Earworm

Subject: Earworm
From: Windsinger
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 07:11 AM

SOURCE: the German Ohrwurm
ALTERNATE NAMES: "repetunitis", "melodymania"

DESCRIPTION: A degenerative condition which occurs when a certain song burrows into your brain like one of those slithery parasites from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and proves about as easy to dislodge.

REMEDIES:

-Try to drive it out with a second, equally annoying song -- as suggested by the folks at Maim That Tune.
-Try to transmit the pest to another host. (WARNING: this may just lead to hearing the song in stereo.)
-Forget it and resign yourself to your fate.

So how about it? What tunes loop themselves around YOUR cerebral cortex in this horrible fashion?

With me, right now it's "Barrett's Privateers"....THANKS A #%#!ED LOT, SEAMUS!

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Grab
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 08:05 AM

When I was 18, I walked the West Highland Way to the accompaniment of an internal version of Chris Rea's "Auberge" damn near every step of the way. Nice stompy tune, and the beat was just slightly quicker than my base walking cadence so it kept me moving faster. Even now, I use it to pick my feet up when I'm walking.

Graham.

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Windsinger
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 08:32 AM

Forgot to mention, in addition to "Maim That Tune" site:

Dave Barry has a Book of Bad Songs which contains many pop (and some folk) specimins of this pernicious breed of vermin.

Instead of leaflets, the military should try dropping copies of THAT behind enemy lines. Downright debilitating.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 08:44 AM

Reminds me of The Goon Show that created the ultimate military weapon, a joke so funny that everyone who read or heard it died laughing...

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: jacqui.c
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 08:53 AM

Robin - I remember that as being a Python sketch. Did they steral it from the Goons?

I've always got an earworm, can't remember a time when there wasn't a song going round in my head. Right now it's Dark Island.

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 09:02 AM

I never make misteaks!

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Windsinger
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 09:47 AM

According to a study done three years ago, the "Baby Back Ribs" jingle from Chili's was voted the most insidious earworm of all time, at the time.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 09:55 AM

I have a jukebox in the head that's on random select all the time. At the moment it's Colin Scott's "Edward and Charlie and me"
The horrors come when it randomly selects "My boy Lollipop."

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: JulieF
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 11:17 AM

The frightening thing for us, the permanently afflicted, is that there are people out there who are immune, although I have never met anyone who has been cured !

J

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Gedpipes
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 12:28 PM

Don't talk to me about ear worms!
Blue skies

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Windsinger
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 12:37 PM

There's a lovely parody of the Frank Loesser song "Inchworm" dying to be crafted, here...

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Windsinger
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 02:13 PM

...and here it is.

"Earworm, earworm
Seizing my cerebrum
Aggravating melody
An endless loop of pain.

"Earworm, earworm
Crippling my consciousness
There must be some way to flush
You out of my poor brain.

"Earworm, earworm
F#$!ing up my faculties
You and your annoying tune
Are driving me insane."

(Be fair, it's only a rough draft.)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: PoohBear
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 02:25 PM

LMAO!!!

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 02:28 PM

When I get 'em, I find the best way to get rid of them it to play the song at gigs.....

Got me over Todd Sniders "Beer Run"

:-)

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Morticia
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 02:29 PM

Are there really people who don't suffer from this? How do I apply to be one? You can call me Al, by the way........no, not call me Al......that's what I have going around today, to be specific, the bridge only......do do, do do, do do, do do........argggghhhh!

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Windsinger
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 02:40 PM

I have one thing to say.

"MAH-NA MAH-NA!"

(doot doo, doo doo doo.)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 02:48 PM

What happens if you pick up an instrument and play something else? Perhaps that puts the musical parts of your brain to work, and they can forget about playing the earworm to the rest of your body.

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Windsinger
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 04:08 PM

Well...you could try.

But you gotta sleep sometime. That's when the Wurm really starts to gnaw at ME.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Kaleea
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 04:19 PM

When you spend most of your time with a 16 month old with a quite limited vocabulary who can only sing extremely small portions of a song, over & over & over & over & over--you can go somewhat crackers with that portion of the song. Right now her fav song is E-I-E-I-OOOOOOh! E-I-E-I-OOOOOOOOh!!
Much as I'd like to, I can't pick up an instrument & play a different tune since I just put the little Monkey down for a nap.

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 05:12 PM

Be glad she's not old enuff to learn The Song That Never Ends.

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Dan Schatz
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 11:19 PM

Feh. That most insidious of creatures. I usually find that listening to the song through, from beginning to end, or singing it tends to help. If that doesn't work, I just try not to worry about it. Sooner or later it'll go away. One time, for example, I had this tune in my... what? It's back? NOOOOOOOooooooooooooo......!

