A Song On My Mind

In recent days, I’ve been waking up with a song on my lips. I’d love to tell you it’s been Beethoven or Bach, or a classic morning hymn such as “When Morning Gilds the Skies,” to the soaring tune Laudes Domini. However, the ear worm greeting the rising sun in my life these days is either “Chicken wings, chicken wings, hot dogs and baloney,” or one of the monotonous tunes from Cocomelon with lines such as “No, no, no, I don’t want to take a bath” or “the wheels on the bus go round and round.” 

 

Yes, there really is a term for songs that get stuck in your head, either ear worm or brain worm. Sounds like I need to call Dr. Pimple Popper to see what he can do for me. According to the font of all wisdom, the Internet, our brain attaches memories to tunes that make them hard to ignore or forget. Apparently, simple, repetitive songs are best at getting stuck; why Cocomelon’s songs attach themselves to our brain so easily. 

 

For those readers who haven’t had the pleasure of Cocomelon’s experiential opportunities, suffice it to say that their songs are either familiar nursery rhymes or original songs created for small children, with video characters, bright colors, and endless repetition. As of July 2020, Cocomelon is the most watched YouTube channel in the United States. No wonder parents of young children are going crazy during the pandemic. When the lovely Madelyn Simone was potty-training, her dad composed a song with the tag line, “in the potty.” If only he’d waited a few years and pitched it to Cocomelon, he’s be a rock star to the toddler generation of today. Opportunities lost . . .

 

But back to the earworms. Apparently, the smallest trigger can set off an earworm. Recent or repeated music exposure can do it, as can a reminder in our dreams, a wandering mind, or even stress. 

 

However, there is good news: WikiHow has an answer to the problem you didn’t even know had a name, with two main methods for dealing with these annoying songs. The first is to engage with the song, which is good advice if it’s Bach, Beethoven, or even Lady Gaga. In doing so, you can listen to the song all the way through, look up the lyrics (back to the Internet), play the song on an instrument, or visualize the song changing tempo, key, or artist, or coming to an end – with much applause.

 

However, speaking from experience, these are not good methods if your pesky song is about chicken wings or the potty. Instead, try other avenues, what WikiHow labels as distractions. Do a word puzzle. Chew gum. Do math problems. Let your mind wander. Or if those don’t work, replace the offending worm with another tune, singing along to the melody. I don’t suggest “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” or “This Song is Gonna Get Stuck in Your Head” from Lego Movie 2. 

 

While I can’t cite any scientific research for my hypothesis, I’m betting that the arrival of spring can also set off an ear worm. My grandkids and I like to listen to a Sharon, Lois and Bram CD (remember those?) with a song called “O Mister Sun.” The plea of this ditty is simple: “O Mister Sun – won’t you please shine down on me.”  

 

Is there an earworm tickling your ear lobe? Instead of “O Mister Sun,” let me suggest a replacement tune from that great jukebox in the sky, aka YouTube. The original version is a Beatles’ hit, written by George Harrison, but I recommend the 2008 recording by Yo Yo Ma and James Taylor. With only a cello, an acoustic guitar, and Taylor’s voice, it offers the best of music, “footpaths to lead us out of our hiding places and . . . signposts to lead us along in search of what was lost” (Ken Gire). Listen in: “Little darling, the smile’s returning to their faces . . . it seems like years since it’s been here . . . Here comes the sun . . . it’s all right.” Yes, it is.