… or should I say ohrwurm, stuck song syndrome, sticky music or even brain worm according to Wikipedia. Whatever we call it, do you ever find yourself with a melody repeating endlessly in your ears, or lyrics scrolling past in a loop in your head?

For me, music is a key feature in the life of my mental health for two reasons. The first is when I am feeling up and have music – loud and singalongable and often punky – leaking out the corner of my mouth behind my covid mask if I am in public or shouted at the windscreen if I am driving to work.

And reflecting on music in the car (accompanied by “Suddenly I see” ;^) has made me realise that often the sing/shout along is a way of blocking out too many thoughts chasing around my head and enabling me to get a bit of focus. It’s also an indicator of an impending crash when I just don’t have the energy to listen to the full on performers, let alone join in.

The other thing I have noticed about my dear ear worms is the number of times I wake with a song already in my head – whether its “You’ve broken every rule” or “She did it all”. And often the apparently random sentiment is linked to what is going on in my life just then, how I’m feeling or what I am thinking.

Over the last year I have learned to listen to the worms in my ear and pay attention to what my sleeping subconscious is trying to tell me. It has been surprisingly insightful.

So how about you? Whats going on in your head? And is your subconscious blocking things out, or trying to tell you something? Meanwhile, I have Aretha’s “Think” to keep me company.

Guy

A Moodscope member.