Earworms

I didn’t realize I was infected. In over six decades of living, no one mentioned earworms to me … and the affect they had on my life. A few nights ago, my husband played a video for me … describing exactly what occurs in my life … and I discovered I was not the only living human being with earworms.  

Research followed … and I was fascinated by the information.  

According to WebMD, 98% of people have earworms. That means you probably have them too. Just in case you have never heard of an earworm … it is those songs, jingles, and tunes that get stuck inside your head. And if you mistakenly believe you are in the 2% unaffected, here is the top ten earworm list: 

1.               Your own personal worst earworm.

2.               Chili’s “Baby Back Ribs” jingle.

3.               “Who Let the Dogs Out”

4.               “We Will Rock You” (a close second for me)

5.               Kit-Kat candy-bar jingle “Gimme a Break …”

6.               “Mission Impossible” theme

7.               “YMCA” – (my personal favorite)

8.               “Whooomp, There It Is”

9.               “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”

10.            “It’s a Small World After All”

An earworm can attack in an instant. I will be perfectly fine … hear just a snatch of a song … and then it’s stuck. The only way to remove that song is to sing a different one …such a catch 22. My loving husband enjoys giving me just a few bars of a song … especially at bedtime … and then smiles when he knows what he’s done to me. (But since our recent discussion about earworms I now know that his is “It’s a Small World After All.” Guess what I’ll be singing at bedtime?  

Oh, that’s right … it would get stuck in my head too.  

As all these thoughts bounced around in my head, I wondered if there is a name for memorized scripture … when suddenly a verse comes to mind and sticks there. I confess I have a lot more songs than scriptures in my head.  

After typing the list … my earworms are competing.

“…thrill to God's Word; you chew on Scripture day and night.” Psalm 1:2 (MSG)