MY DISCOVERY ABOUT FORGETTING LYRICS
I’m excited to share an interesting discovery that recently captured my attention. I initially planned to create content on basic Arabic greetings I’ve learned here in Bahrain. However, a curious thought crossed my mind: Does Bahrain have a national anthem? In the Philippines, we proudly sing “Lupang Hinirang,” so I wondered if Bahrain had something similar. To satisfy my curiosity, I turned to YouTube and found that Bahrain indeed has a national anthem called “Bahrainona.” I couldn’t help but smile at my earlier thought; of course, every country has a national anthem!Â
My curious nature often leads me down such paths, and after discovering the anthem, I decided to listen to it. To my surprise, I found it enjoyable and played it repeatedly over two days until I had memorized it. I even performed it for my husband, who was amazed that I knew the lyrics, especially since he had forgotten parts of it over time. Despite being Bahraini, he mentioned that with age, he had forgotten some of the lyrics.
However, here’s where things took a strange turn: when my husband asked me to sing the anthem again today, I suddenly blanked on several parts of the lyrics. This surprised me, as I was confident in my memorization. Driven by curiosity, I looked for an explanation and discovered a common brain phenomenon known as the “tip-of-the-tongue” (TOT) state. This occurs when you know something, like song lyrics, but cannot recall it completely at that moment. Research indicates that this phenomenon is due to temporary disruptions in the brain’s retrieval process, making it challenging to connect or send the right signals for full recall. Interestingly, the harder I tried to remember, the more difficult the lyrics became, as my brain got distracted by other memories or conflicting information.
I realized that such moments of forgetting often occur when I am managing multiple thoughts or not fully focused. Our brains sometimes struggle to access the correct “file” of memory, especially when processing other information. When I think of a song like “Bahrainona,” my brain engages in different aspects of it—lyrics, melody, rhythm, and emotions—each stored in distinct brain regions. Normally, retrieving this information involves integrating these elements. However, distractions or insufficient “retrieval cues” can create gaps in memory.
” Every forgotten lyric is a chance to rediscover musical beauty. “
Reflecting on my experience, I recognized that my mind was overloaded while I planned my content step by step. Another part of my mind was preoccupied with ideas for posts on Writco, a multilingual social writing and reader-rewarding community-driven platform, a multilingual social writing and reader-rewarding community-driven platform, where I share quotes, poems, and stories inspired by real-life experiences. As I pictured the lyrics of “Bahrainona,” it felt as if I were reading and singing along. Yet, suddenly, portions of the song seemed to slip from my memory. Just like I found in my research, this indicated that while I successfully accessed some lyrics, others remained out of reach, possibly due to weak or absent retrieval cues.
Intrigued, I explored further and found three key reasons for this phenomenon:
- Repetitive Singing or Thinking: Every time I concentrated too much on one part, especially through repetition, it can cause “cognitive interference,” making it challenging to recall other lyrics.
- Mental Overload: Background sounds or competing thoughts can hinder my ability to concentrate on a single task, such as recalling song lyrics.
- Memory Similarities: My brain can confuse similar memories. For example, if I know multiple songs with comparable melodies or lyrics, they may blur together.
I then wondered what strategies I could use to address this issue. The best remedy, I discovered, is not to force it. If I relax, the correct information often comes back naturally over time or when I encounter related sounds, tones, or cues from my environment.
I’m genuinely excited to have uncovered this insight. Now, I realize it’s just a typical brain response when it’s overloaded or distracted. Once I take a moment to relax, my memories often come back. I hope you can relate to and appreciate this newfound understanding.
Thank you for joining me on this journey of discovery!
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