The science of why you can remember song lyrics from years ago
Kelly Jakubowski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Why is it that many people can’t remember where they put their car keys most mornings, but can sing along to every lyric of a song they haven’t heard in years when it comes on the radio? Do song lyrics live in some sort of privileged place in our memories?
Music has a long history of being used as a mnemonic device, that is, to aid the memory of words and information. Before the advent of written language, music was used to orally transmit stories and information. We see many such examples even today, in how we teach children the alphabet, numbers, or – in my own case – the names of the 50 states of the US. Indeed, I’d challenge even any adult reader to try and recall the letters of the alphabet without hearing the familiar tune or its rhythm in your mind.
There are several reasons why music and words seem to become intricately linked in memory. Firstly, the features of music often serve as a predictable “scaffold” for helping us to remember associated lyrics.
