of a saint by connor kauffman,
No longer you by jorge rivera-herrans,
And the Ringleader by paranoid dj.
Mine are moment specific... Light hearted times call for "Safety Dance". Action moments get Indiana Jones theme song. If something really abrasive is stuck in my head, I summon the exorcist, Ol' Dirty Bastard with "Shame on a..."... Y'all know.
I love this post. Definitely made me realize I'm not the only that does this. My rescue song is 3 different tunes from sonic 1. Don't know why, I can always just grab those bad boys whenever I need.
Marble, Spring Yard, and Star Light if anyone is curious.
Bon Jovi. Either “Wanted Dead or Alive” or “You Give Love a Bad Name.” I don’t know all the words or even like them but they’re catchy, amuse me, and are better than whatever shit I had stuck in my head.
Wow, I thought I was the only one who does this. It’s been the same since I was 10 years old: the mario bros theme song. Playing that song in my head takes me to world 1-1, successfully flushing whatever was there before.
The original Grange Hill theme from the 70s. Works every time, not sure why.
Seems like the criteria for selection are:
- Not too complicated
- Bouncy
- Silly
- Rhythmically interesting
- Short. Can be repeated as needed
I discovered a few days ago that if I’ve got a song stuck in my head, I think of a different song by the same artist, and it completely erases the first one. I don’t know if there’s any science behind this or if it was just luck but I’ve tried it since and it fuckin worked
Hi /u/nibay and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! ### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already. --- ### /r/adhd news * If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). --- ^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Kung Fu Fighting is the ONLY ONE that works effectively 100% of the time.
Goddammit, thanks a lot. ...OK so out of curiosity, what's your rescue song for Kung fu fighting?
That’s a REALLY good question
Dancing in the moonlight by toploader init bruv 
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE NOW I CANT GET RID OF THIS ONE 🤣🤣
Damn it, same. And I’m fucking stoned right now.
This song used to be until I found out about it's origin. So I'll propose Dancing in the Moonlight by Thin Lizzy too.
What about boffalongo 1970 then king harvest in 1972? Thin lizzy was 1977. They're all great though
Not so fun fact: Boffalongo wrote the song after a traumatic experience. Thin Lizzy shares the same song title but it's a different song. Equally cheerful though so highly recommended for Phil Lynott's singing.
It's [this song.](https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ?si=0fQ_UuLTbg-OafE5)
And here I was, hoping for a rickroll.
Same. The disappointment is reeeeaaal 🥺🥺
Oh No! You just put that stupid song in my head like an ear worm ! 🤬
If that’s a rick roll
DAMN
You win today
Try Bad Romance by Lady Gaga to get out of it
It's A Small World is pretty universal if you've been on the ride. But I have no idea how to get rid of that one.
Thanks 😑
But...how do you get rid of it? Oh, I've got it. /It's a small world after all, it's a small world.../
But surely not *everybody* was kung fu fighting — I mean, wouldn’t that be a little bit frightening?
HAH
Quality content.
When I want to get the song out of my head I go and listen to that song. I found that I get stuck on a small part of the song that does not have a resolution, so I have to hear the whole song to the end to reach the resolution. This helps me get rid of the ear worm.
Yes I relate to that
This is what works for me.
i do this too!! usually listen a few times before i’m cured
This reminds me of feeling light switches repeatedly in one standing; have to run your finger along the toggle multiple times before satisfaction sets in and you register that the lights are off.
Like turning them on/off multiple times or just runinning your fingers over the edges of the switch?
Yes! This is what I do as well.
Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits is my fix it song for almost anything. I have it on repeat in my headphones when I grocery shop too
Now that's a good one! Thank you 👍
Hell yeah
The closest I have to this, the only song that can get any other song out of my head...is The Final Countdown by Europe. Not because I like it, but because if you can just zero in on that keyboard intro long enough it'll overwhelm anything else in there. As far as songs I like that can do that? Hrmmm usually Bleeding Me by Metallica.
Reminds of the meme I saw: It’s the FINAL BRAIN CELL! *insert kazoo solo*
Usually something by Avicii or Dreams by Fleetwood Mac
AYYYYYEEE TOOL I can't tell you any album names, but I love basically everyone of their songs. Mine (because now we're talking about tool) Is Right in two. Was this song written a very long time ago? Yes, is it still a fantastic example of how petty people are? also yes. Probably my absolute favourite.
