Music History

We need to create a word for this common musical phenomenon. Can you help?

This email arrived from Susan over the holidays.

“Is there a word for the sense of immense disappointment that occurs when you turn on your radio and catch just the closing bars of one of your favourite songs, which you had been hoping to hear cause you love it so much?”

Great question. As far as I know, there’s no such word in the English language. This means one of two things:

  1. We have to scour the languages of the world for something that describes this phenomenon. Surely the Germans have a word for this. (I just learned a great word to describe Trump-based anxiety: Trumpregierungsschlamasselschmerz.)
  2. We have to dig into etymology to create a brand word using the appropriate rules and Greek/Latin/Olde English/Latin/Romantic roots.

Any takers? Anyone know any academicians in this field?

(BTW: This isn’t the first time I’ve been involved in creating a new word for the English language. Here’s the origin and meaning of bandomynology.)

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 40232 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

4 thoughts on “We need to create a word for this common musical phenomenon. Can you help?

  • Susan Andrews

    LOL I do like that verbal mashup of music and melancholia, which is an old English word for what we now call depression. Good work! Keep the ideas rolling 🙂

    Reply
  • Fred

    Not a word but a play on 12 bar blues…”last bar blues”.

    Reply

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