Ear Worms (no, not that kind )

The Dreaded "Ear Worm"

from the German  Ohrwurm

We have all had it happen. A snippet of a catchy tune or jingle that gets stuck in your head, for hours, sometimes days.

Maybe just a short phrase of the chorus, maybe the hook.  When I was working at Chesters ' in 1969 I had  "Celia, You're Breaking My Heart " plague me for three days.

So Friends, Romans, Countrymen....Lend me your ears!

Jump on over the endless tape loop for a look at  Ear Worm acquisition and removal.

No Soundtrack Today. You brought your own, right?

A history of the Ear Worm shamelessly ripped off from Wikipedia: 

Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Imp of the Perverse" (1845) has the following:

It is quite a common thing to be thus annoyed with the ringing in our ears, or rather in our memories, of the burthen of some ordinary song, or some unimpressive snatches from an opera. Nor will we be the less tormented if the song in itself be good, or the opera air meritorious.

Mark Twain's 1876 story "A Literary Nightmare" (also known as "Punch, Brothers, Punch") is about a jingle that one can get rid of only by transferring it to another person.

"The Jingle in the story is from directions on a tram, and has a fascinating history and is much mentioned in literature, and the progressive bluegrass band Punch Brothers got their name from the jingle, specifically citing Twain's story as inspiration!"

The Jingle

Conductor, when you receive a fare,
Punch in the presence of the passenjare!
A blue trip slip for an eight-cent fare,
A buff trip slip for a six-cent fare,
A pink trip slip for a three-cent fare,
Punch in the presence of the passenjare!

CHORUS
Punch brothers! Punch with care!
Punch in the presence of the passenjare!

OK, back to the worm

Here is Reel I found here , and there is a link to a midi file if you want to listen to it.

 I will  tell you how to get rid of the annoying ear worms, but first some

Real Science.

No! No! No! , not that kind!

This Kind

Boston University undergrad Science journal, "SYNAPSE"

Excerpt from "Synapse:"

One such memory system that the earworm may be relying on is the “phonological loop,” a short-term memory system in the auditory cortex.⁴ The auditory cortex is located in the temporal lobe, an area of the brain affiliated with short-term memory, specifically verbal short-term memory.⁵ The phonological loop is best described as a “short loop of recording tape that continuously stores a small amount of auditory information,⁴” such as the chorus of a song. 

When your 

Looks like this, you need help!

Best Science is  from Scientific American   The Science of Ear Worms, or Why You Can’t Get That Damn Song out of Your Head.

BLOGS

There are two  English Blogs,  

The Earwormery doing Research on Earworms, but it looks a little stale,  and their survey form is a dead link. Maybe the Grant Money dried up.

And Shaun Keaveny's Site CLICK HERE!! 

       He is on the Venerable BBC  and in addition to some great  interviews with such luminaries as Ginger Baker (Cream) , Michael Palin ( Monty Python) and Kieth Richards (Stones) in the Ear Worm Department, you will find a Video interview with a Shrink on ear worm removal, some ear worm history, and a  2 minute questionnaire.

Shaun Keavey and Ear Worms

 Fill out the questionnaire.

 I did .

Do it for Science!

Do it for a hoot!

Another blog I just found is Storiented : The Curious Case of the Earworm (Part 1)

REMOVAL

How to Get Songs Out of Your Head:

Getting rid of earworms  from How Stuff Works.

Unfortunately, there's no tried and true way to get songs out of your head once they're stuck in there. They can stick in your brain for anywhere from a few minutes to several days -- long enough to drive even the sanest person batty. Most earworms eventually "crawl out" on their own, but if a song is nagging you to the brink of insanity, here are a few tips to try:

1. Sing another song, or play another melody on an instrument.

2. Switch to an activity that keeps you busy, such as working out.

3. Listen to the song all the way through (this works for some people).

4. Turn on the radio or a CD to get your brain tuned in to another song.

5. Share the song with a friend (but don't be surprised if the person become an ex-friend when he or she walks away humming the tune).

6. Picture the earworm as a real creature crawling out of your head, and imagine stomping on it.

[source: University of Cincinnati]

Still got an ear worm? 

Here is  a You tube Vid on how to get rid of them.

Please leave a comment in the box with your worst ear worm experience, and how you cured it

Very soon we will be implanting this much-covered song from Irving Berlin as an Ear Worm.

Seriously. Stay Tuned.

Capn' Chris