Ever had an Earworm?

Did you miss the ½ year upgrade?

Earworms are incredible.

And annoying.

Sometimes it’s a snippet from a 70’s classic.

Just enough to avoid the cringe factor.

Or an 80’s pop number that could be a commercial jingle today.

Hardly ever from the 90’s though.

And now, almost always now, from a Tik Tok clip I scrolled past or I heard set on repeat from the other room.

“Drop ’em out,” in a country tune and tone and man if it did’t get stuck on replay in my brain a thousand times last night.

And if you said you knew what I had on my mind, well, yes, almost always.

But only if you know that particular song.

Which is asking for the same Mardi Gras request so many women get on a bead collection stumble through the French Quarter.

“Show us!” is the half cry and when they do, we rejoice.

It is, after all, a glorious moment.

Of extroversion and lack of inhibition.

Of adventure and daring and breaking codes and maybe laws.

I don’t know what’s on the books in NOLA.

A party refrain that sticks in the brain like that same song I can’t get rid of.

Which makes me wonder why it sticks.

It’s catchy, for sure.

And covers a favorite subject.

An object de’ art, if you will.

Objects.

Part of me wants to study it.

The song, not the objects.

Why is it so catchy?

What makes it stay in mind?

It’s like a puzzle I want to crack, so I can put the same ingredients into a book.

Or a hook for a book.

It reminds me of Star Wars.

Or Harry Potter.

Which are the same story if you get down to it.

One for wands. One for lightsabers.

And both etched in the minds of millions.

Who doesn’t want to be an orphan that discovers they are heir to unimaginable powers and running off to rescue worlds and fight villain’s and save the day.

Days.

Epic in scale and epic in impression.

The story sticks and resonates.

Just like the earworm.

Is it the beat?

The backbeat?

The downbeat?

Or am I just beating a dead horse about a throwaway song that probably won’t even be listed as a one hit wonder, because it’s only Tik Tok famous?

Looking back on early reviews of Star Wars and Harry Potter, there’s really only one answer.

Time will, as always, Tell.