Comments on: Malignant Earworms

By: Kevin Wolf

Kevin Wolf — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:20:13 +0000

Shamus, you bastard! (I say that with all due respect.)

By: The Shamus

The Shamus — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:26:01 +0000

The Brady Bunch theme. “Here’s the story/Of a lovely lady…”

By: Sticky

Sticky — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 01:17:25 +0000

Let’s ride, with the family down the street
Through the courtesy of Fred’s two feet

Brilliant! Man, the Flintstones rule, I tell you what! Except fer that thing about havin’ a “gay old time.” I mean, what the Hell is that supposed to mean?

But ELO, baby! Man, I love that stuff! I wish those guys would tour again. I seen them once with Hall & Oates openin’. The tall one dropped the microphone! Man, that was rich!

Anyways, once again you are right on, Mister Viscount Dude!

By: Manny Maher

Manny Maher — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:01:59 +0000

Of course you’re right, Dan (Encyclopaedia) Leo. But now they’re both in my head!
God help us all.

By: Dan Leo

Dan Leo — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:31:43 +0000

No, Manny, dude, you got your Tommies mixed up. “Sweet Pea” was Tommy ROE. Tommy James was “Hanky Panky”, “Mony Mony”, “Crystal Blue Persuasion”, and of course “Crimson and Clover”, which sounds great in the Bob Dylan voice, and not forgetting “I Think We’re Alone Now”. What a master he was. I remember in the psychedelic period he had an album called “My Bed, My Head, and My Red Guitar.” Priceless.

How sad that my head is filled with this crap.

By: Manny Maher

Manny Maher — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:51:25 +0000

No Dan, no…Not. Tommy. James.
oh,sweet pea, won’t you dance with me…won’t ya won’t ya won’t ya dance with me-e-e-e
Now you’ve done it.

By: Viscount LaCarte

Viscount LaCarte — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:28:09 +0000

I’m trying not to laugh as I alternatively “sing” (in my head) While You See a Chance as the gecko from the Geico ‘mercials and as Dylan.

I’m not so sure its working, but it is damn amusing.

By: Kevin Wolf

Kevin Wolf — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:19:42 +0000

If I know that Winwood tune, I don’t know that I know it. Not familiar with that album, really. (I had to look up what the hell it was.)

I don’t really have this problem, at least in its malignant state. Tunes pop into my head all the time - sometimes unwelcome - but they never stay long. I’m always on to the next thing before I realize it.

I do like Dan’s suggestions, though.

By: blue girl

blue girl — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:17:29 +0000

Snippets of songs can also get stuck in my head for days on end. Especially if I get a visual cue. And they not only get stuck in my head, but I’ll sing the snippet out loud for no apparant reason.

Last time we were in NYC I saw a billboard in Times Square for the musical “Mama Mia.”

It was four straight days of me singing the snippet…

Mama Mia, here she goes again, my my

Blue Kid was like, “Mom! Stop being so random!”

By: Viscount LaCarte

Viscount LaCarte — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:26:38 +0000

IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d much rather have Steve Winwood stuck in my head than Eddie Murphy.

Yeah - when you put it that way! Not only was that song idiotic - the pitchy is too kind a word for describing Eddie Murphy’s singing voice.

Winwood, on the other hand has a voice as true as a tuning fork.

By: blue girl

blue girl — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:26:51 +0000

I don’t have a list of particular songs that get stuck in my head like that and I’m not sure why the ones that do, do. A few weeks ago, Atrios had a youtube video of Eddie Murphy’s “My Girl Wants to Party All the Time.”

Oh my God. That stupid idiotic song was in my head for a week! I forget which song snapped me out of it, but something definitely did. So, I can’t offer a “cure.”

I’d much rather have Steve Winwood stuck in my head than Eddie Murphy.

By: Viscount LaCarte

Viscount LaCarte — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:39:57 +0000

:^D

By: Dan Leo

Dan Leo — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 03:29:46 +0000

I have two methods of attacking the earworm directly. Method one is to sing the song damnÃƒÂ© with a very plummy English accent, or, conversely, a thick Cockney accent; sometimes switching the class status of the accent in mid-line will cause the offending tune to explode at once like a mental phosphorus grenade. (It’s best not to operate a motor vehicle or bicycle while doing this.) The English accent method of course only works with songs that were not originally sung in English accents. My other method is to sing the song with my Bob Dylan voice. Both the English- accent method and the Bob Dylan-voice method can of course cause you to be evicted from subway cars, airplanes and elevators, but it’s worth it.

It’s best to practice these methods at home with non-earworm songs of your own choice. I am fond of the ouevre of Tommy James myself, but please help yourself.