Do you have an earworm? Pay it forward!

[sl8]

Two weeks ago, Mr. Floyd R. Turbo posted a thread called "Bouncy, Bouncy" which instilled (?) an earworm within me in the form of the song, "Red Rubber Ball" (see below).

I have been singing this song to myself in almost every waking, otherwise quiet, moment in the last two weeks. To make matters worse, I CAN NOT CARRY A TUNE TO SAVE MY LIFE! It has been hell.

As payback to Mr. Turbo, or any other Lounger that may have annoyed you, please post your earworm.

And, for your listening pleasure:

(Incidentally, with regards to "you're not the only starfish in the sea", has anyone ever said that phrase before this songwriter? )

Red Rubber Ball

I should have known
You'd bid me farewell
There's a lesson to be learned from this
And I learned it very well
Now I know you're not the only
Starfish in the sea
If I never hear your name again
It's all the same to me

And I think it's gonna be alright
Yeah, the worst is over now
The morning sun is shining
Like a red rubber ball

You never care
For secrets I confide
For you I'm just an ornament
Something for your pride
Always running, never caring
That's the life you live
Stolen minutes of your time
Were all you had to give

And I think it's gonna be alright
Yeah, the worst is over now
The morning sun is shining
Like a red rubber ball


The story's in the past
With nothing to recall
I've got my life to live
And I don't need you at all
The rollercoaster ride we took
Is nearly at an end
I bought my ticket with my tears
That's all I'm gonna spend

And I think it's gonna be alright
Yeah, the worst is over now
The mornin' sun is shining
Like a red rubber ball

Oh, I think it's gonna be alright
Yeah, the worst is over now
The mornin' sun is shining
Like a red rubber ball


Written By
Bruce Woodley & Paul Simon

[Docreed2003]

1. This song has been playing off and on in my head for weeks...

It’s a nice homage to Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and I love the song but man it’s an ear worm for me, lol..

[sl8]

2. I can see it.

I like the song, too, but I see it's earworm potential.

[hlthe2b]

3. Hurdy Gurdy Man (Donovan)-- Used in title track for British Show Britannia

I just watch part of the first episode of this show on Amazon Prime--sort of intriguing

But now I'm stuck on the Donovan song used in the title segment of this show and which I'd not heard in many many years...

[sl8]

8. A bit deep

Or, at the least, an earworm with a hint of depth.

Well done.

Hurdy Gurdy Man
Donovan

Thrown like a star in my vast sleep
I opened my eyes to take a peek
To find that I was by the sea
Gazing with tranquility

'Twas then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man
Came singing songs of love
Then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man

Came singing songs of love
"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy" he sang
"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy" he sang
"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy" he sang

Histories of ages past
Unenlightened shadows cast
Down through all eternity
The crying of humanity
'Tis then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man

Comes singing songs of love
Then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man
Comes singing songs of love

"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy" he sang
"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurd
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy" he sang
"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy" he sang

Here comes the Roly Poly Man
He's singing songs of love
"Roly poly, roly poly, holy poly poly" he sang
"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy" he sang
"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy" he sang


Songwriters: Donovan Leitch

[Iggo]

20. Same earworm. Same reason.

I don't really know any of the words, so I've just been tooling around the house going, "Hurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy Man. Hurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy Man. Hurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy Man. Hurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy Man. Hurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy gurdy Man...." until people tell me to shut up.

[yardwork]

27. Changed forever for me by its use on the Zodiac soundtrack.

It was always creepy. Now it's REALLY creepy.

[femmocrat]

4. "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" has been haunting me since the Grammys.

I'll do everyone a favor and not post it here!

[sl8]

6. I appreciate your restraint, but, alas, cannot condone it

Our purpose here is to inflict pain, not merely suggest it.

[femmocrat]

18. Thank you. I actually enjoyed that.

I didn't know about Julie Covington and the historical photos added so much context.

[cyclonefence]

5. God help me

Dreidel dreidel dreidel
I made it out of clay
And when it's dry and ready
With dreidel I will play

over and over and over again. And I'm a fucking Episcopalian.

[sl8]

9. Oh, you can just (dreidel dreidel dreidel) go to (dreidel dreidel dreidel) ...

... hell (dreidel dreidel dreidel)

By the way, my Catholic friends say that you Episcopalians aren't supposed to make fun of the Jewish songs.

[cyclonefence]

17. Oh, you

[Cracklin Charlie]

7. Jessees Girl

The worst!

[hlthe2b]

10. gawd... I agree... the worst

[Cirque du So-What]

11. I didn't sign up for this

but it's been running through my mind for a week now.

[sl8]

13. I can absolutely sympathize.

That might very well have been my first earwirm of the 80s

[TexasBushwhacker]

23. OMG I loved dancing to this back in 80-81

My last year of college and I lived in this huge old Victorian house that was rented out by the room. My housemates and I had a regular bar that we would go to several nights a week and just dance our asses off. Good times!

