The reason that a song gets stuck in your head is primarily your fault. You've listened to it too many times, listened too carefully, and now you know it all too well. The reason it stays in your head is that you let it. You feed it with continued attention and it thrives.

Because of this, the first thing you should do is try to ignore it. This works in some cases with some of the not-so-virulent songs on the airwaves today. You can do this by paying close attention to any sounds that may be around you; people speaking, various car sounds or any background noise. If you pay close enough attention to other things, then most of the time the song just slips away. Once it has left, do not try to remember it in any way, or it will get stuck again. Also, your mind will be particularly receptive to new songs for a while, so stay away from radios.

If this doesn't work, then you should move on to another strategy. Other ways to deal with a song that has got stuck in your head are replacement, which involves getting another, better song stuck, and recording.

Recording, in this instance, is the process of writing down or typing the words to the song. This method is probably the least practical, but for some it is the most effective. To work, however, you must write down all you remember of the song.

There is one more method. The reason that it is left until last is that it may do more harm than good. It is similar to replacement, but it is forced. What you do is listen to a more virulent song for a while. These songs are often stupid in their simplicity, but that is what makes them so dangerous. If nothing else works, this should do the trick. Here are some examples:

• 'Butterfly' by Smile,
• 'Space Invaders' by Hit 'n' Hide,
• 'Tarzan and Jane' by Toybox,
• 'Lola' by the Kinks, and
• 'Party Up' by DMX