Do You Have a Default Melody (a Theme Song, If You Will)?

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You know, a tune that's almost always on a loop somewhere in your brain as you go about your day; one that's there so often, you barely even realize its presence.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 16 September 2004 16:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, either "Jack Your Body" or "Senza Una Donna".

― adam. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 September 2004 16:43 (twenty-one years ago)

i dunno, but there's a charles ives piece that sounds suspiciously like my "brain tone"

― amateur!!st, Thursday, 16 September 2004 16:43 (twenty-one years ago)

"Brain tone" is a great term!

Mine is the first bars of Depeche Mode's "Policy of Truth," before the moaning riff comes in. It's a song I don't even particularly like, but it's been my default walking tune for almost 15 years. It has been intermittently supplanted by the break from Liz Phair's "Supernova" and the main riff from Elastica's "Connection."

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 16 September 2004 16:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Often I also hear the intro Astrud Gilberto's "Crickets Sing For Anamaria". It's a pair of leaping flutes.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 September 2004 16:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I believe I have synaesthesia so these things happen to me a lot.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 September 2004 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

"Eighties", "She Sells Sanctuary", "Change" (by KJ, not Tears for Fears, although that's a great song) and "Cruiser's Creek" by the Fall.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 16 September 2004 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

stalag riddim

― autovac (autovac), Thursday, 16 September 2004 17:07 (twenty-one years ago)

that circus song that accompanies clowns piling out of a car.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 16 September 2004 17:09 (twenty-one years ago)

the theme from Mary Tyler Moore.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 16 September 2004 17:11 (twenty-one years ago)

No melody, but I've got a drum break looping endlessly

― minolta (minolta), Thursday, 16 September 2004 17:44 (twenty-one years ago)

ha ha Shakey Mo OTM, for true

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 16 September 2004 17:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Green Onions.

― briania (briania), Thursday, 16 September 2004 17:48 (twenty-one years ago)

"Tequila" - The Champs. Honestly.

It was "Gyspy Woman" by Crystal Waters for a while when that was in the charts.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Thursday, 16 September 2004 17:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I think I mentioned on another thread that the Hawaii Five-O theme comes into my head suspiciously often.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 16 September 2004 17:54 (twenty-one years ago)

It's whatever song I'm currently obsessing over (yesterday and today it's been "Jezebel").

― Dan Perry '08 (Dan Perry), Thursday, 16 September 2004 17:55 (twenty-one years ago)

The best is when I'm doing something subdued and the circus/clown song is playing on the inner monologue soundsystem at a way slower bpm.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 16 September 2004 17:56 (twenty-one years ago)

now that I think about it, if you slow that song down it's actually kinda funky... (there's some other thread where this song's actual name is posted, but I forget where)

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 16 September 2004 17:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Remember, folks, in "ILX, The Movie" your selection here will be the theme playing as your character appears. Green Onions, baby.

― briania (briania), Thursday, 16 September 2004 18:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Buggin' Out by Tribe, though I'm not a five-foot assassin

― Bruce S. Urquhart (BanjoMania), Thursday, 16 September 2004 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

in that case I change mine to the Sparks' "This Town Ain't Big Enough For the Both Of Us"

x-post

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 16 September 2004 18:03 (twenty-one years ago)

The theme from Steptoe and Son.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 16 September 2004 18:04 (twenty-one years ago)

there's not just one, it depends on the day or the mood

Golden Brown - Stranglers
Leavin' Trunk - Taj Mahal
Black is the Color - Nina Simone
Can You Get to That - Funkadelic

― Thea (Thea), Thursday, 16 September 2004 18:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Weird you mention circus music - an old girlfriend used to hum 'the clown song' (Doo doo dodoo doo doo doo doo doo doo...) and since then, it pops int6o my head a lot.

Does this mean we are all secret clowns?

I also always get this tune from an old Donald Duck short in my head - it was something about "There goes the guy who's crazy over sweet Daisy" or something, but the verses had this extraordinarily infectious melody that I haven't heard in probbaly 20 years, but it ALWAYS pops into my head. It was the episode where he gets magic red pills and it changes his voice, making him a playa, FYI

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 16 September 2004 18:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Tom's Diner

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 16 September 2004 18:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, how could I forget Tom's Diner! In my case it's not even just the "ta ta ta-da" part, it's a couple of actual verses from somewhere in the middle of the song.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 16 September 2004 18:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Behind the Counter - The Fall

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 16 September 2004 18:40 (twenty-one years ago)

celebrated summer- husker du

― squirrelbait (squirrelbait), Thursday, 16 September 2004 18:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh right, 4541 by Grant Hart also.

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 16 September 2004 18:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Every now and then, and this has happened for probably at least 15 years, I find myself whistling the head to Charlie Parker's "Moose the Mooche." In fact, I was whistling it earlier.

Also, I've said for years that if I had my own country, the national anthem would be "Time Is Tight" by Booker T. and the MGs. Sounds kinda like a national anthem, don't it?

― Formerly Lee G (Formerly Lee G), Thursday, 16 September 2004 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

My theme song is "I'd Wait a Million Years" by the Grass Roots.

P.S. I like the idea of "Time Is Tight" as a national anthem, but I fear that "Hang 'em High" might be more apt for contemporary America.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 16 September 2004 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

It's becoming increasingly established that the MG's pwn the default melody category.

