You know what an earworm is, right? It's a melody that sticks in your head. In pop music it's called a hook. Some people have an earworm stuck in their mind constantly for years as Oliver Sacks discussed in his book Musicophilia.
I've had an earworm that goes back to when I was a young child. It was from one of those shorts in a cartoon show. I believe the show was Casper The Friendly Ghost though I'm not sure.
The song has stuck in my head, coming to the surface every now and again, for nearly 50 years. The catchy melody certainly has something to do with it, but the fact that the lyrics include my name has placed it indelibly in my brain.
It's a lifelong motivational tool for me I suppose. When I'm challenged, the song will sometimes surface, driving me forward.
A few years ago I searched in vain for it on Youtube. Yesterday afternoon the song once more came to me. So I decided to search for it again. Sure enough in 2010 someone uploaded it.
In reading the comments it turns out that the song originally appeared on a record in the 1950s. It's also apparent that I'm not the only one who's had it stuck in their head all these years. Of course, I have many, many songs in my head. People are amazed that I can sing along to lyrics of a song I haven't heard for decades. It's, undoubtedly, part of the reason I'm such a fan of music.
So, you want to hear this song? Be forewarned that it's a potential earworm. It's also very hokey. Here's "Little Johnny Everything".
