Does Your Chewing Gum?

[alister prince]

Dear doctor, Norman posted recently that he had an 'ear worm'. I've just got Belle Ciao out of my head. When I was a school kid I got Little Children by Billy J Kramer in my head for a month. I was close to murder or cutting my head off. Somebody told me a week or so ago you could get rid of an EW by chewing gum. Is there any verification of this? Are there other interesting cures?
Aly
PS I checked the date and it's not April 1st

[Adam Blake]

I've had "So What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For" by Emile Ford & The Checkmates going round my head off and on for 45 years. It goes away for months at a time and then comes back, unbidden. I wonder what Oliver Sacks would make of it.

[alister prince]

Surely one of (if not ) the longest song titles to get to number one. Perhaps thinking of other long titles might help, Adam.
Aly

[Rob Hall]

I have an abiding memory of Alfie Bass singing 'I'm A Lonely Little Petunia In An Onion Patch' on daytime TV from some time around 1960. It was on a Midlands TV show called "Lunchbox", hosted by a pre-Crossroads Noele Gordon. It was around the time that he was starring in 'Bootsie & Snudge'. I don't believe that I've ever heard that song sung by anyone since, but it has stayed with me. Not exactly an earworm, more of a psychological issue, perhaps.

[NormanD]

Aly - one of our cats is called Bella Miaow. I don't suppose you wanted to know that, did you?

I've still been singing "The Gal With The Yellar Shoes" over and over, to the point where I've looked up the lyrics/music (it's a Sammy Cahn song) and thought of buying the sheet music. If you can't beat it, why not join it?

Whenever I hear the name Billy J. Kramer I always think of a mate shouting out to him, from the audience of the Norwich Theatre, "How's your foot, Billy?" A terribly undignifying story I won't bore you with.

[Jude]

I have an abiding memory of Alfie Bass singing 'I'm A Lonely Little Petunia In An Onion Patch' on daytime TV from some time around 1960. It was on a Midlands TV show called "Lunchbox", hosted by a pre-Crossroads Noele Gordon. It was around the time that he was starring in 'Bootsie & Snudge'. I don't believe that I've ever heard that song sung by anyone since, but it has stayed with me. Not exactly an earworm, more of a psychological issue, perhaps.

Every time I see a pot of petunias that song instantly pops into my brain and stays there. Walking round a garden centre at this time of the year is a bit of a nightmare in that respect, because I can only ever remember that one first line. Not absolutely sure that I wish to know the rest of the song. And, of course, now I am going to google it aren't I? Tsk!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7soxUKX5Ls

[NormanD]

"Don't Jump Off The Roof, Dad" by Tommy Cooper also mentions petunias, if that's any help to you Jude.

Thought not.

[Jude]

"Don't Jump Off The Roof, Dad" by Tommy Cooper also mentions petunias, if that's any help to you Jude.

Thought not.

Sob!....

[alister prince]

Jude, I notice over 70,000 people have watched that YouTube clip, so at least you know you're not alone!
Aly

[Jamie Renton]

I don't suffer from earworms, I create them. Little tunes I unconsciously sing around the house. Many of them involving our pets.

For example, if both pets are in the room at the same time, I sing (to the tune of the "Postman Pat" theme) "Dog and cat, dog and cat ..."

If one or other of the animals is hanging around the back door, eager to leave. I sing (to a tune of uncertain origin) "He wants to go out, he likes to go out, it always makes him happy."

My family understandably complain about this, but also catch themselves singing the same songs in the same situations in my absence. My daughter has likened it to the insidious indoctrination of a religious cult.

I feel better for sharing this.

[alister prince]

My name is Aly and I too create banal songs in my head. I 'sing' them out loud when I think I'm on my own. It really started to become problem 'singing' when our son George was little. The 'songs' usually refer to him and I use a variety of tunes including lively De Souza marches. I'm grateful buddies on this forum understand. One hum and I'm off. I haven't infected George yet, or perhaps he's not told me...

[NormanD]

Son Tom once posted as his facebook status. "I'm singing songs to the cat. I'm SOOO single".

Perhaps he got the affliction from us. I won't post the house version of "Bella Ciao".

I, too, used to rewrite songs for our then little 'un, especially nursery rhymes. My best one was "Tom Tom, the piper's son/Stole a pig and away he ran/Tom was neat/He don't eat meat/The pig's liberated down the street".

Waddya want? Songs about making money?

[uiwangmike]

Jude, I notice over 70,000 people have watched that YouTube clip, so at least you know you're not alone!
Aly

Not surprising - it was a staple of the Light Programme playlist in the early 50s.

[Jude]

Jude, I notice over 70,000 people have watched that YouTube clip, so at least you know you're not alone!
Aly

Not surprising - it was a staple of the Light Programme playlist in the early 50s.

And that would be where I heard it.. Max Bygraves, Arthur Askey, Charlie Drake.. no wonder I've turned out the way I am....

[Jamie Renton]

Aly, Norman, please don't get me started on songs I made up for the kids when they were young. You could fill a box set with all my inane creations and reinterpretations. Not a box set that anyone would want to listen to. But a box set all the same.