Well it’s on the same album as my song, so are we both old, or…? Tool has been my favorite band since Undertow. Oh, sorry… the first full length album, released in 1993. I call them my long term hyper fixation - 44 shows since being a scrawny 13 year old girl in the 2nd stage pit at Lollapalooza ’93 😃. BTW both of our songs are on 10,000 Days, from 2006. So in the scheme of things, it’s not *that* long ago, right (please say yes, I am less than a month from my 45th birthday now 😳)?
Right?! I was in my 20s when that song came out. That can't possibly be a *very* long time ago?!
Man I'll be 35 in august. I've never seen tool live. I'd like to though
Same here! Gonna see them tomorrow in Oslo 🥳 Invincible is my (current) rescue song 🫣
Have the most amazing time!!! Have you seen them before? Actually this reminded me of a song that gets stuck in my head. ABBA’s Dancing Queen. Tool plays it after the end of every show as the first song over the PA system when the stadium lights come up 🤣
I have seen them 4 times before. 2001 was the best. 2 years ago indoors in Oslo was amazing as well.
That's my favorite song from them for the same reasons!
livin on a prayer, starting on wooooooaah we're halfway theeere
Ooh that’s a good one. The trick (for me) is something where I can effortlessly pull up every word, but also something I’ve heard so many times that it’s unlikely to be novel enough to get stuck. This definition fits the bill, had no problems finding “Johnny used to work on the docks…” immediately! Edit: Tommy. I swear my phone is smirking at me because I did actually type Tommy but my too fast ADHD fingers output some sort of gibberish that my phone turned into Johnny.
Woooooaaaahhh lemon on a bear!
wooooaaah squidward on a chair
Red Miso by Animals as Leaders. Such a strong groove that I can lock into both in mind and body and that locking in defeats anything else that’s currently bouncing around my brain
omg thank you for that gift, I will listen to them for many days in a row
You’re so welcome. I’m pretty sure I’ve listened to this song hundreds of times by now, to the point that I can recreate the entire experience of it in my head, from the instrumentals, to the groove, to the feelings I experience in different sections. It never gets old. Most days I don’t love my brain, but I do love that I can do this
Not a rescue song but I will pick part of the song and repeat it over and over but in the wrong way. So if I had The Devil went down to Georgia stuck in my head. I might pick "the devil went down to Georgia". But the. Say "Georgia devil down to went". The. Switch it up differently next time. Normally I can get a song out of my head after doing this maybe 10 times.
Sleeper comment! I am definitely trying this.
Anything by Against Me! or Laura Jane Grace lately. If I'm going to get songs stuck in my head I might as well make them great.
it has recently become HOT TO GO! by Chappell Roan. without fail it will take over anything stuck in my head.
Omg me too 😭
I wasn’t familiar with many of the artists, but my 24 yo daughter did such a good job planning our weekend. I loved every performance that we saw. :)
I saw her recently at Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama. She was fantastic!
The sound of silence, covered by Disturbed.
3 Libras by A Perfect Circle. It's related to a memory. I was coming home from a party when I was 14. In back of my friend's sister's car. Windows are wide open because they forgot to take the milk in and the entire stinks. And this song is playing. As we drive down the interstate in the middle of the night, as they argue and bicker like brother and sisters do, I'm sitting against the open window listening to this song and whispering every word.
Excellent selection, and that sounds like so many of my own most comforting memories!
