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The Earworm
A mood stabilizer without side effects.
Posted August 25, 2020 Reviewed by Ekua Hagan
As I’m sitting down to write this, the Journey song, "Don't Stop Believing" is going through my head. It’s been doing so for two hours. That’s called an earworm. And many people try to banish them, perhaps because they’re distracting.
But for some people, including me, earworms are only occasionally distracting, in which case I can usually—okay, well, sometimes—banish them by speaking aloud for maybe 10 seconds. But more often, earworms are mood stabilizers without side effects.
If I’d like to get mellower, I’ll start hearing the melody of some comforting song like "Autumn Leaves." Often, I don’t do the entire song. Usually, it’s only a favorite part, like "It goes on and on and on and on" from "Don't Stop Believing." The snippet keeps repeating like a meditative mantra. Indeed, it has the grounding effect that many meditators speak of. If I want a pick-me-up, I’ll jump-start my earworm with something like "Build Me Up Buttercup."
Of course, you should pick your own songs to infest your brain, those that you particularly enjoy or that have emotional significance. Usually, it’s best if you pick a simple melody so it doesn't tax your brain. Rather, it can stay in the background on autopilot.
But in case you’d like suggestions, here are some widely loved, simple melodies—ripe earworm material. I apologize that these are all old, but I just don’t listen to newer music. I include a link to my favorite version of each.
If you get sick of one earworm, listen to some other simple melody and that will probably replace it.
Comforters:
Pick-me-ups:
William Tell Overture (with amazing, next-generation fireworks display)
The takeaway
The stresses of COVID-19, the political and racial roiling, and here in California, the mammoth wildfires, are forcing us to find pleasure in the small things, even the tiny things like earworms. Maybe you’ll want to add some to your de-stressing toolkit.
I read this aloud on YouTube.
