By Alison
My eight-year-old daughter loves that Lady Gaga song, Paparazzi. It comes on the radio, my daughter asks me to turn it up. Practically every day, she walks around the house singing it at the top of her lungs -- and since I'd much rather have her singing that at the top of her lungs than that other Lady Gaga song, the one where she wants to take a ride on your disco stick, I more or less approve.
The only problem is, I can't get the song out of my head. For the past three days, papa, paparazzi has been playing in my brain in a continuous loop, and while I kinda liked the song when I first heard it, it is fast becomming the worst form of torture.
I don't know if I'm more susceptible to earworms than most, but it seems like every week, I've got some godawful song in my head like that last guest at the party, refusing to leave -- unless it's to make way for a tune that's even more torturous. Before Papparazzi, it was Shorty Fire Burning on the Dance Floor. Before that... well I don't remember, but probably some femmy thing that Jeff blasts in his car.
The point is, it's a vicious circle. I've had people recommend earworm cures to me -- everything from the Ramones' I Wanna Be Sedated to the Theme from Shaft (He really is a complicated man...) but those only work for a few minutes, it seems, and then I'm back at the goddamned Lady Gaga concert.
So I'm asking you guys: Are you as plagued by earworms as me? And even more important, what's your favorite earworm cure?
This is the reason why iPods are good. Julia's got all her music downloaded, and she puts those headphones on and I don't have to listen. Except when she puts the iPod in the little speaker, but that's portable so she can just go in her room with it.
Your story reminds me of several years back, when Julia was addicted to the Sound of Music soundtrack, before her iPod days. We listened to it at home and in the car. Constantly. One day at work, one of my colleagues leaned over and said, "Are you aware that you're singing 'The Lonely Goatherd'?"
There is no cure. Except the next song.
Posted by: Karen Olson | September 22, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Karen's right. There is no cure. The worms just change places. And cool dance moves. But they never go away.
Here try this. Chris Daughtry COVERING Lady Gaga. Kills me. And do you know why? BECAUSE HE MAKES IT WORK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqT4VnnEU0M
Posted by: Jeff Shelby | September 22, 2009 at 11:01 AM
The Lonely Goatherd...I used to sing that with Beatrice Rose when she was about six months old - she'd be the marionette.
You can only fight an earworm with another earworm. That or intense physical pain, self-inflicted...
Posted by: Steven T. | September 22, 2009 at 11:06 AM
It could be worse. someone could always start humming/singing the latest commercial jingle, like something from AlarmForce, or Empire Flooring, or the old stand-by, "Come see the softer side of Sears!"
Posted by: Jake Nantz | September 22, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Absolutely have this problem. I had the song MY BODY IS A CAGE in my head for three weeks. Even when I slept because I kept dreaming about the video where they show the last scene from ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST. The worst thing is when its Broadway musical songs because they I start to dance too.
Posted by: Patti Abbott | September 22, 2009 at 12:29 PM
I've see the Chris Daughtry version of the Lady Gaga song and I love it. Julia, however, thinks it sucks and the only person who can perform it perfectly is Lady Gaga.
This is the generation gap.
Posted by: Karen Olson | September 22, 2009 at 01:23 PM
What's really bad is one of my co-workers in the alarm center singing the same verse to the same song over and over again. Last year it was "You're the one that I want, you are the one I want, ooo-ooo-ooo..." She's even worse at Christmas with carols. If it was the entire song she was singing that would be fine, even sort of charming. But the same line from the same verse...? Makes me wanna scream like a slasher movie victim sometimes.
Posted by: Aaron Hilton | September 22, 2009 at 05:19 PM
Ah, the good old days when our oldest daughter was obsessed with Beauty and the Beast...Mr. LGA and I would burst into..."There goes the baker with the tray like always, the same old bread and rolls to sell..."
That was stuck in my head for about a year...solid.
Karen, LMAO about The Lonely Goatherd :)
Posted by: Lori Armstrong | September 22, 2009 at 05:32 PM
Thanks for the advice guys. FYI, now I've got Poker Face in my head -- that GREAT Daughtry version. Thanks, Jeff!
Posted by: AlisonGaylin | September 24, 2009 at 07:47 AM