So I’m strolling down the hotel hall* in my new black flipflops, and as I round a corner it occurs to me that I’m humming “It’s a Hard Knock Life” from the musical Annie (which, by the way, I haven’t seen since elementary school). Suddenly I’m searching the area for a crowbar, a jackhammer, a radio – anything that will pry, pound, or flush the bubbly tune from my cranium. Nothing. I’m stuck. Only hurrying with my ice refill, slapping back down the hall, and throwing myself at my exhausted iPod or the hotel room’s tiny clock radio will do the trick. Until I find out my husband has Phil Collins’ “One More Night” in his head. Goodbye, show tune. Hello sweet, sappy ’80s ballad.
Most of the time it seems like my life is accompanied by a soundtrack not of my own choosing. In college, I once underwent three months in Mexico singing either “Celito Lindo” or the original version of “Macarena” in my off hours. A couple years ago, I spent a weekend rafting on the San Juan River doing everything in time with the decidedly uncatchy “Amie” by Pure Prairie League. Infectious melodies regularly add to my insomniac misery as I sigh through hours of wakefulness with songs ranging from Jack Johnson’s “Good People” to Beck’s “Hell Yes” running an endless loop in the background. And I can never think of the musical West Side Story without suffering a deluge of show tunes, most especially “America”. It’s amazing how often that Romeo and Juliet adaptation comes to mind simply because I try to resist all thoughts of it.
My brother recently proved to me that the best way to lodge a song in someone’s head is to sing only part of it, stopping midway through – preferably in the middle of a word. This way the person’s brain is forced to continue the melody, starting over and over, until it finds a satisfactory ending. Like Sisyphus and the rock, a satisfying climax never occurs. No wonder it’s death to my peaceful mind when I switch stations partway through “The Milkshake Song”. I assure you, however, that I haven’t listened to “It’s a Hard Knock Life”, either in whole or in part, since a friend last subjected me to her cheerful off-key rendition months ago. So what brought it up?
I’m sick of my usual “ear worms” as they’ve come to be called, and am hereby suggesting a trade. I tell you what I have in my head, and you tell me what you’re singing. (Chances are, it’s now one of the songs I’ve mentioned above. I’m so sorry. Truly.) Or are you one of those lucky people who isn’t subjected to fourteen straight hours of “It’s a Small World After All” just because a coworker finishes a story of running into an old classmate in the deli section of her grocery store with a cheerful, “It really is a small world, isn’t it?” If so, not only are you part of the lucky 2%, but you’re really missing out. I mean, you actually have to turn on a radio to hear a little music. Really, I feel so much pity for you.
*Yes, we’re already on vacation, and have been for a while, which is why I haven’t been haunting the blogosphere as much as usual. Expect more of the same over the next several weeks. Not that blogging’s been totally off my mind, of course. Hubs and I already stayed several nights with the delightful, talented Robin, and I’ll meet up with a few others at the RWA conference next week. If you’re going, too, maybe I’ll see you there! (In the meantime, though, be sure to check out Pam’s posts on preparing for Nationals.) So, really, you are far from forgotten, even when I myself am far from a good network connection.
Okay, once I read somewhere that the TRUE CURE for getting a song dislodged out of your head is to start singing, “Jimmy Crack Corn and I Don’t Care” until the hated song is gone. No one explained why this worked, exactly which brain mechanism was involved…but I figured that you could drive out a song only by replacing it with “Jimmy Crack Corn,” which HAS to be equally as bad as anything by Abba, or Jack Johnson…or the Rent soundtrack. (Maybe not as bad as “It’s a Small World After All” because nothing is that bad). But I tried it, and it worked. And, best of all, “Jimmy Crack Corn” did the magic and then wafted away all on its own. So I’ll be interested to know if this works for other people. I forget where I learned it. The Today Show, maybe? The surgeon general’s report? The insane asylym? Have fun in SF. And tell us all about it!
Oh, C, I’ve had the Green Acres theme song in my head several times before, too, and I never can remember the words! Glad you finally got it out of there.
Kim, I wish I could remember all the words to a song after hearing it once; I think that would help me get it out of my head since I keep singing it over and over again until I can finally remember all the words (or give in and look them up online).
LOL, Pam! And one of these days I will watch Buffy. Pinky swear.
Oh, Marilyn, that would be such a pain! I hope you like the song better than I do, especially since you’ve been stuck with it. Good luck getting rid of it. And, yeah, I hope we meet up, too. That would be fun!
Robin, you’re lucky! Of course, any time I actually realize that I don’t have a song in my head, then one crowds in — usually because I start thinking of what I last had in there, or what usually gets stuck. It’s dangerous to think about these things!
Sandi, I must try that. Thanks for the hint! I’ll let you know if it works.
“Ear Worms” …I love it! Mine are usually tunes from annoying kids shows like Bob the Builder.
I’m going to be at the RWA. Yay. My first time and I’m stupidly excited. When do you get there?
You know what song I had running through my head while reading this, because of your title?
This is the song that doesn’t end–
It just goes on and on my friend–
Some people started singing it, not know what it was–
And they’ll continue singing it forever just because
This is the song that doesn’t end…
I suspect you did that on purpose!
This happens to me all the time. When it seems completely random (when I think “Why am I singing THAT?”) I stop and think about the lyrics of the song. Usually there’s something in them that I can trace back to a triggering thought. For example, I looked in the mirror and thought I looked decent in this shirt. An hour later, I find myself singing
I feel pretty
Oh so pretty…
Everybody sing!
as another musician, i just have to echo everything that spyscribbler said. not practicing 4 hours a day anymore really helps to cut out the music in my head.
right now, it’s popular from the wicked soundtrack. kristin chenoweth’s voice just lodges in my head!
i’ve also found that listening to the whole song (over and over) often dislodges my ear worms. 🙂
Sounds like a great musical soundtrack in your head. 🙂 Remember to say “Hi” when you’re at RWA.
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
My cousin and I sometimes will call each other and sing a few lines from an obnoxious song.. It’s worse it seems when it’s left on your voice mail. Usually the cure is to call her and curse her for planting the ear worm, and then talk for awhile. That seems to make it go away. The one that gets me all the time is ‘You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille….” Arghh! Its starting reruns in my brain right now. And PPL’s “Aimee” is one that will suddenly surface in my brain. That song was on the charts, what? 30 years ago? And it still torments me.
Yes, I’ve had this happen – but the worst is when its a kid’s TV show theme song. Like ‘Dora, Dora, Dora the explorer…’ it continues in Spanish and I don’t really know all the words or the ending. Perhaps that’s why it sticks.
I don’t mind the Sesame Street one so much – but the kids almost never watch that anyway. Just the ones with annoying theme songs.
Song stuck in your head? Don’t worry!
Be happy now. Doooooo doo doo dooOOOoooo doooOOOOooo dodooooOOOOOooooo…
Haven’t had this one in a while, but there it is today. Bobby McFarlin… McFairlin? Mc-something, and I’m not going to go look it up now. I’m going to go put my radio on. Quickly.
THat and for some reason? Lately? The Beverly Hill Billy’s song has been visiting me. That poor mountaineer that barely kept his family fed.
Enjoy RWA!
For every song mentioned above I could start humming or singing it. BUT, I can stop. *G* The one song that runs through my head at least once a day? Dona Nobis Pacem. *G*