There is nothing worse than a song that gets stuck in your head for days. Especially if it's one of my tween daughter's sugary pop, Disney or Nickelodeon stars songs. Then I have to find another earworm to try and cleanse my brain of the drivel that she loves so much.
I make no secret of the fact that I do not particularly enjoy my kids' tastes in music. The fact that they play the songs TO DEATH is a guarantee that I will find myself humming the song at some random point, if only because I can't get away from it unless I barricade myself in my room with earplugs. Having grown up listening to everything from the experimental jazz of the 60's, to the disco and hard funk of the 70's to my discovery of all things rock and roll, past and present in the 80's, generally I try to be pretty open about what I listen to. But I can honestly say that I hate some of the sweet electropop my daughter loves more than I hate that whiny cartoon, Caillou, and that's saying a lot.
I kid, I kid. Sort of.
Earworms are like that, though. If it's a song you like, but maybe forgot about, having the song pop up suddenly can be a great memory of a time in your life that was free of the burdens and worries that you have now. I love it when songs are tied to a movie I haven't seen in a long time, as it gives me a reason to go back and re-watch movies from my childhood and teen years. It's interesting, however, when you are going through a extremely difficult or trying time in your life, and a song will suddenly pop into your head whose lyrics directly correspond to whatever it is that you are experiencing. I've always figured that this was the universe's way of making sure you don't feel like you are going through this all alone; somebody out there gets it because they've been through it too.
I've has songs creep back into my memory that reminded of entire genres of music that I had forgotten about. One morning I woke up with the song "Beautiful Disaster" by the group 311 playing in my head:
I make no secret of the fact that I do not particularly enjoy my kids' tastes in music. The fact that they play the songs TO DEATH is a guarantee that I will find myself humming the song at some random point, if only because I can't get away from it unless I barricade myself in my room with earplugs. Having grown up listening to everything from the experimental jazz of the 60's, to the disco and hard funk of the 70's to my discovery of all things rock and roll, past and present in the 80's, generally I try to be pretty open about what I listen to. But I can honestly say that I hate some of the sweet electropop my daughter loves more than I hate that whiny cartoon, Caillou, and that's saying a lot.
I kid, I kid. Sort of.
Earworms are like that, though. If it's a song you like, but maybe forgot about, having the song pop up suddenly can be a great memory of a time in your life that was free of the burdens and worries that you have now. I love it when songs are tied to a movie I haven't seen in a long time, as it gives me a reason to go back and re-watch movies from my childhood and teen years. It's interesting, however, when you are going through a extremely difficult or trying time in your life, and a song will suddenly pop into your head whose lyrics directly correspond to whatever it is that you are experiencing. I've always figured that this was the universe's way of making sure you don't feel like you are going through this all alone; somebody out there gets it because they've been through it too.
I've has songs creep back into my memory that reminded of entire genres of music that I had forgotten about. One morning I woke up with the song "Beautiful Disaster" by the group 311 playing in my head:
Up until that moment, I hadn't thought about the 90's alternative music that I used to love, much at all. Once I looked it up on YouTube, it led me back to a lot of great artists and music that I used to love from LA radio station KROQ, until I stopped listening in the mid 90's.
These artists reminded me that I had always preferred my music with a little "bite" to it, and lyrics that actually talked about what was going on in the world, especially subjects people might overlook or take for granted. I had always leaned more toward LA post-punk bands like X, or English punkers The Clash, more than mainstream pop. Of course I was not totally immune to the charms of certain bands, remembering what slid under my radar and took up residence in my subconscious a couple of weeks ago:
If music really is the soundtrack of your life, per Dick Clark, the earworms I find most pleasant are the ones that develop after I've had to learn a song for one of the gospel choirs I sing with. Don't get any big ideas; I am NOT a soloist, so much as I make a very joyful BACKGROUND noise. These are the songs that tend to pop up in my head and stay for awhile when I'm down, or just not feeling areas of my life working out. Songs with lyrics that are uplifting and let you know that you are definitely not all alone in your struggles. Of course not all inspirational songs are gospel:
Sometimes a gospel-tinged vocal, mixed with a soaring jazz saxophone is all your memory needs to pull a certain song from your mental archives when needed.
As varied as my musical background is, I find it interesting what kind of notes, lyrics, and occasionally entire albums spring into my head on a daily basis. It rarely, if ever gets boring, and it's nice to know that the catalog in my head can pull up a song to match almost any occasion. It makes for an interesting Facebook feed when I get post happy some nights.
And I don't hate EVERYTHING my kids listen to. But don't tell them that. Then I'll never get to listen to what I want while I clean the house. And maybe plant a few earworms of my own.
As varied as my musical background is, I find it interesting what kind of notes, lyrics, and occasionally entire albums spring into my head on a daily basis. It rarely, if ever gets boring, and it's nice to know that the catalog in my head can pull up a song to match almost any occasion. It makes for an interesting Facebook feed when I get post happy some nights.
And I don't hate EVERYTHING my kids listen to. But don't tell them that. Then I'll never get to listen to what I want while I clean the house. And maybe plant a few earworms of my own.
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