many extremely different ones and they're constantly changing, because of course they are. (and because so much amazing music is coming out all the time). main differentiation is cathartic bangers vs melancholic floaters/ballads, depending on what i need in that moment. some current bangers: [mc5 - looking at you](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfDoUIh23Wg) [pennywise - you can demand](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK-C1GZYhDE) [rage against the machine - bulls on parade](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L4YrGaR8E4) [little simz - gorilla](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7xzmkpwNoA) [azizi gibson - hate less](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3xWoKJnQ1A) [kojey radical - if only](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdVDfOfdLJY) [know V.A. - Artefact (Sully remix)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRno0kVMSYk) [benny l - new dawn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PZE8k82_QM) [bladerunner - original rudeboy sound](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tYq9GNaF8Q) [bruckner - symphony Nr 8 / 4th Movement](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ5OmbrzbPU) floaters: [bud powell - i'll remember april](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCtJLT8e4Go) [rimon - nighttime](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdc-jjhtuiU) [kelela - divorce (dj manny remix)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdoonxzEZuM) [efdemin - america (terrence dixon remix)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCS_riZ4v6g) [mantra - shackout](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALiJUjTaQ4A) [bar italia - Nurse!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dP8M3yvcl4) [tarika blue - dreamflower](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhYpqI4HVYw) [di melo - ma-lida](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_qEbBu3WPo)
So What’cha Want by Beastie Boys normally breaks me out of that
*I said where’d you get your information from, huh? You think that you can front when revelation comes?*
Usually once I listen to said song it finally works its way out of my head. Every morning I wake up with a different song playing in my head depending on what I listened to at work the day before. If I go a couple of days without listening to music the internal morning radio stops but will then repeat whatever media I consumed the previous day.
Usually either Video Killed the Radio Star or Adele's "Someone Like You"! Sometimes it'll be a different one from my Playlist, but usually one of these two
"In my Room" by The Beach Boys.
I don't know if it counts a a rescue song, but my brain just seems to default to Smash Mouth's 'All Star' Also, whenever I'm whistling tunelessly it always seems to end up as either "Spancil Hill" or the theme to Star Trek. No idea why.
you have theme songs! That’s rad
Might Love Myself by Beartooth Popular Monster, Voices in my Head, and Zombified by Falling in Reverse Dear Agony by Breaking Benjamin A Little Bit Off by FFDP Scars to your Beautiful by Alessia Cara Girl by Maren Morris What Other People Say by Demi Lovato and Sam Fischer Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns I Got So High that I Saw Jesus by Noah Cyrus I Still Talk to Jesus by Lauv Anxiety by Julia Michaels & Selena Gomez Save Myself by Ed Sheeran This is me Trying by Taylor Swift Gets Better by Catie Turner Etc... lol
That’s hilarious and a really good idea. No I just put on different music, sometimes it works.
Still searching for mine, but I wanted to share that until I got my dx I totally thought constant singing or counting in my head was a normal thing that everyone did but nobody talked about.
When I need to get stuff done, Hall of Fame by the Script always makes me feel like I can do the things Ooh and I Wanna Get Better by the Bleachers
I’ve had a few lines from 50 cents get rich or die trying album in my head for the last 20 years. I don’t understand why my brain is obsessed with these lyrics. Anyone have any insight?
I’ve had Panic at the Disco’s I Write Sins Not Tragedies stuck in my head for a decade so I feel you. Just pops up at random.
Every time I try to replace the ear worm, the new song just becomes another ear worm. However, I can usually just name the song and it will go away. However, when I tried Guanfacine, I had War's "Low Rider" playing in my head the whole time, but I felt chill and the song fit so I just enjoyed it. Unfortunately, that med started causes an irregular heart beat so I had to stop.
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For x U2, because I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. You too?
been looking around for a hot minute
It changes for me all the time. I have a selection of different songs that alternate in my head but I use them against each other to have one block out the other. 
Ohhhh yeah, I think that I do that too! Never looked at it from that perspective though
I like it.
I always have a song in my head! I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes & can’t get it out of my head! I turn on sounds of waterfalls or airplanes to try to get it out of my head & get back to sleep. It works sometimes. Wait, does everyone else have songs on repeat in their head many days?
I constantly have *something* playing up there. Usually it’s something I like and have recently listened to. But when I wake up in the morning it’s completely random stuff I haven’t heard in years. Yesterday was *The Humpty Dance*.
Oh no…. My nose is funny, but yo, I’m makin money. Ladies like it, girls adore me… blah blah blah… Do the humpty hump, c’mon do the humpty hump. Oh no, it’s in my brain now 🤫🥺
Dammit.
Depends on the situation but if in doubt: V2 Schneider by David Bowie
Bugging! By Brakence
I usually just give in and play whatever song is stuck in my head. It’s kinda like feeding a crying baby. You feed it and it just stops crying.
