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The Earworm Strikes Back

07/06/07 | by Adam | Categories: Music

The Dutch have a term called an "oorworm" ("earworm" or "earwig" in English.) It's defined as a tune that you can't get out of your head or that you play over and over and over and over and...

Well, here's a recommendation: Murray Gold's soundtrack CD to the current Doctor Who series is superb, but skip track 30 with Neil Hannon called "Love Don't Roam". I think I'm up to the 40th repetition in succession and I still can't stop listening to it.

In the time it's taken me to get this far, it's now 44 and counting. This'll probably take the big guns to displace...

Update: It didn't; on the Wikipedia page about earworms, there's a link to a site called "Maim That Tune" that plays catchier tunes than whatever's driving you to distraction. It certainly works, although perhaps not in the intended way: the MIDI renditions are so painful that whatever tune was bothering you is blasted away.

 

2 comments

Comment from: Cynthia [Visitor]  
Cynthia

Needless to say, advertising jingles (especially ones from yestyears - Thank God!) create far and away the worst earworms. Presumably, folks suffering from neurotic disorders, such as anxiety - are particularly susceptible to earworms. And if medications fail as an effective treatment option, one can always jump into a wormhole to escape earworms.;-)

You might be kinda wondering why the Hell a stray surfer appeared out of nowhere pointing&clicking inside your blog. Well, to begin, I stumbled upon PZ’s site via the flagship “Cosmic Variance". Then, believe it or not, a comment Ritchie posted on PZ’s site captured my attention in a big sorta way. And now that I really enjoy your blog, I plan to return in the near future - as long as y’all don’t mind, of course… In the meantime, all my best!

07/07/07 @ 19:33
Comment from: Adam [Member]  
Adam

Thanks for the kind comments; I hope (and no doubt Ritchie too) you’ll continue to visit and chat!

07/08/07 @ 12:18
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"Ready, Aye, Ready" was a slogan used by Canadian politicians to indicate Canada's willingness to assist the British Empire in any conflict. It remains in use as a motto for some of the Canadian military. It has almost nothing to do with the content of this blog.

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