AN ANTIDOTE TO EARWORMS (Songs You Can't Get out of Your Head)

[MiddleRiverRefugee]

OK- Let's say you get an "earworm", i.e. you hear a song on the radio like....

"It's a Heartache"
"Maggie May"
"Eye of the Tiger"

...or anything written or sung by Paul Anka.

What you need to counter it is a light-hearted, inconsequential sort of counter-melody which will act to filter out the evil song. It's the equivalent of saying "LA-LA-LA-LA" or "MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!" or wearing a :tinfoilhat:, only far more benign.

This idea came from my bandleader at last night's gig. She claims to have got the idea from a well-known recording engineer in the DC area.

Here it is.

Try it out next time and see if it helps you. Of course, it could just make things worse....

[meegbear]

1. maybe you should only use two slashes in your link

[mark0rama]

2. Thank God I could see the file name before I clicked!

Though I've heard that the U. of Michigan fight song serves this purpose - like a sorbet for your brain, it just cleanses your head of any song that's sticking in it.

Unfortunately, I don't know the song. Can any Wolverines confirm or deny?

3. please please

Delete any references to offending song titles so others that read your post don't become infected.

[Brucey]

4. Take two pencils,

jam one in each ear.

[Westegg]

5. damn earworms!

I find that listening to Black Sabbath's first album, wearing a quality pair of headphones, and cranking the volume up to "11," will efficently rid your brain of any unwanted "earworm" songs. Or else chopping you head off....

[Westegg]

6. Earworms II

"You're havin' my baby/
What a lovely way of showin' how much ya love me!"

[MiddleRiverRefugee]

8. I think I'm gonna need the Sabbath AND the A/G theme......

...AND the :tinfoilhat: after that one.

[brainshrub]

7. I get rid of earworms in three ways:

1) Hum the "Muncha-buncha-muncha-buncha-muncha-bunch-muncha-buncha Freetos go with Lunch" Jungle.

if that doesn't work then

2) Visit this site: http://www.daringplanet.com/

and if it STILL doesn't work I will

3) Poke my eyes out with a spoon.

[MiddleRiverRefugee]

9. ANOTHER recommended antidote (generic version)

I challenge ANYONE here to listen to this theme for longer than 15 minutes without becoming a drooling, brain-jellied idiot....

http://www.wizardmaster.com/bludgeonsoft/games/biofactory/index.html

[brainshrub]

11. I think this how they create new conservatives.

[henslee]

10. There is always something there to remind meeeeee

[Skittles]

12. I'M THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WHOLE USA . . . . .

IT DIDN'T F***ING WORK. x(

[Westegg]

14. Well I'm on top...

Well I'm on top/
(Top of the world)
Lookin' down/
(Down on creation)
And the only explanation I can find....

However, I suspect that many of you young'ns who didn't grow up in the '70s, as I did, won't even know the Carpenters. So you won't know how or why their treacly, saccarine AM Top 40 hits have been in my brain for 30 years now.

Cant. Stop. The Madness!

Don't even get me started on Bread. Or The Captain and Tennile.

Y'all have your own hellish earworms to deal with, I suppose...

[blueraven95]

13. Nursery rhymes usually work...

I generally use that "blackbirds baked in a pie" one, but any should work. Just repeat a nursery rhyme a couple of times. It replaces the old song and it won't get stuck. Really...I promise.

[spinbaby]

15. Only one way to get rid of an earworm...

...give it to someone else.

It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small, small world.