It’s starting all over again. My head was finally clear of all constantly repeating tunes, and then I sat down at the piano and played Vangelis’s Hymne. Now, a day later, it is still roaming around inside my consciousness, pushing everything else out. Not that it’s not a nice tune. But after the 64th time of hearing it in my head, I find it more than annoying.
I can go weeks without suffering through an earworm. That’s what they’re called, you know, those melodies that get a grip on you and won’t let you go, no matter how hard you try to shake them. They burrow into your brain, and no amount of cajoling will dislodge them.
I seldom listen to pop music unless I’m visiting my daughter. Her family listens to their ipod music everywhere they go. I would have no clue who Jason Mraz or Twyla Swift (or is it Tyler? Taylor?) were if it were not for them. They try to keep me up to date, but it’s a losing battle. I’m addicted to my Bach cello suites and my Beethoven piano concertos. Rossini overtures make me want to dance around the house, and Mozart arias can move me to tears.
Since I’m so prone to earworms, that’s probably a good thing. If I listened to pop music, the chance of me catching a catchy tune would be much greater. It’s hard to keep a Vivaldi recorder sonata in your head.
Anyway, I need to remind myself to stay away from Vangelis. His Hymne can be fatal. Oh, what’s that playing on my WHRO station? Percy Granger’s arrangement of Skye Boat Song? Beautiful. I think it’s driving Vangelis out of my head. Yep, definitely. Vangelis is totally gone…and Granger is here to stay.
Coming East 
Earworms!? What a great name, I must work that into conversation as soon as possible! My husband is a walking jukebox unfortunately so I’m always getting them, usually the world’s most annoying pop song or advertising jingle. Thanks for expanding my vocabularly! 🙂
Thanks for your comment, Idiosyncraticye. I love the name “earworm.” It is so appropriate because those tunes seem to burrow into your brain.
I, too, always have a tune running in my head. Since I listen to a lot of music and a number of genres, one seems to be pushing the other out of the way on a regular basis. What I hate is when I don’t know what it is. I’m not enough of a scholar of the classics to know sometimes and with jazz, I sometimes know the song but not the artist. My tunes come with arrangements, you see. Then there’s the worst part, at least from the point of view of people around me … I whistle them, not always consciously. I guess I’m just used to it … I just wish I could Google a tune that’s in my head. Maybe that’s next now that we can Google an image.
LOL, Bud! I can’t whistle, so I’m constantly humming those tunes over and over and over again. I must drive people crazy, too. I didn’t know you could Google an image.
I’ve had Mozart’s “Abendempfindung” stuck in my head for four days. It’s my current voice lesson piece. Actually, it’s the one I just finished; technically I should be singing a Faure’ piece now, but I can’t get Wolfie out of my head. It’s not an easy song to get stuck on… as you might guess by the title, the words are a bit of a challenge… but the tune won’t leave.
I’ll bet you get tunes stuck in your head all the time, S.C. since you’re always singing them. But at least it is beautiful tunes.
It takes magic fingers and great talent to play this beautiful piece!
I agree, Amy, it takes magic fingers and great talent to play that piece WELL! Since I have neither, it is what it is! 🙂
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Thanks! You have given me better tunes to have worming their way through my brain, over and over and over again. It is an improvement, since unti now it had always been things like “Ding Dong the Witch is dead” or “Hey, Hey, We’re the Monkees!” Or maybe the final Jeopardy tune.
Yes, Vangelis is definitely an improvement to those little ditties, Patti!
Oh how I have missed your posts. So sorry I’ve not been by in a while but been involved in family sickness and such. Praise God all is well! Anyway I have never listened to much of this type of music and have to admit when I did I didn’t like it too much. However my mother enjoyed it. I found some CD’s she left behind, maybe I’ll give them a listen and try to get a little culture.
Hello, Julie! I have missed you. I kept checking for word on your brother, but didn’t see any new postings for awhile, and then I got busy. So glad all is well!
Thank you for the beautiful Vangelis, and the term earworm ~ I never knew they had a name! So is this like the child’s game of “hot potato?” You plant your earworm in cybersoil, send it out to friends and neighbors and it becomes OUR earworm? Hopefully it will lull me to sleep tonight… otherwise I’ll be sending out a blog tomorrow about earworms… catchy tune though…maybe I’ll keep it for a while!
Sorry about that, Carol. I hope it’s not catching!
Thank you for introducing me and providing the link to Vangelis. It is beautiful and welcome on a on a muddly day when I am making one step forward and three back.
I wrote a blog on such a them way back when I first started blogging. Not to advertise myself, but if you are interested to read it – http://growingyoungereachday.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/i-can-see-clearly-now/. Very light but easy reading.
I will go and take a look, Judith. Thanks a bunch!
Bless your heart. I can totally relate to your earworm hauntings. I’m a victim of them too. I once had ‘Blue Danube’ in my head and it lasted for weeks. I was so thankful that it wasn’t some stupid little annoying diddy, it would have drove me buggers. lol I’m not familiar with Vangelis. This hymn it’s really lovely. Thanks for sharing it. 🙂
I don’t know, E.C., but I think having the Blue Danube stuck in my head would definitely drive me crazy.
Thanks for sharing this piece. I hope it gets stuck in my head.
So glad you liked it, Shary. Such a simple but beautiful tune.
I still have Iz’s “Somewhere over the Rainbow” in my head. Wonder why?
That’s an easy song to get stuck in your head, isn’t it! Thanks for commenting, dear brother!