I Suffer from Earworms, does anyone else?
(Source: https://pixabay.com/en/earwig-insect-forficula-auricularia-751492)
If you don’t know what the hell I’m talking about then congratulations! You either are not a sufferer, or you are not aware of the technical naming for this annoyance of annoyances.
This is not an earwig, bug or anything else remotely insectoid.
Here’s the spiel taken indirectly from the Wikipedia entry with some slight changes so @cheetah doesn’t get me!
An earworm, could be termed as ‘sticky music’, stuck song syndrome, or Involuntary Musical Imagery and is a catchy piece of music that repeats through a person's head on repeat play after it is no longer playing.
Yesterday it was ‘The Unforgettable Fire’ by U2. This is probably my favourite song from a band I respect but am not a big fan of. That piano section at the start is now going off in my head again, though it had been replaced by another song, ‘Strip the Soul’ by Porcupine Tree… until now, grrrrr.. Bono and The Edge are back again.
Can you both get out of my head please, dammit?!
Is this a hereditary ailment? Can it passed down through the generations? My late father was a huge music lover but never spoke to me once about this. @bingbabe, my wife is not big music fan, but my daughter who appears to have inherited my love of music is. She also is an earworm sufferer like me.
I asked her opinion on this, and more importantly I asked her for tips on how to eradicate repetitions from my head. Sometimes it’s good to get an opinion from a 14 year old.
She informs me to go to the end of the song and allow it to finish. Does this work? Not with me, it just starts again, sometimes in the middle, sometimes from the start. Apparently it does work for her!
Maybe I should bang my head against a wall? Do you think this could be a possible cure?
(Source: https://www.twenty20.com/photos/462affba-be3c-4687-9bc9-cd8f57d3a1dc)
I think for me there’s no cure besides simply distraction.
Do you suffer from Earworms? If so, discuss and let me know some potential cures?
If you found this article so invigorating that you are now a positively googly-eyed, drooling lunatic with dripping saliva or even if you liked it just a bit, then please upvote, comment, resteem, engage me or all of these things.
I've always had this and didn't even know it existed as a condition. You really do learn something new every day.
Yeah, I definitely suffer from it. Not as often as everyone else seems to, but it does happen! The only times it really bothers me is when it's a really crap song that pops into my head for no reason, or when it happens while I'm studying. I mostly suffer from a similar, but stranger, problem, where an argument gets stuck in my head and my brain keeps running it over and over.
Crap songs in an earworm must suck badly. Cant say I have suffered from your other 'ailment'
This is a pretty regular occurence with me. Probably daily if not multiple times a day. I am a huge fan of all kinds of music though, so the variety is ususally pretty diverse. I remember one time many years ago I was very sick with a high fever and there was a song on the radio while I was laying in bed. I spent the next two days in a fever induced haze repeating the same two lines from the song over and over in my head. Pretty nasty stuff. I still remember it, it was "Bring on the Rain" by Jo Dee Mesina. I am huge U2 fan so I can personally think of worse things to have stuck in your head :)
I have experienced a similar situation, being ill and having one at the same time. Double trouble for sure, and it tends to build an association with that song. "The Unforgettable Fire" is their finest moment for me, and its still buzzing around my head.
I always find myself going back to Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby, zipping through Rattle and Hum to get to "All I want is you" is something I frequently do too :) It's harder though when I listen to it on vinyl.
Even worse is having a song stuck in your head and not knowing who the artist is. I've spent many days looking to find one particular song that I heard once.
Sometimes the tune just pops up in my head and it's driving me crazy not knowing which song it is.
I believe I suffer from this as well someone may mention a song in a post or comment and it is with me all day
I think mine has gone... for the moment :)
I had to pick this post to comment on since i shall attempt to place another song in your ear! 😂
But seriously i had no idea what i was in for when i clicked. Very sneaky and funny. 😁
'The Unforgettable Fire' is back again... sigh...
Always, when i hear "buy you a drank" by tPain, it will stay in my head for days. Luckily antoher song will replace it and will be cured for some motnhs
I was literally thinking that you have worms on your ears!
Thanks for sharing this! Are earworms chronic? I think it is pretty much the same as last song syndrome. ^^
Lol, I dont know whether they are chronic or not, though it seems that way for me!
ahahhah! This was a good read! I definitely enjoyed it :)
Well I wasn't aware of these pesky critters, but I can say that I haven't been effected by them in years, but I once was several years ago.
I don't listen to much music anymore so it would have to be a really old song I would have to come into contact with in order to get a case of them now.
Your a lucky man, maybe its due to you not listening to music anymore. Music is part of me, I cant do this.
No, I have no earworm disease but I also love music when I am not busy. 😊