Yes we're takin' over, and we might as well blow you away

Morning.

It's that time of the week again. Well, alright, it's a bit earlier than that time... but it's a Friday and you know what I mean. I'm posting a bit early today as I've got to head off down to Oxford this evening for a casino night featuring, amongst others, the Ultimate Olympian and Statue John.... I'm rubbish at poker, but I'm actually convinced that nobody really knows how to play this, and the whole damn thing is a bluff.

Anyway.

Actually, I have to go and pack my bag and then head off to work, so I hope you'll forgive me if I cut this a little bit shorter than usual.... temple of earworm blah blah, usual offering blah blah blah.... actually, let's just get straight to it shall we?

Ladies and Gentleworms.... without further ado, it is my great pleasure to present for your Earworming pleasure....

Earworms of the Week - Guest Editor #24 - clm from to do #121: insert clever title here.

Dear Readers and ST-

I first stumbled on SwissToni's Place on an Earworm Friday not too long ago, so it's exciting to be sharing my earworms with you so soon. I think over the short time I've been around here I've given ST the impression I have decent taste in music, but after seeing some of the songs on my list he, and you, may wish to rethink that assumption. Welcome to my headspace! Oh, and I do hope there is an implicit agreement somewhere that I can't be held responsible if any of these songs worm their way into your heads too...


1. Como Ves - Ozomatli

I woke up with this song in my head, and it stayed all day. There is something sort of nice about waking up with trumpets in your head though. I think I can blame this on an Ozomatli overdose as of late. I recently decided to check the band out after I heard they would be in town in December. I'd first heard them years ago on an episode of Later with Jools Holland, and remembered really liking them, but never got around to buying a cd. Years later I still enjoy them as much as I did that first time. They're energetic and fun, and who doesn't love horns in a rock song?!

2. Do One - Gomez

Ironically the lyrics Along came insomnia, As if this week wasn't dragging on enough came to me as I sat sleepily at my laptop finishing a long day of work. Luckily insomnia didn't follow and I went happily to sleep. I do adore Gomez, so anytime they invade my headspace is okay with me.

3. Free Love Freeway - David Brent

I watched my favorite episode of The Office (series 1, episode 4) and as usually happens, this David Brent/Ricky Gervais gem got stuck in my head. The episode is hilarious and the lyrics are priceless. How could you not love a song with the lyrics Free love on the free love freeway, the love is free and the freeway's long, I got some hot love on the hot love highway... ? Incidentally, I also have an mp3 of the version Ricky did with Noel Gallagher singing back-up vocals and playing guitar. Brilliant!

4. Hard to Beat - Hard-Fi

This tune has been on an almost permanent loop since I first got a copy of the album a few weeks ago. The album itself is pretty average, but this song is Brit pop at its absolute best. It's ridiculously catchy, the beat begs you to move, and you can't help but sing along. The worst part of this earworm for me is that it seems to resonate in my head at about 200 decibels, which can make it impossible to concentrate on anything else. [ST's note: average? are your ears painted on?]

5. Do Re Mi - Julie Andrews

For some unknown reason, I've had this song in the back of my head for as long as I can remember. Whenever I think of the words "annoying song", this song instantly starts up. Whenever I have a little moment of silence, this song threatens to take it over. It may be my punishment for having sung it for endless hours as a kid. I remember especially loving the part I detest most now, which is the ending ...Tea a drink with jam and bread, that will bring us back to Do oh oh oh, doe a deer... What could be worse than a song that loops back onto itself?

6. Undone (The Sweater Song) - Weezer

I heard this on my car radio and found myself humming it all day long. I seem to remember that happening in the past with this song as well. It's just a nice benign little pop song that puts a smile on my face.

7. Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve

This is a great song, one of my all time favorites; but I didn't have The Verve version in my head, I had the cell-phone-ring-tone version, which is far from the original. I actually like the first few bars of it, the part that is played by strings in the original, but if I don't answer my phone fast enough what comes next is horrible. It reminds me of a sound that used to come out of my cheapie circa-1980's keyboard. A weird trumpeting sound that in no way resembles Richard Ashcroft's fantastic voice. Oh well, I suppose this is the price I pay for trying to be hip with cool ringtones on my cell.

8. Crazy in Love - Beyonce

I'd heard Snow Patrol did a cover of this song and for some reason I was curious, so I downloaded it. Bad idea. The Snow Patrol cover isn't bad, it's a pretty interesting rendition actually. But in the process of listening to it, all I did was get that annoying chorus of the Beyonce version in my head all day. Uh oh uh oh uh oh uh oh...

9. Mind the Gap - The Soundtrack Of Our Lives

This is one of my favorite TSOOL songs. It doesn't come into my head very often, but when it does it's one of those songs that has the ability to instantly transport me back to the time in my life when I listened to it most. For that reason, it always gives me a warm fuzzy feeling and makes me smile. Though the thought of a large hairy guy in a long tunic might also be what makes me smile, I'm not sure.

10. Handbags and Gladrags - Rod Stewart/Stereophonics

This song has been on my mind a lot lately, even before I watched The Office the other day. I vacillate between the Rod Stewart version and the Stereophonics version, though with their vocal similarities, they're really not all that different. I think the cooler, cloudy weather brings more melancholy songs to mind, and for me this is one of those. Waking up with their gravelly voices and a piano in my head makes me want to stay under the covers a little longer.

----

Thanks clm - that's a cracking list, and no mistake, although I do strongly urge you to give the Hard Fi album another go, as I reckon it rewards a couple of listens. If it helps, picture yourself all decked out in your finest leisurewear and hanging around a souped-up Vauxhall Nova, watching the planes taking off at Heathrow. We should also just take a moment to recognise and salute David Brent's first appearance in an earworm list. We are definitely not worthy.

Next week's Guest Editor is Michael from Yummy Brain Gravy, which should be good, judging by the number of mp3s he always has on his blog. Actually, you should pop over there and check out Ronald McDonald. I've never trusted clowns. What's that called? Coulrophobia? Is it really such an abnormal fear? For my money, it's the clowns that are abnormal. Anyway. With that thought, have a good weekend y'all.

(8,751 words down, 41, 249 to go!)

[previous guest editors: Flash, The Urban Fox, Lord Bargain, Retro-Boy, Statue John, Ben, OLS, Ka, Jenni, Aravis, Yoko, Bee, Charlie, Tom, Di, Spin, The Ultimate Olympian, Damo, Mike, RedOne, The NumNum, Leah, Le Moine Perdu]