Here is another favorite from that era.

[Iggo]

26. What a great video!

I especially like the xylophone extravagabration. (Check that bass player...lol.)

[yuiyoshida]

12. YES I DO! Two...

[sl8]

14. Oh, no. This thread may have been a mistake - I'm picking up new earworms.

WRT "Vampires", I don't think I 've heard it before, but it's for certain that I can never unhear it now. Well done.

WRT "Boss of Me", good call. Wonder how many of us would know of it if not for "Malcom"?

[surrealAmerican]

15. most recently, this:

[link:

|

[Xipe Totec]

16. Rubber Biscuit

[Iggo]

28. ...bow-bow-bow...

[lastlib]

19. Billy Joel - For The Longest Time

Most. Wretched. Song. Ever!* I won't even give it the dignity of a youtube lookup.

(*with the possible exception of everything Leo Sayer ever recorded.....)

[yardwork]

25. Really, anything by Billy Joel.

[TexasBushwhacker]

30. Billy Joel has the benefit of having a strong local base

He is from Long Island and everyone from Long Island loves him as a local hero, like everyone from New Jersey loves Springsteen.

Except Springsteen is better.

[yardwork]

31. It's really not ok to mention them and in the same sentence. Imo

[Danmel]

21. For some unknown reason, this Rolling Stones song is in my head

[BarbaRosa]

22. She is still on my mind.

Zombie

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Cranberries+Zombie+Live&&view=detail&mid=C1D516D8BFE60386EC96C1D516D8BFE60386EC96&&FORM=VDRVRV

[Upthevibe]

24. I have a question:

Is an ear worm supposed to be a song that you DON'T like and can't get out of your head....or can it be a song that you DO like and can't get out of your head....or does it matter?

[Iggo]

29. I don't suppose it really matters, but I think it's supposed to mean something you don't want there.

[A HERETIC I AM]

32. Want a cure for an ear worm?

read this long ago and it frickin WORKS, for me, anyway;

Silently hum to yourself the tune to "Girl From Ipanema"

I am not shitting you, it will get rid of the earworm and you can move on.

The definitive version with Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz

[LeftInTX]

33. Break My Stride

Even the lyrics cause earworms:

Last night
I had the strangest dream
I sailed away to China
In a little rowboat to find you
And you said you had to get your laundry cleaned
Didn't want no one to hold you
What does that mean?
And you said

Ain't nothing gonna break my stride
Nobody gonna slow me down
Oh, no
I got to keep on moving
Ain't nothing gonna break my stride
I'm running
And I won't touch ground
Oh, no
I got to keep on moving

[MustLoveBeagles]

34. Here's mine

I actually like these songs but they've been stuck in my head for a while:

[link:

|
[link:

|

[LeftInTX]

37. Yeah...It's the ballroom blitz!!!!!!!!!

Major annoyance back in the day.

[TexasBushwhacker]

35. It's always funny to me when a song with an upbeat, happy tempo

has serious, kind of downer lyrics:

Could you whisper in my ear
The things you wanna feel
I'd give you anythin'
To feel it comin'
Do you wake up on your own
And wonder where you are?
You live with all your faults
I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything at all
So why don't you slide
Yeah, I'm gonna let it slide
Don't you love the life you killed?
The priest is on the phone
Your father hit the wall
Your ma disowned you
Don't supposed I'll ever know
What it means to be a man
It's somethin' I can't change
I'll live around it
I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything at all
So why don't you slide
Ooh, slide
And I'll do anythin' you ever dreamed to be complete
Little pieces of the nothin' that fall
Oh, May
Put your arms around me
What you feel is what you are
And what you are is beautiful
Oh, May
Do you wanna get married Or run away?
And I'll do anythin' you ever dreamed to be complete
Little pieces of the nothin' that fall
Oh, May
Put your arms around me
What you feel is what you are
And what you are is beautiful
Oh, May
Do you wanna get married
Or run away?
I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything
And I'll do anythin' you ever dreamed to be complete
(Yeah, slide)
Little pieces of the nothin' that fall
(yeah slide)
And I'll do anythin' you ever dreamed to be complete
(Yeah slide)
Little pieces of the nothin' that fall
(Oh, oh slide)
Yeah, slide between the sheets of all them beds you never knew
(Yeah slide)
Why don't you slide into my room
Just slide into my room
Oh, we'll run away, run away, run away

[Upthevibe]

40. I know what you mean....

Robert's got a quick hand
He'll look around the room, he won't tell you his plan
He's got a rolled cigarette, hanging out his mouth he's a cowboy kid
Yeah found a six shooter gun
In his dad's closet hidden oh in a box of fun things, I don't even know what
But he's coming for you, yeah he's coming for you

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You'd better run, better run, out run my gun
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You'd better run, better run, out run my gun
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet

Daddy works a long day
He be coming home late, he's coming home late
And he's bringing me a surprise
'Cause dinner's in the kitchen and it's packed in ice
I've waited for a long time
Yeah the slight of my hand is now a quick pull trigger
I reason with my cigarette
And say your hair's on fire, you must have lost your wits, yeah


All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You'd better run, better run, out run my gun
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks

[TexasBushwhacker]

36. 3 years and I still get this one in my head

The original video has been viewed 3 BILLION times, so I guess I'm not the only one. But then I found this and it just makes me happy.

