Tragedy of man plagued by songs stuck in his head

A MAN tormented by ‘last song syndrome’ – where tunes get stuck in your head – took his own life by jumping from a viaduct, an inquest heard.

Anthony Walters telephoned a friend to say that he intended to end his life as he had been ‘depressed for a long time and couldn’t sleep’.

In a note, Mr Walters, 55, said he would ‘rather be dead’ than have to keep hearing the tunes.

Last song syndrome is recognised by psychologists who say it can be ‘extremely debilitating’.

His friend informed police – then officers received a call from Mr Walters himself saying he was going to leap.

Police arrived at the 83ft Pontwalby viaduct in Glynneath, South Wales, at 1.25pm on January 26 and saw Mr Walters standing on the bridge in a precarious position, an inquest into his death at Swansea Guildhall heard yesterday. At just after 2pm, he jumped into the shallow, rocky river below. Officers brought him to the river bank and tried to resuscitate him, and an air ambulance arrived at the scene, but he was pronounced dead.

A suicide note and his mobile phone were later retrieved from his home in Glynneath, which he shared with his father, David, who said his son was struggling to sleep and was obsessed with the condition. The inquest heard that Mr Walters had left notes apologising for his actions. He detailed how he had been suffering from depression and lack of sleep, adding how a certain song – that was not identified during the hearing – kept going round in his head all the time, which ‘has killed him’. The inquest heard Mr Walters had repeatedly researched the syndrome online, and had said: ‘I would rather be dead than go through this.’

He had a normal upbringing and worked at builders’ merchants before getting a job at a Chinese takeaway in Glynneath. He had been married for ten years before getting divorced in 2018.

Dr Anthony Icke, of the Vale of Neath GP Practice, told the hearing that his patient had a long history of mental health disorders.

Recording a conclusion of suicide, acting senior coroner Colin Phillips said: ‘It is clear from the evidence there is no other third party involved and this is an act of his own volition.’

According to a 2015 study by Reading University, cases of last song syndrome were recorded as far back as at least the 19th century, with ‘ earworms’ referenced by authors including Mark Twain.

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