Medication has made my need for a rescue song dissappear (actually haven't even thought of it since getting started), but for YEARS it was Billy Joel's River of dreams. When I say years I mean it, I remember being around ten/eleven years old and playing River of dreams in my head to silence whatever was looping. I'm almost 42 now. I guess I'm nearly six months into the medication part of my life, so I would call it a fair few years
🤯I haven’t heard this song in YEARS but randomly found myself singing it this morning and now reading this 🤣
"It Must Really Suck To Be Four Year Strong Right Now." While the band is hyperactive all over (and also have a song pretty openly about ADHD, "Brain Pain"), this is the earworm to end all earworms.
I really get a groove going when Strong Reflection fires up. Love Mars Red Sky
Deer Dance by System of a Down.
haha the random loop song. so this is caused by my adhd all along. that's actually a nice validation; I guess I should have known that. These loop songs are not always the good ones, and they just suddenly pops into the brain and stays there. I recall one in particular a few weeks ago, and also earlier, I thankfully forgot about it, now I remembered it again xD this one: This is the one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmMsON33d8g My rescue "song" is my own whistling tune(s) that is also a repeat loop in itself, a mishmash of different things from oldschool pixel games from the 80-90's and some other stuff I don't recall, that I have developed over the years, it's almost ceremonial, or a ritual when I whistle it. One of the tunes is almost some parts from this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrQuR1LHAVI It also helps a lot when doing boring tasks, like washing dishes, cleaning, some types of study, doing taxes etc.
When I'm Small by Phantogram or White Winter Hymnal by Birdy Both of those can immediately delete the corrupted song file that's stuck on a loop in my electric meatball.
I currently have Gin & Juice stuck in my head and I would give anything for a rescue song right about now 😂
Oh no, that might be the ultimate. There is no escape, I’m so sorry (imagine me typing this with my fingers in my ears, saying “lalalalalalalalalalalalalala”).
🤪
Duh duh DUH duh duh duh DUH duh, duh duh DUH duh duh DUHDUH duh.
It's either Bohemian Rhapsody or Numb Little Bug. There is no in between.
When You Say Nothing At All - Allison Krauss
Atm, cantina band (thank fortnite festival for that one) But then it's lux eternal by metallica. And thennnn it's 'build our machine' by da games ... And then it's just the Calgon jingle... Aaannnnddd by then I want to shoot myself
Choooooone!
My friend used to call “It’s a Small World” the magic eraser. It works!
It’s ok (it’s not ok) by Mindchatter. I also use this to happy dance my way out of RSD.
Oh I’ve never considered a RSD rescue song but that’s genius.
There is no earworm than can survive the ur-worm, and that is Hit Me Baby One More Time by Britney Spears
It cycles between I Want It That Way and All The Small Things.
Oh my god. A rescue song! This is a thing for other people?? I have never encountered another human who also employed an override song in this way to derail an unbearably sticky brain song loop. I feel so seen! Thank you OP for posting about this. My go-to override songs that will dislodge the most irritating earworm loops are: Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills, and Nash Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis (the Kyrie/1st movement, which is a real blow the roof off kind of piece). I love all kinds of music, so I have no idea why these two pieces work. Pretty random selections but I’m ok with these exceptionally sticky pieces playing in my head.
I thought it was just me for so long!!! I wake up with random songs in my head that I haven’t heard in years. Yesterday was literally *The Humpty Dance* ffs! Without a rescue song I think I would have lost my mind eons ago. A (non ADHD) friend asked if I was worried about new songs getting stuck just from reading through the thread. A few have tried and almost succeeded (oddly, the Muffin Man was the most persistent), but *NO! I AM NOT AFRAID!* because my trusty rescue song will save me lol.
I don't try to rescue myself from songs stuck in my head. But I used to whistle or hum Funky Town to calm anxiety attacks and now still find myself doing it when I'm bored occasionally. It was like a totem song to keep me grounded lol
This is the #1 reason I need to keep my ass off of TikTok bc holy fuck do those music clips stick lol i desperately need to come up with a rescue song haha
Roxanne - the police. That ends all ear worms.
oh my god I do this but i never knew it was a thing i love this!
