Yep...
Ring, Ring, Ring...
Umb - er - ella - ella - ella - eh eh
The songs that get stuck in our heads...
Where do they come from?
How do they get stuck?
I woke up this morning with TLC "No Scrubs" playing in my head...
When you're alone in the house, it's 5am and you haven't heard that song in weeks, that's a worry...
Or, I find myself hunched over my laptop, whistling the tune to Green Acres... I'm not aware of seeing that show or hearing that show theme tune since I was about 12...
So, how does it happen? Why does it happen? How can you stop it?
My theory, which may or may not be based on scientific fact is that the problem is you recall fragments of the song... but you can't remember the whole thing...
It's like when you try to remember a name or a number - and the half remembered, just out of reach feeling drives you mad...
The worst case I ever had of that was involving a song lyric...
I was on the Aran Islands, someone said "Oh, what's that song that goes... 'Driving away from home'"
I couldn't remember - for two full weeks - and it stuck in my head and went around and around and around in a loop...
I got as far as "Driving away from home - thirty miles or more" but could get no further - nor could I remember the artist... I could remember the melody - but no more lyrics...
I was close to insanity and I think I hugged the person who told me the answer *(answer to be revealed later)
So, basically, the brain worries away at the little fragment, like trying to complete a jigsaw with only one piece...
Until you hear the full thing and can put the other pieces around it, it'll drive ya crazy
The solution oddly involves another song... and I have mentioned this before...
You've got to conjure up the opening riff to "Smoke on the Water"
Duh, Duh, Duh... Duh, Duh, DA Duh...
That will clean out your head off Umb - er - ellas and Bananas...
Why does it work?
I think, because that riff is basically the song - that is to all intents and purposes the full song and so your brain gets distracted...
Try it...
C No 2
* Oh, the answer by the way was It's Immaterial - Driving away from Home
Here it is on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6Nclc1693w
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
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That's weird, I've been singing 'No Scrubs' for a week. HAven't thought about it in years. I think I heard it on TV. Perhaps I transmitted it to you through the blog, somehow? :)
ReplyDeletethe 12 inch of 'Driving Away from Home' was even better! Rez from Underworld is stuck in my brain at the moment, and thats not an easy one to hum/sing along with. I'll have to content myself by doing 90s rave movements with my hands
ReplyDeleteThat picture is both extremely funny and disturbing all at the ame time :)
ReplyDeleteYou'd be surprised what your brain retains. Tonight I was playing Trivial Pursuit and had somehow managed to retain that the 10 year old star of Opportunity Knocks who became Britain's most famous anorexic was Lena Zavaroni.
I haven't accessed that information in...? But it's there.