Side by side on my piano…
I was standing on the pavement this lunchtime, waiting for the lights to change and immersed in my own thoughts when I gradually became aware that the man standing next to me was shooting peculiar looks in my direction. I think I had vaguely patted my hair down and checked to see that I hadn’t tucked my skirt into my tights before I realised what the problem was.
I seemed to have Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonders dreadful paean to racial harmony ‘Ebony and Ivory’ in my head. Worse, I seemed to be singing/humming it out loud. No wonder he was looking at me strangely.
I don’t know where it came from, how it got into my head or what my sub-conscious could possibly have been thinking but there was no denying that this dreadful song was emitting from my mouth. I smiled sweetly at the man in question as the lights changed and scuttled off embarrassed.
If this is proof of work stress, then we can only be thankful that I don’t work in international relations.
Tags: mindless minutiae
June 17th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
It frequently pops into my head for no apparent reason at all as well. I don’t think I’ve hummed it aloud in public yet, but it’s only a matter of time. (I got a funny look at work for whistling the riff from “Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag” only today).
June 17th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
I am pleased that you admit to that 23Daves! I think that ‘Ebony and Ivory’ is just one of those annoying songs with a catchy tune. Pigbag is marginally cooler though.
June 17th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
It’s when you start acting out the frog chorus in public and don’t notice that I think you have to worry!
June 17th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
I regularly get Charlie Rich’s , The Most Beautiful Girl stuck in my head.
I remember the moment first happened in the school playground and it’s been coming back on and off ever since – the intro and heart-tugging “tell her I’m…” section
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcZo7ZxpNkE
PS did you see David Hepworth’s blog bit about This American Life today?
http://whatsheonaboutnow.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-much-does-it-cost-if-it-free.html
June 17th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
No, BLTP, I think that singing Ebony and Ivory is just as bad… truly!
Funnily enough, PM, that Charlie Rich number also lodges itself in my head quite often. And I don’t know whether this is good or bad, but it often merges into George Costanza singing it, can’t remember what episode that is though.
Ah, David Hepworth – such a man of taste. And I did donate to the programme’s appeal, just last week. I used to work in community radio and think that it should be supported despite ‘reverse economies of scale’.
June 18th, 2009 at 4:10 am
Now I’ve got that song in my head. lol
June 18th, 2009 at 9:21 am
I actually think that’s rather beautiful.
(snigger)
June 18th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Share the joy I say Keith.
And I’d like to ESPECIALLY share it with you now ISBW.
June 18th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
It’s usually bad records that lodge ‘emselves in the noggin – think i’ve read somewhere that it’s scientific too… your brain is more likely to remember a bad record than a good one for some annoying reason!
E&I has long been a track i’ve loathed. I’m a fan of the cheese record, but not cheese THIS mature!
Should guarantee you a seat to yourself on the bus tho, so not all bad ;-)
P
June 19th, 2009 at 9:54 am
I would believe that Piley, if only so many ordinarily good songs didn’t also get stuck in my head – mmm, what does that say about my music taste?
It definitely works that way with advertising though, which is why we have to suffer those Michael Winner ads dammit.