The Earworm Thread

[cloughie]

Is there any medication available for getting rid of earworms? I am experiencing the worst case scenario, trying to banish a song which I don’t particularly like but had to learn to sing at the recent big concert at Symphony Hall last weekend - five days on it attacks at any time of day or night but just won’t go away!

[gradus]

Is there any medication available for getting rid of earworms? I am experiencing the worst case scenario, trying to banish a song which I don’t particularly like but had to learn to sing at the recent big concert at Symphony Hall last weekend - five days on it attacks at any time of day or night but just won’t go away!

Its happens to me too but they eventually fade although I have a sort of default earworm that sneaks up all the time - the church bell-chime sounding bit of L'Arlesienne.

[cloughie]

Its happens to me too but they eventually fade although I have a sort of default earworm that sneaks up all the time - the church bell-chime sounding bit of L'Arlesienne.

Now you’ve done it - I’ll probably latch on to your Bizet now but maybe that’s better the T2 part of ‘Love could I only tell thee’!

[Serial_Apologist]

Now you’ve done it - I’ll probably latch on to your Bizet now but maybe that’s better the T2 part of ‘Love could I only tell thee’!

Yes, my solution has always been to select a favourite piece of music you know well and use it as a substitute. For me one of the Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brazilieros always works!

[cria]

Is there any medication available for getting rid of earworms?

The contents of a Colt 45 does the trick ..

[cloughie]

The contents of a Colt 45 does the trick ..

The barrels or a can?

[Joseph K]

Having listened to The Smiths' album The Queen Is Dead last night, for much of today I've had the title track and 'Frankly Mr Shankly' in my head.

[Joseph K]

Lately I've had various solos of Shawn Lane as earworms, namely from the tune 'Time Is The Enemy' as performed here starting around 4:13. But the whole video is incredible, though the sound quality could be better, despite that his tone really shines through in all its otherworldly glory, so uniquely and spellbindingly fast and smooth and colourful. In terms of how creative and powerful Lane sounded playing over a single chord, mixing scales and tonalities, perhaps there are only a handful of guitarists who come close. It's a pity there is only one album of this group playing this repertoire and it was recorded in 1996, (though that - Personae - of course is amazing) so in this video you hear more of the influence of Indian music which is where Lane and Hellborg had gone by this point (with Selvaganesh as the percussionist instead of Jeff Sipe on drums as you get here) check out 'Raghuvamsa Sudha' from this video.

It's just a shame that the video cuts off where it does. I could have kept on listening!

Also this wonderful tune, which I have fond memories of smoking cigarettes and listening to in my room at the end of my first year at uni: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAiAa9gGBtE

[Joseph K]

Oddly enough a month or so back I had a Hellborg/Lane earworm which lasted about 48 hours, it was the opening track of 'Serpents and Pigs' from their Abstract Logic album...

Your Time is the Enemy earworm. I (sort of) know as the blistering Stellar Rays track off a Michael Shrieve-headed album.

I forgot - there is the actual album Time Is The Enemy! I don't have it though - but I do have Abstract Logic. I should dig it out and give it a spin soon, thanks for reminding me.

[kernelbogey]

I am mldly afflicted by a sequence of eight notes, repeated with the last note changed - so a coda, perhaps - and no idea what it is or where I have heard it: I've been travelling for two weeks and heard almost no music.

[kernelbogey]

I am mldly afflicted by a sequence of eight notes, repeated with the last note changed - so a coda, perhaps - and no idea what it is or where I have heard it: I've been travelling for two weeks and heard almost no music.

Turns out to be part of one of the Beethoven funeral marches being played by military bands during the processions.

[alywin]

I'm not surprised: I'm finding that one difficult to shake off, too, especially given the number of repeats. I'd have thought there was more suitable funeral music around than just Beethoven, but apparently not.

[oddoneout]

I'm not surprised: I'm finding that one difficult to shake off, too, especially given the number of repeats. I'd have thought there was more suitable funeral music around than just Beethoven, but apparently not.

I wonder to what extent the logistics dictated the music. A mile long procession tramping for over an hour is perhaps not suited to an extensive repertoire approach, either in terms of demands on the band or simply keeping everyone in time? Formation square bashing on Horse Guards Parade is a slightly different animal and lends itself to such show, but the funeral cortege needed to get from A to B without coming adrift. At first I was a bit irritated by hearing it so often but then it became a bit like a heartbeat and I wasn't so aware of it - and it hasn't lodged as an earworm which I thought it might.

[kernelbogey]

And how many pages of score can you balance on a trombone while marching?

[Petrushka]

I wonder to what extent the logistics dictated the music. A mile long procession tramping for over an hour is perhaps not suited to an extensive repertoire approach, either in terms of demands on the band or simply keeping everyone in time? Formation square bashing on Horse Guards Parade is a slightly different animal and lends itself to such show, but the funeral cortege needed to get from A to B without coming adrift. At first I was a bit irritated by hearing it so often but then it became a bit like a heartbeat and I wasn't so aware of it - and it hasn't lodged as an earworm which I thought it might.

I can't get it out of my head at all! It's going round and round in my head in a continuous loop as I write. We'll be hearing it again on Remembrance Sunday, though the earworms I usually take away from that event are the quick marches like 'Fame and Glory' (Albert Edward Matt) or 'The Contemptibles' (Leo Stanley)..