[LeftInTX]

38. Cool!!

[hlthe2b]

41. that was great: and i add, Old Movie Stars Dance to Uptown Funk

[rock]

39. I CAN NOT CARRY A TUNE TO SAVE MY LIFE!

Well, let's just test that. How many different named notes are required to sing this line:

"A-well-a ev'rybody's heard about the bird, B-b-b-bird, b-bird's a word"?

[sl8]

46. I haven' t the slighest ...

I haven' t the slighest fucking idea.

I might be able to count the syllables, maybe.

I think there is a very fundamental difference between people like you and people like me.

[rock]

47. Two. Maybe I picked too hard of a song; how about "Horse With No Name"

First line, how many different named notes?

Incidentally, I can't sing a lick. I'm very pitchy, as they say on American Idol.

[sl8]

48. Again, I can pick out the sylablles, but not the notes or pitches.

Given, "I've been through the desert on a horse with no name"

What are the notes associated with each word or syllable?

Octaves? Does that matter, can you sing the same refrain (?) In different octaves?

Obviously, I'm musically ignorant, but I'm attempting to communicate through that barrier.

[sl8]

49. I think you're on to something, here.

You've asked me to identify notes in a song, and I absolutely cannot do that.

However, I don't think I meet the definition of "tone deaf", at least , I know I can distinguish between different audio frequencies and akso when different frequencies harmonize

[rock]

58. But I take it

You do enjoy music and can recognize tunes. Nearly, everyone can do that.

[sakabatou]

42. TANK!

For me, I have almost every song from the series in my head.

[frogmarch]

43. Karma Chameleon!

Boy George and Culture Club

[IrishEyes]

44. One Toke Over the Line

I don't know why but that song has been in head.

[Brother Buzz]

45. Mah Na Mah Na - 'Svezia, inferno e paradiso'

Original appearance of "Mah Nà Mah Nà," by Piero Umiliani, a piece more commonly associated with singing Muppets than half-naked Swedish models in a sauna. Clip from "Svezia, inferno e paradiso," (Sweden: Heaven and Hell) an otherwise all-too-typical Italian mondo film from 1968.

[OhZone]

51. O-zone's Dragostea Din Tei

Partly the inspiration for my User name, but also my middle name is Ozara and my last name starts with Z so it works.

My brother loves it too.

His gf Vicky not so much.

Oh, and he's been playing the Pixies a lot. That also annoys Vicky. haha

[Ohiogal]

52. Bad Romance by Lady GaGa

It NEVER leaves once it's stuck in your brain....GAH!!!

[Atticus]

53. The Lion Sleeps Tonight (the Tokens). Nt

[Ohiogal]

54. Oh wow I forgot about that one

I was ready to shoot myself once I couldn't gat that stupid song out of my head!

[Best_man23]

55. Red Rubber Mulch

My wife and I change the chorus to "the morning sun is shining on the red rubber mulch"

[Best_man23]

56. Its a Small World

Yes its Disney, and yes its a Class 5 earworm.

[jrandom421]

57. Here's one that's been with me on and off for more than 50 years

In this dirty old part of the city
Where the sun refused to shine
People tell me there ain't no use in tryin'
Now my girl, you're so young and pretty
And one thing I know is true
You'll be dead before your time is due, I know

Watch my daddy in bed a-dyin'
Watched his hair been turnin' grey
He's been workin' and slavin' his life away, oh yes I know it
(Yeah!) he's been workin' so hard (yeah!)
And I've been workin' too, baby (yeah!)
Every night and day (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!)

We gotta get out of this place
If it's the last thing we ever do
We gotta get out of this place
'Cause girl, there's a better life for me and you

Now my girl you're so young and pretty
And one thing I know is true, yeah
You'll be dead before your time is due, I know it

Watch my daddy in bed a-dyin'
Watched his hair been turnin' grey, yeah
He's been workin' and slavin' his life away
I know he's been workin' so hard
(Yeah!) I've been workin' too, baby (yeah!)
Every day baby (yeah!)
Whoa!
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!)

We gotta get out of this place
If it's the last thing we ever do
We gotta get out of this place
Girl, there's a better life for me and you

Somewhere baby
Somehow I know it, baby
We gotta get out of this place
If it's the last thing we ever do
We gotta get out of this place
Girl, there's a better life for me and you

Believe me baby
I know it baby
You know it too
.

[DFW]

59. Dixie Chicken, by Little Feat

The live version with Bonnie Raitt and Emmylou Harris, even if the mix doesn't really bring them out: