It’s Driving Me Insane — Here, You Have It
Posted on October 22, 2008 Posted by John Scalzi 54 Comments
The following song as been an earworm in my skull for the last week. Now I’m going to free myself of it by giving it to you:
[imeem music=”i4BCrDz2qV”]
The good news here is that it’s not actually a horrible, awful song. It’s actually pretty good. It just never goes away. Eventually it gets to you.
Oh no, I’m not falling for that trick …
Will … not … click … link …
Wow, the opening melody is almost identical to Joe Jackson’s “Breaking Us In Two”.
John,
I had a friend who used to swear that Baby Elephant Walk was the perfect songfor getting rid of earworms.
Use at your own risk, however.
Cheers.
For newer earworminess I’d suggest checking out Mates of State’s Get Better, which (for me at least) has all sorts of things going on in it to cause the dreaded worm to ear immigration. Also comes with a cute video.
It’s insidious. Oh, the horror!
Craig:
Inasmuch as this song predates that one by a decade (or so), it’s the other way around.
Dude, this is such a good song, it has to qualify as an earkitten or something.
Why, there are about 4 Badfinger tunes on my G1 right now, and I’ll bet you can guess which ones.
Thank god. This can replace “Everybody’s Changing” by Keane that’s been in my head for the last couple of fays.
Wow, the default volume on that was really loud. It is a nice change to the handful of CDs I have ripped at work (since Windows in not playing nice with my drive).
This song reminds me of a wonderful time. Thanks.
Not only do I get songs stuck in head (usually one that was playing the third or fourth time I hit the snooze button so I have no conscious memory of having heard it recently), I sometimes get words and names stuck in my head. They just keep popping in over and over. The current one is Umslopogaas. For some reason I hear it in James Earl Jones’ voice, which happily makes it less annoying than usual.
Before that it was a character name from Dune but now I can’t think of which one. I’d look it up but it would probably get stuck again.
However, this may be the weirdest thing my brain has done to me recently. Last week I listened to an audio book of Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs read by the author, Chuck Klosterman. For the next several days everything I read, I heard in his voice. After that it didn’t happen automatically but I could choose to hear his voice if I wanted. Now I can’t do it anymore so I’m debating listening to something else by him to see if it happens again.
Sorry, it won’t work, I’ve had “hollaback girl of constant sorrow” stuck in my head ever since I heard it, so, no room for teh Badfinger.
Freeze Ray. Love that love song.
I listened to it so that, here in a couple of days, I have a truly excellent reason to listen to Baby Elephant Walk.
Badfinger didn’t replace the current earworm in my skull, Cut by Plumb, but I don’t care for Badfinger much anyway. I didn’t like them much when I lived through the period it came out in the first time.
I know it’s counter to the whole “earworm” mythos, but I don’t get songs I hate stuck in my head very often. Knowing this, my daughters try to be subtle and implant various songs in my head to see if they worm in. Doesn’t work.
I’m lucky I guess. ;)
Yes, it’s a good song. To me, not as addictive as other recent tunes:
* Lost! by Coldplay (and I normally deplore Coldplay, this one’s a winner)
* Strange Overtones by Byrne & Eno (hmm, both produced by the same guy – does Eno something I don’t? [pronounce it, not read it])
* Crying by TV on the Radio
Thank goodness for flashblock…
I spent years after Joe Jackson released “Breaking Us In Two” having trouble getting “Day After Day” out of my head when BUIT hit the airwaves. Now it’s somewhat reversed, but it’s still not hard at all to move from one to the other. Fortunately, I have JJ on the MP3 player, so can hear — and thus complete, and evict the earworm.
I should really get some Badfinger on there, too, though.
I have thought that Badfinger was the most appropriately named band ever, for longer than I care to admit. This song is one of the reasons why….
John Scalzi…you…evil…devil…you…Whoa.
Talk about when mental worlds collide. Brings back many, many memories from the year it came out (’71). Think teenagers, fast muscle cars, large back seats, hormones, I’d say more but my brother reads this blog…you understand. Plus some of the players in teh original dramatics are responsible citizens now.
But, at least it got that Dolly Parton song Target is using in their ads out of my head for a few minutes. OH, NO, IT’S COMING ON THE TV NOW, AGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I’m going to have to go find me some Badfinger for my ipod…
@joelfinkle
Eno is a certified genius and I -love- the new album.
Thanks for taking me back to my toddlerhood. You scared me for a second, usually when lay songs on me like that it’s something like the theme from the Brady Bunch or Partridge Family….
Oops, now I did it…
I’ve been blaring Captain Tractor’s “Up the Hill” for the past week at work, and I’m not even Canadian.
(They also do a great cover of The Arrogant Worms “Last Saskatchewan Pirate.”)
OMG. I’d completely forgotten about this song. It is driving the theme music for Super Mario Galaxy and various Backyardigans tunes out of my brain…thank you, John Scalzi.
When I get a Badfinger earworm, its almost always “No Matter What”.
I find Jonathan Coulton’s “Mandelbrot Set” an extremely pleasant earworm exterminator.
And this is the good version! Yeah, because there’s a substandard version, too; a “re-recorded” version with raspy vocals that just makes me want to do nasty things with a spork, a stuffed poodle and possible a bag of assorted-diameter lock washers.
Of course, it’s the substandard version that’s available on iTunes and the Amazon MP3 download store. It’s the substandard version that I paid ninety-nine American pennies for two weeks ago, only to discover my egregious error seconds after the broadbands had delivered every wretched bit that comprised every vile byte that in turn comprised every hollow, soul-crushing kilobyte that in turn comprised every dream-shattering, nostalgia-flattening megabyte of the song. Always listen to the preview, kids. Always listen to the preview.
This song is the only missing piece to the weekend my wife and I spent together.
(Yes, we’re in that sappy Hallmark phase of our relationship. Sue us.)
This is nowhere near as hard to get out of my head as The Final Countdown has been this week.
I am reminded of the digital carnivore from RADIO FREEFALL. “Do you know what a meme is?”
No clicky for me.
Great!
First it was “Final Countdown” for pianoukeazoo and now this!
Of course, you know, This Means War!!
Fetch the big guns!!
It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears
It’s a world of hopes and a world of fears
There’s so much that we share
That’s it’s time we’re aware
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
There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
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
(RAP)
Everybody get down
It’s a small world after all
No matter if you’re big or small
Come on everybody
Let’s bounce to this
Let’s spread some love
With a little twist
It’s a small world after all
No matter if you’re big or small
Come on everybody
Let’s bounce to this
Let’s spread some love
With a little twist
It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears
It’s a world of hopes and a world of fears
There’s so much that we share
That’s it’s time we’re aware
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
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
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
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
Urgh, thanks Dave…. the “Small World” earworm comes with visuals (flashbacks of small dolls singing…)
It’s one of life’s small ironies that I blogged about just this subject last night.
Dave Hall must die.
NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! Dave Hall, NOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Now those freakin dancing monstrosities are burned into my brain. Anyone who has ever been there KNOWS what any reference to it will do. AAAACCCCKKKKK!!!!!
Thank the gods that frakkin infernal ride was closed for “renovation” the last time I was at Disney.
Of course, that begs the question…just what would a Disney renovation entail?? No, don’t tell me, I don’t think I want to know.
Get dancing dolls out of brain – Must…play…Badfinger…again…
Ahhh, much better now…
Wait, Badfinger’s “Day After Day” was my September earworm. Did I inadvertantly infect you?
Actually, it was Midge Ure, who covers the song on his latest album.
Oh, wow, total flashback to being a kid and my mom and dad having the radio on.
Oh my hell, I even know the lyrics.
It’s not like this is a good song to me, but since I was forbidden from listening to anything but easy listening / oldies until about the time I had to start shaving, this song brings back some memories, and I… like it. :D
(See also: Baby Blue, which is almost as catchy as Day After Day, and No Matter What, which is significantly less catchy, imho.)
I’ve had this for a few days, since you used some of the lyrics in your little header thingy.
If you’re talkin’ Badfinger earworms, I’s say “Come & Get It” takes top prize.
btw, the remnants of Badfinger are located in & around Wickliffe OH & can be found playing at a Holiday Inn lounge near you.
I get earworms all the time and maintain that “I wanna be Sedated” but the Ramones is the perfect song simply because it can erase an earworm before the intro is over, without becoming one itself.
Dave Hall: Your plan backfired. All I hear when someone attempts to infect me with the “Small World” ear worm is “Duloc Is the Perfect Place” jingle from SHREK.
Bwahahahahaha!!!!
The rat is foiled! Long live Dr. Evil!
(And somehow, my brain veers back to Badfinger’s “Day After Day.” Nice one, John. Very cool indeed. Perhaps I’ll put up Garbage’s “Bad Boyfriend” soon.)
I used to take a class on children’s music. What? I was an elementary education major. Anyway, I always went to class with a Walkman (yeah, I know) filled with replacement music. The Superman theme, The Emperor’s March, You Can Call Me Al, Also Sprach Zarathustra, and others. The moment class was over I put on the headphones and blasted until all traces of “The Wheels on the Bus” and “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Knees and Toes” was gone.
Last week in a fit of nostalgia, I downloaded Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick album. After just one listen I now have had the entire 44 minute song playing over…and over…and over in my head for 9 days straight and now I remember why I haven’t owned a copy of that music since I had it on 8-track. It is now so firmly lodged in my head that I will probably have to resort to my personal nuclear option – any song by ABBA.
More sticky than the Sanford and Son theme?
Sanford & Son Theme Song (1972) –
You have forced me to resort to the best C&W SF song ever written to clear my mind.
http://www.benzedrine.cx/benson.mp3
Huh, I always thought that was Eric Clapton. How wrong I was! An influential band I’d never even heard of, this Badfinger.
This has been stuck in my head the last few weeks: The Shins’ “Phantom Limb”. It has a nice hook, and a sound that sounds like they could have jammed with Badfinger back in the day.
John – Did it work? Did loading it into our skulls get it out of yours?
If so, then that is a good reason to start a blog and work to build up readership. To create a target for a Vulcan mind-meld style brain evacuation.
I wonder if it works for disturbing images as well as songs, like Hillary Clinton the french maid.
Margaret Thatcher in a thong.
Ah, Badfinger. Read Dan Matovina’s Without You: The Tragic Story Of Badfinger,/i> and keep your Prozac handy. Those poor bastards.
“Know One Knows” (yep, that’s the spelling) off the Wish You Were Here album will be an earworm the size of one of those big suckers from Dune, but you’ll love it.
I’ve found 2 fairly reliable ways to drive out songs stuck in your head. The first option is to think about as many songs that can get stuck in your head. After naming 15-30 songs, the a new song has real problems getting stuck in your head.
And I’m sure all your friends will be glad to help you name songs that could stick in your head :-)
The other option is to listen to the song from start to finish. Unfortunately, this method isn’t 100% effective and requires you have the complete song available to you.
Yeah, I have two songs in my head ready for replay whenever I need to remove the bad one that showed up. Comes from reading Arthur C. Clarke’s “Tales From The White Hart”, I guess.
But this song? It’s welcome to stay there for a while. I dunno why, it just is.