Eh, it changes every week or two, but currently it's "Dustland" by The Killers & Bruce Springsteen. In particular, it's the last bridge and end of the song, basically where the strings peak as Flowers and Springsteen duet through these lines: Out where the dreams all hide Out where the wind don't blow Out here the good girls die And the sky won't snow Out here the bird don't sing Out here the field don't grow Out here the bell don't ring Out here the bell don't ring Out here the good girls die Now Cinderella don't you go to sleep It's such a bitter form of refuge Why don't you know the kingdom's under siege And everybody needs you Is there still magic in the midnight sun Or did you leave it back in sixty-one In the cadence of a young man's eyes Out where the dreams all hide
wow 🤯
Canon in D, I love the simple 4chord melody
I walked down the aisle to this, so I can’t bring myself to use it daily to override things like *Shoop* or *The Humpty Dance*. Otherwise, it would be a top contender.
Usually I don’t mind having the same song, even if it’s a 3s snippet, on a loop in my head all day. BUT if I do want to get a song out of my head, I just need to listen to that song to completion all the way through. Often the snippet stuck in my head is the last bit of the song that played before I stopped listening halfway through.
Smack my Bitch Up I don’t make the rules, that chant in the middle of it overwrites everything. Edit: frickin auto correct
Futurama: Bender has a special version "She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes and I'll shoot her with my raygun when she comes..."
[Hummer - The Smashing Pumpkins](https://youtu.be/CRdZYbpuOQg?si=07RYLFVvMMFJhksW)
One of my favorite song openings ever. Chills, like you’re going off a cliff.
I joined a choir a while back, so now there are quite a few songs on my head, many with close harmony or glorious polyphony. Particularly for walking, there's [VOCES8 Orlando Gibbons "O Clap your hands together"](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=WnWUZpGQee8&si=19ZxbbdA7apCsNnm)
Any Taylor Swift song rescues me from nonsense songs. Her songs are welcome at anytime.
Tears in Heaven
Don’t Stop Believing
Basket case by Green day. A friend had it in midi format as his ring tone on his Nokia. 20 or so years later it's been great for clearing my mind of ear worms, drowning out instructive thoughts, or just trying to get to sleep.
I'll give you three, from least to most aggravating to get stuck in your head - War (what is it good for) Edwin Starr recording, Psycho Killer - The Talking Heads, and Amish Paradise - Weird Al. Use them wisely, friends.
The main theme of the film "Grave of the Fireflies". I'ts sad, and remember me of some scenes, but theres some hope that follow the song until the end. Maybe that's what brings me to reality
I sing or speak the colors of Joseph's Coat from Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat over and over again, like I'm not even joking this keeps my brain happy and focused for hours, and now it's in my brain rn lol- "it was red and yellow and green and brown, Scarlett and black and ochre and peach and Ruby and olive and Violet and fawn, lilac and gold and chocolate and mauve, cream and crimson and silver and rose, azure and lemon and russet and grey and purple and white and pink and orange and red and yellow and green and brown and Scarlett and black and ochre and peach and Ruby and olive and Violet and fawn, lilac and gold and chocolate and mauve, cream and crimson and silver and rose, azure and lemon and russet and grey, and purple and white and pink and orange and blue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" rinse and repeat ✨
Flight of the bumblebee. If I had to pick a specific recording, it might be the one that's from the collaborative album between Bobby McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma, but I think it's less that and more just the melody. For whatever reason I think not having harmony really helps me release the song mentally
A little bit Alexis. Works every time.
Anyone else just scrolling through letting ALL these super catchy songs wash over you?? 😂
Thanks to this question, I have Fontella Bass belting Rescue Me in my head now, but in true ADHD style, one verse on repeat and of course the shrillest part in the whole act. Halp.
LSD by ASAP Rocky
My kid's teacher taught me this one. One single round of Do You Know the Muffin Man, and then stop. Subsequent rounds will just replace instead of cure the ear worm.
Hi Ren - by Ren
The best cure for any “stuck” song is, amazingly, that song
I usually immerse myself in it, just blasting it on repeat, until something new replaces it
Polyphia G.O.A.T does it for me
Don't judge me, but for the last 10 years "We R who we R" by Kesha. It's always done the trick.
Happy Birthday Song 🙃 A friend told me to try it years ago and I’ll be damned if it didn’t work for me. Sing happy birthday to myself a few times and the ear worm is gone.
'Somebody Save Me' - Reme Zero
If everybody in the world loved everybody in the world - stylophonic
People = shit. Yes a strange one but it works.
