I'm addressing this to everyone, here, at Asking Jude -- especially the peer counselors, as they are studying human psychology.... Early in the a.m. of this first day of the work week, I got out of bed and started up my computer. I also turned on my transistor radio to an overnight talk show. A man called into the show and, speaking in an authoritarian manner, forced the show host to talk about the election; i.e., whether the host accepted the ruling of the Supreme Court. This was oe of those moments in my life when an authority figure makes a statement that establishes reality in many people's minds -- including my mind. I stood in my apartment, my home, and said to myself "It's official, the crazy people won." And, spontaneously, I thought of music. A song started up in my mind, a song that I've listened to on a CD that I have, a compilation CD of songs from the late 1960s. I'm naming the song: "One Tin Soldier." How do I explain this? Am I coping with the terrible reality that I'm living in?
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Hey, Helen! Thank you for getting back to me. You've given me something to focus on, during this terrible time for all human beings, here, in the USA, during the pandemic -- and, specifically, for this human being... Thank you for the work that you do. My response to what was going on on that radio show was an unconscious action on my part, something that I frequently do in the course of any day in y life, here in NYC... Where ever you are, I hope you are doing well... Thank you, again...
Hello,
Thank you for coming to Asking Jude for advice. Although I am not a professional, it is likely that you thought of this song as a way to cope with the news you heard. According to PsychCentral, music has been shown to be effective in reducing stress and anxiety (https://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/11/music). Music has even been studied to help those with PTSD cope with their symptoms (https://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/news/research_news/music-010614.cfm) and help those with depression (https://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/11/music). Have you used this song to cope with difficult circumstances in the past? If so, this song might have popped into your head for a similar reason.
Another possibility is that you associated the meaning of the song with the news you heard. I have never listened to the song, but it is supposed to be an anti-war song relating to the Vietnam war (https://www.countrythangdaily.com/tin-soldier-billy-jack/). However, there are different interpretations of the song and perhaps your interpretation is one of them. This may have drawn you to think of this song in the instant you heard the radio.
Lastly, the song being in your mind could have been a result of involuntary musical imagery (also known as “earworms”) (https://www.gold.ac.uk/music-mind-brain/imis/). This occurs when a portion of a song starts playing or repeating in your head, seemingly out of nowhere. If you have been listening to the song on your CD recently, this could explain what happened as well.
Hope this helped,
Helen