Dan Schatz

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: open mike
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 11:36 PM

don't think i know the inch worm song,
but now i have this one going thru my
head (and out the otehrt side)

glow little glow worm, glimmer, glimmer..

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 01:56 AM

"What happens if you pick up an instrument and play something else? Perhaps that puts the musical parts of your brain to work, and they can forget about playing the earworm to the rest of your body. "

No----- all you can play is THAT GODDAM TUNE!

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Windsinger
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 06:51 AM

Morticia rightly brings up that the instrumental hook from "Call me Al" (Paul Simon) can loop in your head until all life functions cease.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: jacqui.c
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 07:44 AM

It has been Matt Hyland up to now today but I think that will be replaced by 'Earworm Earworm....

Need more lyrics please Fionn!

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Windsinger
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 08:25 AM

OK, :) last night I did tweak it a little for scansion and added a new verse:

Earworm, earworm
Seizing my cerebrum;
Pernicious piece of doggerel
Repetetive refrain.

Earworm, earworm
Crippling my consciousness
Mind-devouring melody
And endless loop of pain.

Earworm, earworm
Withering my will to live
There must be some way to
Extricate you from my brain.

Earworm, earworm
F#$!ing up my faculties
You and your annoying tune
Are driving me insane.

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: GUEST,celia
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 10:30 AM

make...it...stop...

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Windsinger
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 12:41 PM

But it NEVER stops, that's the point!

It's the Earworm Ouroboros! ;)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: GUEST,Nancy King at work
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 06:45 PM

My son Ken suggested at one point that singing "Gary Indiana" is a good cure. It seems to work (mostly), but the downside involves the not inconsiderable risk of installing THAT as the next earworm....

Nancy

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 07:47 PM

I am violating my longstanding rule of always reading threads in their entirety.

I have skipped directly to the end of the page because I am sure someone will have mentioned IT and even seeing the name of IT will immedieately subject me to a week or more of having IT running around in my brain and taking over my every thought.

I'm sorry that I cannot tell you more about IT but even typing IT's name would inevitably trigger the pestilential infestation of my very being.

Sometimes even just thinking about thinking about IT is sufficient.

I only hope I can get this done before IT strikes ...

..................%$!@$!***********

... ... ...too late.

John

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: jacqui.c
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 10:17 PM

Thanks for the extra verse Fionn. If you don't mind I shall use that at a song circle when i get a chance.

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Windsinger
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 07:11 AM

IT? Something to do with eBay I take it? (C'mon, you got me dyin' over here!)

Sure jacqui, just credit? :)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Windsinger
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 04:32 PM

Well, "Barrett's Privateers" has finally been ousted. :/ We have a new contender.

The b'f has been playing this video game as nauseam; the background music for it has begun insinuating itself into my $#@!in' dreams.


Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Gorgeous Gary
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 07:48 PM

My earworms vary all over the place. (Kinda like my musical tastes.) It depends on what CD's I've listened to recently, what's been on the radio, if I've just been to a concert, if I've just been to a filk convention.

My current earworms seem to be alternating between Pinegay and Rostiboli Gigioso [sp?]. Both are frequently-practiced dances in the Rennaissance dance group I play for.

Come Thursday I'm indulging the rock-n-roller in me and going to see Queen and Paul Rodgers. That should be good for a couple earworms there.

-- Gary

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 10:27 PM

Stay away from The Bear Dance then Gary...

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: GUEST,Sandy Andina
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 03:13 AM

......two in two or four
    four in four or eight
    eight and eighth notes, sixteenths
    sixteenths and sixteenths, thirty------AAAAAAAARRRGGGHHH!

(Every good earworm needs an intro)

Currently I cannot get rid of "Black-Eye Peas be rappin' it RIIIIIIGGHHT NOWWWW"
At least it beats "Hey Yah." Blessedly, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" has failed to hijack my conscious brain.

The US is far more dangerous earworm territory than the UK, IMHO.

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Purple Foxx
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 03:26 AM

Possibly the case,certainly my own "most difficult to exorcise " one comes from the U.S.
It was sung by Andy Williams.
It was the theme from a film which co-starred Cary Grant & Audrey Hepburn.
No more clues.

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 06:44 AM

Bum, Schuwady, wady,
Bum, Schuwady, wady,
Bum, Schuwady, wady, ...

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: Windsinger
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 07:25 AM

...and now, thanks to the other night's DVD, it's "Walk The Line" (punctuated by bits of "Ring of Fire," which I've sometimes suspected of being the same song.)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir

Subject: RE: Earworm
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 04:57 PM

"Walk Line - My Ring of Fire"