Earworms and Effective Antidote Songs

[tinnitus]

We all get them. Those annoying songs that bounce around inside the head for hours, sometimes days. AAAAAUUUUGGGGHHH!!!

Since I get them all on my own, I can't blame the TV show. But I'm suffering right now from one I heard a few days ago on AXSTV's "The Top Ten Revealed," an episode featuring the 10 top "Yacht Rock" tunes suggested by viewers.

The offending number? "I Wanna Kiss You All Over" by Exile. It's horrrrrible, and it keeps popping back into my poor tortured brain.

Thus far, the only thing I can conjure up inside my head to erase it is one of my go-to numbers, "Killing Yourself to Live" by Sabbath.

What are yours?

[Psychopasta]

The theme from The Magnificent Seven does it for me.

[cmd612]

I can't remember where I saw this recommended, but it works well for me: the old "By Mennen" jingle. It's catchy, memorable, and too short to become an earworm itself.

It's at :28 in this 30 second commercial, for anyone who doesn't know or remember it:

[djb33]

Long ago I heard, probably on an NPR program, the suggestion to use "The Girl from Ipanema" as an ear worm cleanser. It's worked fairly well for me over the years.

[Slothead56]

I have had an Eminem song going through my head every waking moment for the past couple of weeks. I’ll not share the name as I know it’ll offend some but I cannot get it out.

To some extent it’s OK because i think the guy is a genius but it seems ever present.

Yes, Eminem in a post on the AGF. And, for the record, I’m 63 and my favorite artists are Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell and other introspective singer songwriters.

[dhalbert]

lower quality but with video:

[tinnitus]

Hey, hey, hey!!! No fair posting insipid earworms here without offering some effective anecdotes too.

Still trying last night to bulldoze/steamroll the original earworm that prompted starting this thread, I immersed myself in mentally reviewing this fine, fine piece of live music. It finally erased the offending worm that had been torturing me for 48 hours. Don Felder takes over on lead guitar when they drop down to E in the middle of the song, then he and Joe Walsh duel it out for the rest of that section. Doesn't get much better than this.

Again... THIS IS THE REMEDY for the bad thing that was bugging me. What are yours?

[Fretboard Phil]

Earworm: "Mellow Yellow" and about anything else by Donovan.

Regarding: "Yes, Eminem in a post on the AGF." Eminem is my favorite secret shame, but it makes sense; I live sixteen miles north of Eight Mile!

[tinnitus]

"Hail Atlantis!"

[frankmcr]

Antidote: Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine".

[blue]

For a minor earworm infestation "Why Get Up" usually works for me. For a severe case it takes a full course of Tommy Johnson (my favorite Blues Johnson, closely followed by Lonnie. You know who is third) starting with "Cool Drink of Water Blues". His keening vocals remove the most relentless and stubborn "brain staining" pop melodies. The two cannot co-exist.

[marty bradbury]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

Antidote: Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine".

27 "I knows", yes I have counted them several times, lol

[tinnitus]

Originally Posted by marty bradbury

27 "I knows", yes I have counted them several times, lol

And all these decades, I thought he was singing about winos!

[ghostnote]

The only cure for an earworm is another earworm: "I Will Survive". It will kill anything, but be forewarned - it might kill you, too.

[Bob Womack]

Two nights ago, as a result of seeing the movie, Saving Mr. Banks, a backgrounder on Disney's Mary Poppins, my wife and I went back and watched the original movie. Practically every one of the many songs in the movie is a heavy-duty earworm. My wife has spent the last two days walking around and singing these earworm songs comedically and we both have enjoy it.

Originally Posted by tinnitus

Still trying last night to bulldoze/steamroll the original earworm that prompted starting this thread, I immersed myself in mentally reviewing this fine, fine piece of live music. It finally erased the offending worm that had been torturing me for 48 hours. Don Felder takes over on lead guitar when they drop down to E in the middle of the song, then he and Joe Walsh duel it out for the rest of that section. Doesn't get much better than this.

Again... THIS IS THE REMEDY for the bad thing that was bugging me. What are yours?

When I was thinking about an antidote, Joe Walsh was exactly what came to mind. Of course, this is a Joe Walsh song from the 1971 eponymous from his band Barnstorm that showed up again on his 1974 So What? album with the Eagles doing the BGVs. My first thought was of Barnstorm's second album, The Smoker You Drink the Player You get, because it was in the drawer in my car when I went out this morning, but So What? is just as good a candidate!

Bob

P.S. I chased Joe's sound on the 1974 "Turn to Stone" for years. My Les Paul just couldn't get it. Close, no cigar. Then I received my ES-335 from my wife and the sound was just there! The video for this performance showed up soon after with Joe playing his ES-335 and I got confirmation that this was where the sound had come from.