The Swans Are Swimming

According to my beloved Wikipedia, an ear worm is the term for a portion of a song or other musical material that becomes stuck in a person's head or repeats against one's will. A synonym that is sometimes used for an ear worm is Last Song Syndrome, as in whatever song you heard last is the one that will be stuck in your head. This is particularly problematic if you live above someone who plays the guitar and blasts music at all hours of the day and night or if you work with people who like to sing/whistle/hum. When I lived above Ozzy, I could usually count on having either Pat Benatar’s Love is a Battlefield or Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ embedded in my mind for days at a time. Even though I’m free of Ozzy, Journey still works its way into my psyche on a disturbingly regular basis. I think it’s that damn piano riff at the beginning that sucks me in and then I’m hooked and find myself belting out lyrics about taking the midnight train going an-y-where!



At my new workplace I seem to have stepped into a world of wannabe karaoke superstars… Actually, sometimes I don’t even think they’re aware they’re doing it. I am though because the songs they’re singing, humming, whistling or tapping out the tune to become lodged in my brain and I then I start singing them too. Or at least I do in my head. I am not a singer and with good reason.

I only worked with one of the guys for two weeks but he’s managed to stick with me for a month after leaving because he used to give a nightly serenade of Drive by The Cars. This was partly for practical reasons, as he’d use the song to ask who was going to give him a ride home at close and partly because it’s a wretched ear worm that demands to be repeated. You see, the lyrics ask “who’s gonna drive you home, tonight?” and he would simply change them to “who’s gonna drive me home, tonight?” I think those were the only lyrics he actually knew, although he would randomly throw in some other ones that may or may not have been made up, if he felt so inclined.



I’ve saved the best ear worm for last though. It’s an obnoxiously catchy song that has been permeating my workplace in the past week. As soon as one person starts it, it circulates at an alarming rate. And curse it though you may, (and you will definitely curse it) you’ll inevitably end up joining in. Just so that you’re not out of the loop, I’ve provided the lyrics for the chorus so you can sing along while you watch the video. Don’t say I didn’t warn you though, this song will be stuck in your head until an equally annoying one pushes it out. Without further ado, I give you Flo Rida with the song Ayer.

Oh hot damn, this is my jam

Keep me partying til the a.m.
Y’all don’t understand
Make me throw my hands in the ayer
In the ayer, ay-ayer, ayer, ay-ayer

Perhaps you’ve noticed that cream puff swans seem suspiciously out of place in a post about ear worms. Here’s the link: I was allowed to play around at work the other day and I made these swans while trying not to hum along to Flo Rida or Christmas tunes, (which also seem to be popular lately). Everything comes full circle.