January 19, 2010

Earworms!


I don't know why it's been happening so much lately, but my head is filled with earworms (no, not earwigs - that's an altogether different story for a different time).

What's an earworm?  You've all had one - it's that damn song that you cannot remove from your brain, no matter how hard you try and force it out.  Arrgh!!

I'd bet that all of us reading this have at least one Facebook friend that, if not now, then last week, had "Pants on the Ground" as their status update.  This is the classic earworm.  This is the type of song that one may not even enjoy, not even remotely - yet it still has managed to creep into one's subconscious and drive a person insane.  I don't even watch "Idol" and it happened to me - but the Jimmy Fallon-as-Neil Young version.  Have you seen it?  It's marvelous.  I highly suggest viewing the video, even if you can't abide "Pants" any longer (P.S. - as I was grabbing the URL for this clip, I noticed that "Neil Young" has also covered the theme from "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air".  Great.). 

I've noticed also that when I catch myself singing something to myself, I can sometimes tell what mood I'm in by the song I'm singing.  For example, I've had "Fireflies" by Owl City in my head on and off for about the past three months.  I love this song, in spite of myself (one of my friend's husbands said, "It's one of the stupidest songs I've ever heard - and I really like it."  Yes!).  So when this song is in my head, I can pretty much bet that it's going to be a good day.  It's like humming "Happy Together" or "More Today than Yesterday" - you're probably not going to have to be talked down off the ledge if you're thinking of these songs.  Conversely, if I have "The Other Side" by David Gray spinning through my cranium, I may as well just stay in bed.

I have to admit - I had a sinister plan when I wrote this entry.  I wanted to get you thinking about your OWN earworms so that I didn't have to suffer alone.  I hope for my sake (and sanity) that it worked.  I hope for your sakes that it didn't.  Heh heh heh.....

3 comments:

  1. I have one. Anchors Aweigh. How is that for wormish? More Today than Yesterday has more appeal, but a worm makes its way and the choice is lost.
    It is early in the morning, and I am having coffee, Facebook and an Earworm.

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  2. Oh, that IS a wormy song! But it reminds me of Gene Kelly, so it can't be all bad. :D Is it gone yet, Jill? :D

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  3. oh Mel you're going to hate me for this one, but at least I won't be suffering alone....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykwqXuMPsoc

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