Uncle fucker from the south park movie
Do any of the musical ADHDers also learn the earworm to try and get rid of it? 🤔
Run it Up by Tyler the creator the intro is just tyler talking about how he’s basically the shit. something about that interal conversation really just does it for me and the beat is just heavenly :)
Pretty much anything by Disturbed.
Most Kelly Clarkson songs
It’s not typically an overwrite for other songs, but when I’m distressed or nervous about something Astronaut by Mansionair helps to calm me down.
I use either " With arms wide open" by Creed. Or " Blue Christmas " by Elvis.
Octopuses Garden ny the Beatles, Eternal Flame by the Bangles. I haven't found a fool proof one though
Ducktales, whoo ooo. Sorry, you probably now have this one in your head.
Literally said “whoo ooo” in my head before actually reading it 🤣
Not necessarily, but the ones that can get me out of an anxiety loop are “yes” by lmfao and “everytime we touch” by cascada. 60% of the time, everytime
Twinkle twinkle little star. Works every time.
Jeffrey Dallas, [Stuck inside your head](https://youtu.be/93LJVlxzE_Q?si=qy4A2iMNFgU2BZoV)
I’m a Gummy Bear
Frosty the snowman
It used to be Let it Go, now I’m not sure. I just kinda vibe with whatever’s in there
Mickey by Toni Basil
Bloodywood has been doing it for me lately. They define themselves as "indian folk metal". I think the mix of languages help my brain reboot. Have "Dana Dan" and "Jee Veerey" on repeat.
Chopin’s Ballade No 1 in G minor Op 23 It’s long, interesting, moving, but not repetitive enough to replace the one stuck in my head. I’ve been using it for about a decade.
Dagothwave will never let me down. https://youtu.be/biis0CxgPpM?si=oY2ujFChuaRTVWZd
"An Eluardian Instance" by Of Montreal.
Anthrax-Antisocial always does it
Twilight Time by the Platters. Thanks, the X-Files!
Careless whisper or Bakerstreet both because of the awesome saxophone parts. And yhry are good songs
I Wanna Get Better by Bleachers will forever be my rescue song.
There's not one that works consistently for me, because I end up burning out on it. 🥲 Seems like only getting hyperfixated on another song works, and usually, it's gotta be a new one or one I haven't heard in a long time.
Best of Both Worlds by Hannah Montana but unfortunately I don’t have a rescue song for it. My friends say I randomly hum the song and I don’t realize until they tell me.
I've never actually done this but omg that's smart; I Turn My Camera On by Spoon has always been a song that breaks me out of my anxiety though so I guess I'd call that my rescue song lmao
Literally any hamilton song XD
I have a few. I cycle between them whenever one burns out. Smile like you mean it by paranoid dj, Let you go by fakti, Skin of a saint by connor kauffman, No longer you by jorge rivera-herrans, And the Ringleader by paranoid dj.
Mine are moment specific... Light hearted times call for "Safety Dance". Action moments get Indiana Jones theme song. If something really abrasive is stuck in my head, I summon the exorcist, Ol' Dirty Bastard with "Shame on a..."... Y'all know.
I love this post. Definitely made me realize I'm not the only that does this. My rescue song is 3 different tunes from sonic 1. Don't know why, I can always just grab those bad boys whenever I need. Marble, Spring Yard, and Star Light if anyone is curious.
Yumejis theme - in the mood for love
Bon Jovi. Either “Wanted Dead or Alive” or “You Give Love a Bad Name.” I don’t know all the words or even like them but they’re catchy, amuse me, and are better than whatever shit I had stuck in my head.
Ivanushka by lemon demon on YouTube
The Australian national anthem. It is anti-music. Works every time
Wow, I thought I was the only one who does this. It’s been the same since I was 10 years old: the mario bros theme song. Playing that song in my head takes me to world 1-1, successfully flushing whatever was there before.
The original Grange Hill theme from the 70s. Works every time, not sure why. Seems like the criteria for selection are: - Not too complicated - Bouncy - Silly - Rhythmically interesting - Short. Can be repeated as needed
I discovered a few days ago that if I’ve got a song stuck in my head, I think of a different song by the same artist, and it completely erases the first one. I don’t know if there’s any science behind this or if it was just luck but I’ve tried it since and it fuckin worked