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| It's a small small world (Photo credit: weesen) |
Starting the week off with something light, this might also be the post that messes with your head and might drive you bonkers. I'm talking earworms--those crazy little tunes that get stuck in your head and no matter how hard you try they keep coming back to haunt you.
Usually these are quite innocuous pieces of music that in their original context are pleasant and fun to hear, but when they start playing in my head I can't seem to shut the durn things off. They'll come back to play on a regular basis--sometimes daily and sometimes several times during the day. They may echo through my head like the music torture the United States government has sometimes used. Or that loud rap music that emanates from cars that sometimes pull up next to me at traffic lights.
I love music, but it's a sad day when music starts to annoy me. If you want to risk an earworm attack, you can click on the song titles to hear what my music nightmares sound like. Most of you are probably familiar with these songs.
Five Truly Annoying Earworm Songs:
5. "High Hopes" --From the film A Hole in the Head, the song was most notably sung by Frank Sinatra with a cloying chorus of children singing along. It's been since covered by many artists. When I was a kid we used to sing the song in school. We have a rubber tree plant in our backyard and every time I see that damn plant that song starts playing in my head. I wish an ant would come and carry off our rubber tree plant so I could possibly stop thinking of that song.
4. "It's A Small World" -- Whether you've been on the Disney ride or not, you are most likely familiar with this song that is considered by many to be the ultimate earworm song. Years ago when my oldest daughter was a toddler, we enjoyed the Small World ride at Disney World and then later in the gift shop bought a cassette tape soundtrack of the ride with the song played in different languages and different orchestrated arrangements. My daughter loved hearing that tape. We played that tape many times. In the context of the ride it is a fun song, but not necessarily something you want to hear all the time. All the time. All the time. If you aren't hearing "It's a Small World" in your head right now after reading this, you need to click the link and listen to the song. You apparently haven't heard it enough in your life yet.
3. "Yellow Submarine" --Okay, I loved this song when it first came out. I enjoyed the animated film and the accompanying soundtrack. It's a fun novelty tune and it's the Beatles. But enough is enough. There are times when this song will pop into my brain and have me singing along. I don't want to, but I just can't help myself.
2. "Mairzy Doats" -- In a way the concept of the song is clever, but the lyrics can get pretty annoying upon repeated listening. Why it happens I don't really know, but there are times when I will just spontaneously start singing this song to myself and as I sing I will start singing in various weird and obnoxious voices. I always do this when I'm alone. I hope I never do this when someone else is around. Considering that I'm still alive I guess I haven't done this yet.
1. "Theme from The Bridge On the River Kwai"-- I love this film and in the context of the film this song is wonderful. But once the song leaves the film it drives me nuts. Every single day--and I mean every single day of my life--I will at some point start whistling this song. And usually it's several times during the day. Make it stop! Please! Oh, I can't help myself.
Do you have any songs that are your earworms? Do you actually enjoy listening to any of my choices? What do you think is the ultimate earworm?
Be sure to visit my guest post at Unconventional Librarian where I discuss one of my favorite books.
