Usually, I’m totally psyched about America’s Birthday. I’ve always looked forward to the 4th of July, but this year something is lurking in the back of my mind.
I am very afraid.
It all started a few weeks ago. I had an earworm. That’s not unusual. Many of us have experienced a song that got stuck in our heads, sometimes lasting for days on end.
You wake up and it starts. Later that morning, you hum the tune while in the car. The same song pops into your mind while taking a shower and at that point you may sing along.
Days later, the earworm becomes obnoxious. It torments you. Attached like a shadow, it won’t let go. It makes itself at home. It finds a fold of gray matter, dons its headphones and tunes into one song. It smiles and stretches out. Then it does the unthinkable. That dang worm presses, REPEAT.
Most earworms don’t bother me. I’ve had old church hymns stick in my craw even though I hadn’t heard these particular songs for years.
This was different.
I have no idea why this particular song stuck in my small cranium, but it did. Maybe I heard it sung during the NBA playoffs or the beginning of a Rockies game while flipping through channels. I don’t remember.
The Star Spangled Banner became my earworm. No lie.
Right????
It became so ridiculous, I started singing the goofy lyrics we made up when kids to make it more fun.
“Jose, can you see?…”
I know! While on our Epic Road Trip, I tuned into Pandora’s pop music list and it finally disappeared. Whew!
Now it’s the Fourth of July. I’ll actually hear it sung several times today. The thought of it seeping back into the dark folds of gray matter and stretching out like a parasitic house guest, makes me cringe.
It’s not that I don’t like the song, but I’ve probably heard it in my head a hundred times in the last few weeks. I’m over it.
I’m not sure how I’ll cover my ears and my heart at the same time. I might bring noise-canceling headphones.
This video is safe. It’s instrumental. Ha!
Happy Birthday, America! I hope you all have a safe holiday. Cover your ears, just in case.
What was your worst earworm? How did you get rid of it?
Click for more adventures on my Wild Ride.
My ear worms are frequent and change frequently. I find I can change them like changing a record on a platter!
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Wow! You’re so lucky! Mine stick. They’re like a broken record…
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Now that you’re all warmed up, you should audition to sing at a Broncos or Nuggets game! My latest was a Christmas carol. In June!! I can’t remember which one, and I’m not going to try or else it will come back. Happy Fourth!
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The world isn’t ready for my solo debut. Ha! It finally went away.
Oh, no. A Christmas carol? It can be so annoying. If it’s a decent song, I don’t mind, but when it’s some random tune I don’t want to hear, I CAN’T MAKE IT STOP!
I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July!
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I spent last night trying to figure out if it was me or my dog who was most bothered by all the fire crackers going off in the neighborhood. Either way, we were distant second to my cat. Guess I’m getting old.
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The popping can be unnerving. We had thunder along with it. The dogs went nuts for a while!
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thanks for email love it
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I have such a problem with earworms that I almost never listen to the radio! (I should probably see a neurologist, but I’m not sure if Medicaid covers it. 😛 ) Anyway, your method of silly lyrics is a good way to combat earworms. I used to be able to fight them off with my white noise machine or listening to Enya, but now the only way seems to be singing/saying words that sound like lyrics, but aren’t. I’m guessing it confuses the word processing centers or some such and that’s what fixes it!
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That’s great, Daya! My word processor needs a huge overhaul. Ha!
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For a moment you had begun sounding like Kafka! Then, low and behold, there was the star-spangled anthem! Happy Independence Day, my friend!
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Fixed it!
Ha! Yes. Kafka and I would have been fast friends with our existential conversations.
Thanks, Uma!
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I get ear warms that Wayne Brady sings after he gets compilation suggestions from Ryan Stiles and Colon Mochrie on Whose Line Is It Anyway. Completely debilitating and absolutely devastating.
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Ha! That sounds like a mad party in your head. Those three don’t let up!
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😀
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have a safe and happy 4th, Susie.
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Thanks, Attic Man! I hope you survived the 4th too! Our day was so slam packed, I didn’t have time to look at the computer. Did you see the fireworks?
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The 4th is always such a great day. Yep, we went a few miles up the freeway to Auburn and saw the fireworks there. A was terrific show. :O)
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Could be worse. Your ear worm could be Muskrat Love.
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Hahaha! I used to love that song. Thanks a whole lot. Now IT will be stuck in my head.
I hope you survived the 4th, my new friend, without the presence of muskrats in your head.
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Jose can you see? LOLOL.. Happy 4th.. we already had our party here in Canada on the 1st.:)
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Thanks, Linda!
Happy Independence Day, a few days late! Did you watch any fireworks? We saw a few from the house, but stuck around instead of fighting sprinkles and traffic.
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Tonight it will likely be Tchiakovsky’s 1812 Overture – been a while since I had a song burn a hole through my ear. The last one was ‘Picture Book’ by the Kinks. Heard at Chipotle and then downloaded it – just listened to it a second ago. Enjoy your Fourth of July and the fireworks!
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Fixed!
I usually don’t pay too much attention to which tune is in my head, unless it’s totally OBNOXIOUS!!! I should start keeping track. So far today? Nothing. Yay!!!
That is such a funny tune. At least it’s entertaining.
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Ha! I had to look it up.
I didn’t make it to the fireworks this year, but saw a few from the house. Hope you had a splendid 4th!!
