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Comment by WalterBright | Hacker News Reader

One can get tired of hearing any song, no matter how good, after listening to it too many times.

This fatigue cannot be cured by decades of not hearing it.

Funny, I've found that enough time can heal the "overexposure" and I can listen again. Sometimes it takes years, as in 5 to 10. Speaking of the Beatles, I have pretty much all of their songs completely memorized so I need to take long breaks. For quite a while I would listen to them every couple of years and that was it.

I'm now conscious of when I'm overplaying something and lay off it for a while.

A similar thing happens for me when songs are used in commercials or movies and I subsequently have trouble listening to them without the visual association taking over. This has "ruined" many songs for me in the past, but after enough time away I can thankfully appreciate the song on its own.

” This fatigue cannot be cured by decades of not hearing it.”

But it also can. I caught myself enjoying old one hit wonders that I hated at the time due to listening to it so much. Then decades later, I could enjoy them.

It helps if you play an instrument. And especially if you switch from let's say a guitar to a bass or a keyboard or drums. You don't have to be good. But pretty soon you'll hear new layers in old songs you thought you know fully.

I can enjoy a lot of music I wouldn't otherwise like, if I listen to one of two instruments within. In my opinion, playing an instrument, not matter how badly, greatly expands the joy you get from music.

You're right that listening to the layers can extend the life of enjoying a song.

I've also found that listening to a different take on the song, like hearing a live version, can extend it, too.

That too. For songs I listened the most I even prefer cover versions now. The more the cover strays from the original - the better. You still have the song you love but it's also fresh in some ways.

Sometimes a change of perspective, or a new piece of information can revitalize a song that was 100% dead to you. For example, I would ALWAYS turn the station / hit skip when I heard Cecelia by Simon and Garfunkel, since I overdosed on it as a teen in the late 80s. I lately found out that Cecelia is the patron saint of musicians, which completely changed the song for me and it is new again.

Likewise as an adult I found out about the romantic drama within Fleetwood Mac, and the Rumors album was resurrected for me. I really hope something like this happens to me again, it's a great feeling.

I'm a lyrics person meaning I listing to the lyrics. If I don't like the message/story I can't listen. Cecelia is one of those.

. Making love in the afternoon with Cecilia

. Up in my bedroom (making love)

. I got up to wash my face

. When I come back to bed

. Someone's taken my place

Seriously? You're in love with a girl who cheats on you in 5 minutes? I guess if you're polyamorous but if that was the case the song wouldn't exist. The fact that they person sticks around for this mental abuse is a complete turn off. I love how catchy the song is but I can't take message of such a bad relationship and that fact that he's digging his own hole by continuing to hope she'll stop cheating.

As the post you're responding to notes, Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians -- the song is about the fleeting nature of inspiration, not a literal description of a interpersonal relationship.

Paul Simon has specifically said the song is NOT about the St. Cecilia

I'm about 90% sure it's supposed to be funny. And for me, at least, the joke lands.

Cecilia suffers more than most songs from typical FM-radio car-listening conditions. It's like a whole different song when played back at home on even minimally-acceptable speakers, from a decent medium.

I'm not tired of hearing them. If I happen to hear a Beatles song, I often marvel at how great it is in so many ways.

It's more that I'm... "done" with them. I listened so many times, I know every little sound, and I don't need to hear it again.

I don't experience this! Sometimes I'll get stuck on one song and listen to it for days, or an album for months, for multiple hours each day. Sometimes all day. Then one day I'll stop entirely. I always still love the music afterwards.

I’ve burned out on certain things I thought were amazingly delicious, through over-consumption. It took years but I can knock down a large pho again.

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