EARWORMS FROM MY CHILDHOOD

                

It seems as though I’ve always got an earworm going ‘round in my head. I blogged about them in February of 2015. I’ve had dozens of them since then. Before my current musical number, it was a song from Funny Girl. This week it’s a ditty from my childhood: “The Animal Fair.”

I went to the animal fair.

The birds and the bees were there.

The old baboon, by the light of the moon,

Was combing his auburn hair.

The monkey he got drunk and

Stepped on the elephant’s trunk.

The elephant sneezed

And fell on his knees, and

That was the end of the monk – poor monk!

   And that was the end of the monk.

There may be different words, but that’s how I remember it. I wonder what ditties my grandchildren will remember and have as ear worms in their heads. Sometimes I’ll sing a silly one to them, or recite a nonsense verse, and they just look at me as though I’ve gone starkers.

Eenie meenie – titsie teenie

Ooo – gah – gahgoleenie

Achey, pachey, googa-lachey

Out goes Y-O-U!

And what ever happened to Mairzy Doats?

THE EAR WORM RETURNS

The music goes round and round - and round some more!

Several years ago, for a long length of time, a very long length of time, Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas played through my head.  It played and played until I was thoroughly sick of it. When I hear it now at the holidays I think “Oh, No, not again!” I’ve had a few tunes running through my head since then, but none as long as what I’m experiencing, even enduring, now: the Rape Song from The Fantastics.  I had an original cast recording, I played it until the grooves were about to flatten, so you’d think my brain could pick out an easier tune, say Try to Remember.  Noooo – it had to be the Rape Song. (“I know you prefer abduction, but the proper word is rape.”)

It’s long, and it’s complicated, and it’s clever. Cole Porter would have loved it. And I just know that until I’ve mastered the lyrics I won't be able to get the song out of my head.

Oh Ra-a-a-a-a-ape!