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There is a funny story about hearing this song and it involves an 8th grade boy and several boys, Instagram, a line from the song, and a trip to visit the assistant principal’s office… shared it with my team of teachers and we howled. It ended in a warning, but it was funny. Learning never ends!
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Ha! Now I want to listen to it again. I hope it doesn’t stick…
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If you want to get rid of an earworm, something it may help singing a few verses of song with a dull and repetitive melody, like Old McDonald Had A Farm.
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HA! I’ll try that next time, but with my luck, it will get stuck in my head.
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I’m going to tell you my worst. It’s a song I hate. If it gets stuck in my head….wait. Not a problem anymore, and I’ll tell you why: I’ve got a happy cure.
My icky ear worm? The one that used to fill me with dread, but no longer does?
*Shudders*
“Love Shack,” by the B-52s. It used to camp out every time I heard it, and torment me.I have been known to leave rooms to escape it. But now it’s lost its power over me.
Because I have the Hamilton soundtrack! So many wonderful songs, and they get joyfully stuck in my head in bits and pieces. My daughter says, “Mom, can’t you just sing one?” My answer? “Nope!”
I hope you emerged from the fourth spangle-free!
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Your earworm was replaced by something GREAT! I would love to see that musical.
I did escape! We didn’t make it to the fireworks which helped. We enjoyed more time with my daughter and her friends instead. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
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I think there are a great number of us wishing we could see it. There is a lottery with great prices – but you have to be there to enter. I’m not that far from the city (250 miles), but it’s a bit tricky with kids who still need me around, and don’t think they want to go to the live show…and it would be a long shot…
Time with loved ones sounds better than fireworks to me! =)
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A lottery for fireworks? Where is that?
It was more fun, for sure!
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No…a lottery for Hamilton tickets! They hold a certain number each show, and I’ve heard they’re only, umm, ten dollars…which seems appropriate. =)
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Ha! I somehow dropped that thread. That makes perfect sense! Ten bucks??? Whoa…
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Yup. The very luckiest can see Hamilton for the price of one Hamilton! It’s brilliant, really.
And I drop bits and threads more often than I’d like to admit…
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Reblogged this on DREAM BIG DREAM OFTEN and commented:
Always a fun time at Susie Lindau’s Wild Ride!!
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Thanks for the reblog, Danny!
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Most welcome!!
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I’m not a rap fan really, but if I hear a rap chorus or beat it sticks with me like an M&M (or should I say Eminem) melted in my pocket. That cell phone song is an example– “you used to call me on my cell phone….”
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Oh, nooooo! I had a Justin Bieber song stuck recently. What’s weird is when I don’t know the words. Then I find myself humming along.
Thanks for stopping by, Kirk!
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I get those constantly, more since my stroke.
I remember the very worst one was “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri.
It was bad; it was stuck for almost 2 weeks. I love the song, but really wanted it to stop.
I kept listening to other music and, eventually, it stopped.
Others have come and gone, but that one was the worst.
Btw, I just listened to it again – your fault.
Scott
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I’ve never heard it before! How did I miss that song??? It is catchy, Scott. I better listen to something else, QUICKLY!
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It is still my favorite song, and the video is a bit chilling.
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It is chilling!
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Hope you are singing a whole new tune by now. Don’t need any earworms wrecking the rest of the summer. (Did you see that news report about real bugs like wasps in people’s ears and docs tweezering them out?..eeeeackk)
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Euw!!! I’ve been epic road tripping and somehow missed that bit of gross news. I’ll have to start wearing earmuffs when gardening!!!
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Somehow on even the road I still managed to have that wiggle in. (Shiver)
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Ohhhhhhh…. I’m going to have nightmares.
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(You skipped out on His Holiness? He’s taking names, you know HA HA)
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Dang!!!!
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I get those pesky critters all the time! The recurring one though that has been with me off and on for several years is the theme song to an old tv show… Mr. Ed. “a horse is a horse”.. I find myself playing the steering wheel drums to the music in my noggin and the turn signal helps with backup. It was replaced recently with mrs. Brown you’ve got a lovely daughter by Herman & the hermits. Oh lord!! How does this brain still function?!
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I feel your pain. Those songs are hysterical! I rarely think about the earworm afterward, but I know I’ve had some crazy weird ones. “California Dreamin'” by the Mammas and the Pappas sticks in my brain every fall. “All the leaves are brown… and the skies are gray…..” Ha!
I worry about my brain too! Thanks for sharing, Deb.
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Cool.
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Many years ago we were on the Disneyland ride “It’s a Small World” when it broke down. We were stuck in those funky boats for over a half hour listening to that awful song. It was hell! Finally people started yelling “shut off the music.” I still have nightmares.
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Hahaha! That is hilarious. We only went once and I hadn’t been on that ride, but my sister and brother-in-law dreaded it. I understood why as we neared the halfway point!
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The only way I found to fix an earworm is to replace it with another song. When I get them on occasion, I usually don’t mind unless it’s a song I don’t care for!!
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That’s a great trick. I’ll try that next time when an especially annoying song gets stuck in my cranium.Thanks Michelle!
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I work in a hotel lobby filled with Muzak earworms, Susie.
One just replaces the other – endlessly.
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Ha! That would be torture…
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This disturbs me…. Lol
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Right? Nothing worse except waking up and singing a Christmas carol, IN JULY!!! What next?
Thanks for stopping by Christopher!
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