Saturday, July 31, 2021

Hum Baby, Hum

Johann Sebastian Bach


So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Rock me mama anyway you feel
Hey, mama rock me
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Rock me mama like a southbound train
Hey, mama rock me
                                                    -- Darius Rucker

Do you ever get a song in your head that keeps coming back? You find yourself humming the tune, or listening to the lyrics played over and over in your head.

They call it an "earworm" or "stuck song syndrome."

Sometimes I get it when I'm surfing. I'll start paddling out lying on my stomach on my surfboard and a recent tune I've heard is cued up on my inner radio. Perhaps it comes as a result of floating on water. Or maybe simply moving my body -- arms and legs -- gets the song going.

Dum, dee dum dum dum dum dee dum. Dum dee dum dum dum dee dum. Dummm deeeee dum dum.

Jack Lemon (middle character) won Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Mr. Roberts

I can hear the late great actor Jack Lemon singing along as Ensign Pulver while stepping quickly across the ship deck in the classic 1955 movie, Mr. Roberts. I loved that film, directed by the legendary John Ford.

I watched that flick several times when I was a kid, both at the theater and on TV. Maybe that's where I learned to sing and hum to myself while moving. You could call it a habit.

Confidentially, it drives my wife cray-cray when I do it in our house.

I don't even know that I'm doing it, especially if I'm thinking about something else. It actually helps me to concentrate.

When I first noticed while surfing that I was playing the same song again and again in my head, I did worry that it might be a problem, that it might interfere with my perception of a wave or a seal or whatever. Then I decided to go with it, enjoy it.

Which is what I've done over the years. I never know what song will pop up, which is kind of cool, being surprised.

Now that we know about "twisties" and how they can interrupt athletic performance, perhaps we should consider introducing athletes to earworms to maintain their concentration.

"Find a song that you enjoy. Listen to it with rapt attention. When you're ready to begin your routine, take a deep breath and a long exhale while you allow your tune to permeate your consciousness."

It's like dancing. You move to the music. Maybe dancers have been hip to this little secret all along.

Yes, I'm going to try it with my golf swing. It's transferable to any sport or activity. Maybe I can get a patent on the concept, make a few bucks on the side.

Maybe everybody's already doing it and I just found out. That's why artists listen to Bach when they paint. When they sleep, Concerto for Two Violins, orchestrates through their subconscious, tripping the creative aspect of their frontal cortex, impressing new design concepts in their motor nerves.

When you watch a good maestro at work with a baton in hand, you know he's got a substantial earworm going upstairs.

Is it possible that I have stumbled upon something BIG, with a future on YouTube or perhaps a reality TV show? 

I looked up earworms and it advised to get rid of them, chew gum.

I say, don't chew gum, let it hum.

Caution: Expressing earworms outloud can cause severe damage to your relationships with others.



  


 










2 comments:

  1. My ear worms drive me mad! Whatever the last tune I've heard, it stays there playing and playing and playing..... Eventually the circuit breaks but it's one reason I can't listen to music before bed. Glad you found a creative way to use it!!

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  2. Thank you, Barbara! I wonder how musicians who play gigs at night feel about earworms. Perhaps some turn to drugs and alcohol so they can sleep? Or maybe they hear new melodies and lyrics?

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