My suggestion must charge too much in royalties

Opinionjournal.com Best of the Web Today links to a story in the St. Petersburg Times Floridian about American troops using music to annoy enemy combatants. Among the selections, yes, the Barney song.

Once Barney gets going, there is no escape.

"Uncooperative prisoners are being exposed for prolonged periods to tracks by rock group Metallica and music from children's TV programmes Sesame Street and Barney in the hope of making them talk," the BBC reported in May 2003. "However, Amnesty International said such tactics may constitute torture."

I love you
You love me
We're a happy family
With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you
Won't you say you love me too!

Repeated often enough, the melody has been known to make even burly, bearded men break.

"Trust me, it works," the BBC quoted an unidentified U.S. operative as attesting. "In training, they forced me to listen to the Barney I Love You song for 45 minutes. I never want to go through that again."

No word yet if they'll use the all-time classic, "It's A Small World."