― briania (briania), Thursday, 16 September 2004 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

"Opera Star" by Neil Young.

― Chris O'Connor (Chris O'Connor), Thursday, 16 September 2004 19:49 (twenty-one years ago)

WELCOME TO THE DIAMOND LIFE

AND

BACKINTHEDAY WHENIWASYOUNG I'MNOTAKIDANYMORE
BUTSOMEDAYS ISITANDWISH IWASAKIDAGAIN

AND

I WALK ALONG THE AVENUE
I NEVER THOUGHT I'D MEET A GIRL LIKE YOU

― LC, Thursday, 16 September 2004 19:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I believe the "clown song" is called "Thunder and Blazes." Which I also continually have going through my head, although it alternates with Crispin Glover's "Clowny Clown Clown," for spice.

― Jesse Fuchs (Jesse Fuchs), Thursday, 16 September 2004 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, the opening part of "We're Desperate" by X seems to have been playing in constant rotation in my head since about 1986.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:01 (twenty-one years ago)

"Dueling Banjos"

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Boy, Tom's Diner seems like an ILM cockroach tonight ...

― Chris O., Friday, 17 September 2004 00:18 (twenty-one years ago)

"96 Tears"

― jim wentworth (wench), Friday, 17 September 2004 00:40 (twenty-one years ago)

the wombles theme, no foolin'

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Friday, 17 September 2004 05:38 (twenty-one years ago)

The instrumental bridge from "It Was a Very Good Year."

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Friday, 17 September 2004 07:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Unlikely as it sounds, "The Amorous Humphrey Plugg" is mine.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 17 September 2004 07:24 (twenty-one years ago)

My god, Roger, MY default tune is another ancient Disney thing! "Minnie's Yoo-Hoo," the track is called, a perky little barnyard stomp which lets us hear "the old tom cat with his meow, meow, Old hound dog with his bow wow wow" among others. Main instrument is a supremely-controlled alto sax(?) and the song climaxes (twice) with a falsetto "Yoo-hoo!"

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 17 September 2004 08:32 (twenty-one years ago)

The intro to "Inbetween Days" -The Cure.
Not a particular favourite, nothing against it either. But it pops up again and again.

My girlfriend's is "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Quite irritating for 11 months of the year.*
My mother's was always "La vie en rose", bless her.

*And extremely irritating during December.

― Vasquesz, Friday, 17 September 2004 09:15 (twenty-one years ago)

The first and third tracks of Selected Ambient Works Vol.2

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 17 September 2004 18:23 (twenty-one years ago)

"Give Up the Funk" by P-Funk.

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 17 September 2004 18:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Would anyone dare to hunt down and link up the clown song?

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Friday, 17 September 2004 19:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I hum the riff to 'Snowblind' almost involuntarily when I'm idle.

― 57 7th (calstars), Friday, 17 September 2004 20:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I hum the graduation song without realizing it-- when I'm cooking, throwing the toy mouse for the cat, walking down the street. I can go on for a long time unless someone gives me a look or something. Happens all the time. What is that song called?

― rebecca s (rebecca S), Saturday, 18 September 2004 00:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance. It's from around 1900 or so.

― jim wentworth (wench), Saturday, 18 September 2004 01:15 (twenty-one years ago)

thanks. Well, it's in my head now.

― rebecca s (rebecca S), Saturday, 18 September 2004 01:26 (twenty-one years ago)

OMG Vasquesz! I was going to say the same thing!
'Inbetween Days' by the Cure has been stuck in my head for a long time. Actually, it seem to rotate betweem "Inbetween Days' and 'Push.'
How do you get italics on HTML? I'm a bit of a computer retard?

― Star Cauliflower (Star Cauliflower), Saturday, 18 September 2004 01:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Ask, and ye shall receive: Thunder and Blazes. It was originally entitled "Entry of The Gladiators" when composed in 1897 for the Austro-Hungarian Infantry by "The Czech Sousa," Julius Fucik -- and let me just note here that I will never ever complain about my surname again. It's not quite clear to me when the name got changed to "Thunder and Blazes," but I assume it had something to do with the inexorable Clown-to-Gladiator-ratio tipping point. In any event, enjoy the song as it whips around your skull for the next three months, and please do not alert the clowns that I have posted this mp3 on my website, as they will assuredly eat me in my sleep.

― Jesse Fuchs (Jesse Fuchs), Saturday, 18 September 2004 03:00 (twenty-one years ago)

today, it's "owner of a lonely heart" and "roundabout."

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 18 September 2004 03:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Incidentally, I have just made this my "Red Alert" song for my MP3 alarm clock. The "Green Alert" is Bang On a Can's version of Eno's 1/1. If I don't get out of bed by the time that's over, it goes to DEFCON 3, also known as "Boo is Booming." And if that don't do it, I guess it's time to send in the clowns. It should work at least as well as Lightning Bolt did.

― Jesse Fuchs (Jesse Fuchs), Saturday, 18 September 2004 03:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I frequently hear Big Daddy Kane's "Raw" start up in my head, and then I can't get rid of it, because I know all the lyrics, so I keep reciting it to myself for, oh, two hours or so.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Saturday, 18 September 2004 12:52 (twenty-one years ago)

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