Inner Music in Fiction and Biography
‘Inner music’ or ‘musical imagery’ refers to the music that one hears in one’s own head. For example, an ‘earworm’ is a catchy piece of music that is stuck in one’s head and repeats involuntarily. Part of the work of the AHRC-funded Inner Music and Wellbeing Network is to create a database of public examples of imagined music in fiction and biography. These might be found in published biographies, films, literature, plays, poetry, published accounts, song TV programmes etc.
We are always looking for submissions to this database! If you would like to contribute, please fill out the form linked here.
Biography (3) Cartoons and comics (4) Films (3) Literature (8) Plays (1) Poetry (2) Published Account (1) Songs (5) TV Programmes (8)
10,000-Year Earworm to Discourage Settlement Near Nuclear Waste Repositories
In 2014, musician Emperor X wrote a deliberately catchy song titled 10,000-Year Earworm to Discourage Settlement Near Nuclear Waste Repositories (Don’t Change Color, Kitty) in reference to the “ray cat” idea in nuclear semiotics, attempting to embed a warning message in folklore that would still be remembered in 10,000 years’ time.
Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal, S1E17: ‘Theme Song of Your Life’. Created by David E. Kelley. 1998. The show’s protagonist, Ally McBeal, is prescribed a theme song by her therapist.
An Equal Music
In the novel An Equal Music (1999) by Vikram Seth, pianist Julia compensates for her increasing hearing impairment with the use of musical imagery
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm, S3E4: ‘Nanny From Hell’. Directed by Larry David. 2002. A nanny that had worked at a Loony Tunes theme park is driven to psychosis when she hears the music that was forced on repeat at her job and she constantly repeats it through the episode. Sometimes it is externally heard, sometimes she … Read more
Dante’s Commedia (Purgatorio)
In Canto 2 of the Purgatorio, when Dante describes arriving on the shore of Purgatory, one of the first indications of the condition of the souls in Purgatory is their ability to hold music in their mind and to remember music. The first soul that Dante meets in Purgatory is Casella, a composer and musician: … Read more
Dr Who
Dr Who, S3E11–13: ‘Utopia’, ‘The Sound of Drums’, and ‘Last of the Time Lords’. Directed by Russell T. Davies. 2007. Professor Yana/The Master has heard drumming all his life, sending him mad. This reflects the dual beating if his two hearts, and affects the way in which he plans world domination.
Elmer and the Tune
Elmer and the Tune (2017) is a children’s book written by David McKee When Rose meets Elmer, she’s humming a tune that she cannot get out of her head. When she leaves, Elmer realises he cannot get the tune out of head either. As he crosses the jungle he sees the infectious tune spreading to … Read more
Garfield: Life in the Fat Lane
One of the Garfield comics by Jim Davis, collected in Life in the Fat Lane (1995), shows Garfield with a song in his head (depicted in music notes on a staff), which drives him crazy until he whistles it to Odie and gets it stuck in Odie’s head instead.
Giving up the Ghost
At the start of her memoir, Giving up the Ghost (2003), Hilary Mantel describes how inner music features at the early stage of a migraine. “It may be that a tune will lodge in my head like a tic and bring the words tripping in with it, so I am forced to live my life … Read more
Inside Out
Bubblegum advert is ‘loaded up’ by the brain for regular mental replay
Killing Floor
Jack Reacher, the protagonist of Lee Child’s novels, often experiences music internally rather than through external devices. He has a deep appreciation for blues music, and songs frequently play in his mind as he moves through different situations. This internal soundtrack reflects his solitary nature and sharp observational skills, with music serving as a kind … Read more
Lego Movie 2
Cartoons and comics, Films, Songs
Music which is designed to be catchy and to brainwash the protagnists. The song lyrics are “This song’s gonna get stuck inside your head”
My Brain
Dave Barry humorously reflects on how music embeds itself in memory, often more vividly than facts or names. He notes that TV theme songs can involuntarily play in his mind and interrupt daily tasks, even when he struggles to recall everyday details. The piece playfully illustrates how musical memory is both powerful and peculiar, shaping … Read more
Nothing but Gingerbread Left
In 1943 Henry Kuttner published the short story Nothing but Gingerbread Left about a song engineered to damage the Nazi war effort, culminating in Adolf Hitler being unable to continue a speech. Two key extracts are given below. Extract 1: The minister rose and walked back and forth on the rich carpet. His lip lifted in a sneer. The … Read more
Shake It Off
In her song ‘Shake It Off’ (2014), Taylor Swift manages life’s irritations with the help of music in her head: ‘But I keep cruising Can’t stop, won’t stop moving It’s like I got this music In my mind Saying, “It’s gonna be alright.”‘