Help, I Have Ear Worms!

December 17, 2012

"Help, I Have Ear Worms!"...is not a phrase you would typically use. However, I'm sure many of you have complained at one point or another of a song that's stuck in your head. That annoying little ditty that you just can't turn off is most commonly known as an "Ear Worm." According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, 98% of people suffer from this condition. It's also called "Stuck Song Syndrome" for obvious reasons. Women seem to suffer from it more than men because women try to fight it while men just let it be. Let it Be...oh, great now that song is stuck in my head.

Songs from my era that were common offenders were Who Let the Dogs Out and the Kit Kat Give Me a Break... song. I listened to a list of recent offenders, which was a mistake, because now Katie Perry's Teenage Dream has become my demon song. The list also included Robot Rock by Daft Punk, whose lyrics consist of nine minutes of Rock, Robot Rock. Researchers aren't sure why these songs stick, but it seems that musicians suffer the most due to their exposure to music. The most common way people try to get rid of their "stuck songs" is either by trying to finish out the song in their head or replace it with a new one.

MCPL is a great place to find CDs to fight those pesky parasites! Our website has free downloadable music using Freegal Music and several music databases under the Art and Entertainment section. If that doesn't do the trick, maybe check out a book to keep your mind occupied. This might prevent those little worms from bothering you.

Julie K.
Smithville Branch