Music's Destructive Impact

I avoid listening to music whenever I can. Music listening, as we all know, leads to all kinds of anti-social behavior: drug abuse, pregnancy, dancing at Tom-Tom, voting. But listening to music also leads to something much worse: getting disagreeable songs stuck in your head.

It’s bad enough to have a song lodged in your brain that repeats for hours on end. It’s worse if you only know a few words of the song. For instance, I once spent an excruciating two and half days hearing in my head “I’m too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt.” That's it. Only those words. I woke up one morning singing it and it stayed with me all day. The next morning when I awoke, I was song free. What a relief! But sometime between the shower and the sock-garters, it snuck back in! I realized I was singing it again in mid “f-o-r m-y s-h-i-r-t” as I slipped on my shirt. (Perhaps clothing was a trigger; I briefly considered foregoing dressing all together.) It was only dislodged the next day by “When I think of you babe I touch myself”. I believe I can pin point the roots of my drinking habit to that exact moment in time.

Far worse, however, is when you have a disagreeable song in your head that doesn’t even have any words. Since yesterday, I’ve been hearing this 70’s dance song in my head, with no words, that has always bugged me. I can’t share my misery with anyone, because I don’t know the title, and apparently I’m tone deaf. I tried humming it to my wife, but she had no idea what song it was and only looked at me with a deep sadness.

The song goes like this: “dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah dadada dah-dah…” I know you can’t tell what the song is from THAT, but let me try to share with you my misery. This is what has been going on inside of me for almost two days:

dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah, dadadada dah – dahda dah – dah,

And so on.

And no, it’s not “The Hustle.” That goes “Do the hustle! do-do-do dodo dodo do-do, do-do do-do dodo do do-do…”

(do-do-do dodo dodo do-do, do-do do-do dodo do do-do, do-do-do dodo dodo do-do, do-do do-do dodo do do-do…)


Aw crap!