This is your brain. This is your brain with an ear worm...

[Slothead56]

Inexplicably I woke up this morning with “Sylvia’s Mother” stuck in my head.

I can’t recall the last time I heard this song, anything by Dr. Hook, any song with a similar message, the name Sylvia, thoughts about pay phones, trains or Galveston....and yet there it is stuck in my head.

Now you can enjoy it all day as well! You’re welcome!

[RXMoore]

I'm sure that there are a number of songs that would be worse, but at this moment nothing comes to mind.

[ssjk]

yummy yummy yummy - Ohio Express 1968

you are welcome

[Sax Player Guy]

I was motoring northward through British Columbia some years ago, headed to Prince Rupert, when I stumbled upon a radio station that was playing a music program hosted by, IIRC, Randy Bachman. The theme of that week's show was ear worms. In the show, he promised to provide a remedy that would knock any ear worm out of your head.

The Tx is to sing the piccolo part to The Stars and Stripes Forever. I have used this remedy a number of times since then, and it works every time! Seriously.

You're welcome.

[Riverwolf]

Woke up the other morning with Bobby Goldsboro in my head.
Honey, and Watching Scotty grow.
No idea why?

[CoolerKing]

I wonder if there is a good book about this phenomenon. I read Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks which touched on it a little, but I am fascinated by earworms.

When I finished grad school, I had Green Acres stuck in my head for two years, every day, about 20-30 times per day. I learned a few interesting things along the way, very limited research, but in my personal experience, there are a few commonalities.

1. Very catchy riff
2. Very repetitive riff.
3. Big difference between short term and long term. Short term is usually less than a day, go to sleep, next day gone. Long term weeks to years.
4. Cure for short term is usually sleep.
5. Only good cure for long term is
a) embrace it and make it a conscious funny part of your life
b) listen to a lot of music in hopes of
c) the only real cure being picking up another earworm.

Like I said, Green Acres plagued me for about two years. It had something to do with the cadence of my walk, because each time it happened I was walking down the corridor of my building. At the time I was also very very very stressed and getting almost no sleep, averaging about 115 hours of work per week. It required a move across country and a change in stress level for it to truly go away, and I think of it as a kind of benign stress-induced psychosis.

Good times!

[Jobe]

Originally Posted by Slothead56

Inexplicably I woke up this morning with “Sylvia’s Mother” stuck in my head.

I canÂ’t recall the last time I heard this song, anything by Dr. Hook, any song with a similar message, the name Sylvia, thoughts about pay phones, trains or Galveston....and yet there it is stuck in my head.

Now you can enjoy it all day as well! YouÂ’re welcome!

Ha! Dr. Hook! There's a blast from the past. Did someone mention Galveston? Can't get Glen Campbell out of my head all of a sudden....and rhinestones and power lines...Humming "Sylvia's Mother" has almost cured me of Glen but now I am stuck with Dr. Hook. Thanks a lot.

[Cabarone]

I work midnights at a steam boiler plant...making hourly rounds, I was cursed with having "Bang Shang-A-Lang" stuck in my head every hour...after about a month it was replaced by Bullwinkle saying "Eeny-meeny Jelly-beany"...thanks for stirring those memories up; I wonder what's waiting on me tonight...

[rdeane]

I only seem to get ear worms for songs I don't really like. Why is that?

[Ozzy the dog]

I woke up this morning and for no reason whatsoever I had Gloria Gaynor singing in my head. At first I was afraid...... Then I was petrified.

[NormanKliman]

That used to happen to me a lot, until about the age of 40. Of course, it still happens, but only the good stuff, which often ends up being material for arrangement on the guitar. The annoying stuff that you can’t get out of your head... why put yourself through that? It’s not being in control of your thoughts. It may have to do with all the nervous energy we have when we’re younger.

[Slothead56]

Originally Posted by Ozzy the dog

I woke up this morning and for no reason whatsoever I had Gloria Gaynor singing in my head. At first I was afraid...... Then I was petrified.

Well, this literally made me laugh out loud!

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by Riverwolf

Woke up the other morning with Bobby Goldsboro in my head.
Honey, and Watching Scotty grow.
No idea why?

That was uncalled for.
Had to seriously fight my urge to regurgitate on the mere mention of those two songs.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by RXMoore

I'm sure that there are a number of songs that would be worse, but at this moment nothing comes to mind.

Allow me to help with that.
“Lady in Red” Chris de Burgh
“Wonderful Tonight” Clapton
“ Same Auld Lang Syne” Dan Fogelberg
“Silly Love Songs” Paul McCartney


Aaaughh!

[hairpuller]

Ba-ba-ba-Benny and the Jets for me.

I just shake my head whenever that song comes on because I know it's gonna haunt me for days.

scott