Odd, just a totally odd, coincidence...

[Buckocaster51]

I've just loaded Suzy Bogguss's "American Folk Songbook" on the old iTunes on the old iMac.

Random Play and Repeat 1 were both selected.

After I got tired of listening to Suzy's version of "Beautiful Dreamer" (it ran 5 times) I clicked off the Repeat 1 button...

the very NEXT song that played was

Beautiful Dreamer by Marty Robbins!

I doubt this was completely random, but I have no idea what caused it.

Anybody?

 

[SolidbdyJazzfan]

Carl Jung might have had a comment . . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronicity

I've observed stuff like that. It's neat when it happens!

I think it's our subjective perception that might give such things meaning. But who knows?

 

[J-man]

iPods (and I would guess iTunes too) are more likely to play tracks you've listened to a lot than those you haven't, when in shuffle mode.

It may not apply, but if you've listened to both songs a lot via iTunes (or at least more than most other songs), then this might help explain it.

Otherwise, it's chance pure and simple! In a random system crazy coincidences are just as likely as any other combination of things.

 

[Buckocaster51]

J-Man, as it turns out, that was the FIRST time that Marty Robbins track had played.

Weird

But I agree with you, with iTunes, "random" does not mean "random."

 

[cowboytwang]

A while back I was at some festival and one of the bands played Steve Earle's "Pilgrim", I thought to myself that I haven't heard that song in a while. I was thinkin' the last time I heard it was a friend of mine from Colorado singing it. So I leave the festival and I'm driving home and it comes up on my iPod shuffle, and I didn't even remember having it on there. Later that night, still driving home, I turned on Sirius and the song was playing again.
I get home, and after checking my emails, I find out that my friend, from CO that used to sing that song, had passed away that day from brain cancer. His band had put a little memorial up on their web site, and as soon as I click on it guess what song was playing?
Pilgrim
(Steve Earle)

I am just a pilgrim on this road, boys
This ain't never been my home
Sometimes the road was rocky ‘long the way, boys
But I was never travelin' alone

We'll meet again on some bright highway
Songs to sing and tales to tell
But I am just a pilgrim on this road, boys
Until I see you fare thee well

Ain't no need to cry for me, boys
Somewhere down the road you'll understand
‘Cause I expect to touch his hand, boys
Put a word in for you if I can

 

[kelnet]

It's the universe, man. Sometimes, like, it just does weird things, man. Ya just gotta be open to all that weirdness, man.

 

[boris bubbanov]

I think with eleventy trillion people on this planet and counting.

Something Weird must be happening to a few thousand souls at any one time.

But I like this type of coincidence better than the I-Pod "fake coincidences".

 

[TheGoodTexan]

Maybe you had your songs sorted alphabetically, and when you unselected repeat 1, you thought it was going to repeat all, but you actually turned the repeat function off entirely, thus making the next song in your alpha-sorted list play.

???

 

[Justinvs]

I was in the car a few weeks ago and "Iris" by the GooGoo Dolls was on. Always loved the song but never really knew where it came from. Lo and behold the DJ made a comment after it played out that it was from the soundtrack of "City of Angels." I filed the factoid away and drove on.

When I got home a few hours later I walked up to my parents house. They were watching a Kevin Costner movie. I asked them what it was, and my dad said "City of Angels." A that exact moment Iris began playing. Kind of sent a chill up my spine.

And yes, I went home and figured out how to play the damn song that night! <G>

Justin

 

[TheGoodTexan]

One time while on my way to Atlanta, I got a really bad upset stomach somewhere around Chattanooga. Just as I crossed the stateline I found a rest stop and barely made it to the stall before it hit.

When I came out of the restroom "Sweet Georgia Brown" was playing on the overheard speakers.

No kidding.

 

[flathd]

I'm afraid theres only one explanation for this odd coincidence....

 

[telleutelleme]

You have to take it to a Looney Tunes repairman.

 

[Breen]

Apparently there was research by some Ivy League school to test if iTunes or an iPod's shuffle was really random, and the conclusion was so.

But I don't really think so, I think they play some songs too frequently for me. But I've never had this "coincidence by relation" before.

 

[cband7]

Clear sign of aliens. Wrap aluminum foil around your head RIGHT NOW.




.

 

[dsutton24]

Weird stuff happens to me all the time. I call it 'living'. If I tried to understand any of it, I'd be in the boobyhatch for sure.

 

[Tim Armstrong]

My iPod seems to like to play two songs in a row by any artist. Can't find any setting that would cause that, but there ya go...

Tim

 

[fuzzbender]

Is anything really ramdon?

 

[Buckocaster51]

Is anything really ramdon?

 

[Buckocaster51]

OMG!

I can't believe that we both just typed that!

 

[fuzzbender]

I wasn't just thinking exactly the different thing!