Spoiler Alert: Earworm Ahead

Earworm: A catchy tune, piece of music, or (occasionally) phrase which persistently stays in a person's mind, esp. to the point of irritation. Can be caused by listening to too much daily news.

from Boston University article “Earworms: The Song Stuck In Your Head”

I bet most of you have encountered an earworm at some point — a constantly nagging song that pops up in your head and just won’t go away. The one that usually plagues me is the tune the doctor’s office subjects me to when I’m on hold. Long after I’ve hung up, the devilish thing still goes round and round in my head. It’s like the indelible stain of a permanent marker.

As reported on NPR, the problem is widespread. A remedy that works for many people, so they say, is the Earworm Eraser referenced in the NPR report. It just might be worth trying if you are prone to this problem with music.

During this past week, I encountered a new species of worm: a seemingly random string of words — all verbs, no melody — which then started lining up to a rhythmically insistent beat, repeating over and over, louder and louder, until Voilà! — a new earworm was born:

Target, trample, break, slash

Cut, defund, shut down, trash

Weaken, steal, attack & cheat

Lie, obstruct, destroy, repeat

Common wisdom says the best way to rid yourself of an earworm is to listen to a different tune until you banish the offending one — which in this case seems to call for a completely different string of verbs — active verbs to counteract the demoralizing effect of the original incantation.

Stand up, rally, speak, write,

Honor, protest, shine your light

Shout, resist, raise the heat,

Engage, vote, unseat, repeat!

That’s what I’ve come up with for now. I’d enjoy hearing from all of you who probably have additional words to add to either of the word-strings above — please share your words right here in Comments!