Nighttime earworms can disturb slumber
"And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon.
"Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"'When you coming home, dad?' 'I don't know when.'
"'But we'll get together then, son.'
"'You know we'll have a good time then.'"
That song ― specifically that chorus of the song, which I kept repeating continually through a recent sleepless night, trying to hit the right notes in my mind ― is the reason I blame Harry Chapin for me being tired as I write this.
It's tough to recover from a nighttime earworm, no matter how many subsequent nights of available sleep follow it. You still stay 45 minutes to an hour too tuckered out to function.
More Gary Brown:Are you 'RACN 30' and 'LUV2TRI'?
More Gary Brown:Wondering about the weather
Daytime earworms are no problem, as long as you don't mind nearby drivers noticing you singing along with the persistant lyrics streaming through your mind. It's temporarily embarrassing, but sooner or later you're forced to think about something else, like stoplights.
A nighttime earworm is an issue. It distracts you so much you can lose sleep over it.
Why are earworms never sleep-friendly songs? Lullabies. Soothing songs. Relaxation music.
"Silent Night" would be a great sleeping song.
"Silent Night, Holy Night,
"All is calm ..."
Soft. Reassuring.
I'd be asleep before I ever got to the "all is bright" part if "Silent Night" ever got stuck in my head.
Analyzing my sleep interruption
No offense to singer Chapin, with whom previously I've had absolutely no issue, nocturnal or otherwise, but "Cat's in the Cradle" is not a good sleeping song. I wouldn't tell him that to his face, and part of the reason is he died four decades ago.
But, I wouldn't call him to task about it even if he still were around and performing songs about which I can't stop thinking and sort of singing, between sawing logs. He always seemed like a decent guy ― a philanthropist and political activist.
To be totally honest, it's not all the singer's fault. I'm partially to blame for my own insomnia. I like the song "Cat's in the Cradle." I've always liked it. I think it's storytelling as well as singing.
So, once I get started running through the lyrics of a song like "Cat's in the Cradle," I can't seem to stop singing it until I get through all the lyrics.
Oh, I don't sing it out loud, repeatedly belting out a chorus. If my window were open at night during the summer, the sound of me singing that enthusiastically early in the morning could make the neighbors wonder and maybe worry.
"He's singing again. Bring the dog in or it'll become a duet."
No, I just kind of lay there, singing silently to myself, in my mind, trying desperately to remember the lyrics to the entire song. When I stumble over words, sleep slips even further out of reach.
"My son turned 10 just the other day.
"He said, 'Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play.'
"Da da da da da, da da da da da da..."
That's a lot of da's to lay there and try to recall. I toss and turn for at least an hour trying to sort out those da's.
Need to sleep smart
Coincidentally, I read somewhere recently that the best "sleep-inducing" song is Elton John's "Your Song." That topped a list of 10 rock tracks, none of which I ever think of at night when I'm trying to sleep.
Instead, I'm stuck with Harry Chapin as an earworm and, if I try to change tunes, a bunch of Allan Sherman novelty songs, such as "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah."
Yeah, yeah, it goes on with "Here I am, at Camp Granada."
It's a cute song, but it doesn't make me snore.
Which got me thinking. What singer out there do I like, and what song did that entertainer sing that I sort of appreciated, but not enough that I ever really felt a need to learn all the lyrics? What song would be soothing without me wanting to sing it until daybreak?
Don't ask me why, but the name of John Denver and the title of "Take Me Home, Country Roads" came to mind.
"Country roads, take me home,
"To the place I belong."
This tune is slow. Sort of nostalgic. It's a comfortable song. Even the words I can't remember are slumber provoking. I'm not from West Virginia, so I don't feel the need to remember what state he's singing about.
"Da da da da, da da da ..."
Zzzzzzzzzz ...
Thank you, John Denver, you have lulled me to sleep.
Reach Gary at gary.brown.rep@gmail.com.
On Twitter: @gbrownREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Gary Brown writes about nighttime earworms
