How does one get rid of an 'ear worm'? I have Mendelssohn madness.

[Lio]

Odd question, but here goes...
Have had same tune going round my head for about two weeks and it's driving me nuts. Anyone have a method for getting rid of it? Even swapping to a different piece of music would be good. At the moment my brain is stuck on the first movement of Mendelssohn's Octet, which is lovely but all those semiquavers are getting a bit much. Have tried swapping to other pieces, but then later on my brain 'forgets' and before I know it I'm back on to Mendelssohn. Suggestions please. I can't afford therapy.

interesting question
I have no idea though
what I normally do is listen to something else that I find irritatingly catchy too
then I find it replaces it
I use the opening to Rossini's Petite Messe Solenelle, which is rampantly contagious I find

No suggestions, but loads of sympathy - I'll be looking out too for any ideas, as ds had a grisly week with an upsetting "girly tune" (from a cousin's computer game) on his brain and I hated not being able to help.

Ds's passed, in the end - I guess it sort of burnt itself out.

Have you been getting enough sleep? Stuff goes round and round in my head when I'm overtired.

Apparently humming God Save The Queen is pretty effective ... probably because it's so dull that it puts your brain to sleep. Or you could hum one of those really inane tunes that sometimes get stuck in your head for days because they're so irritatingly catchy and annoying ... I find the tune from The Bobinogs or Doodle Do stick in my head despite my valiant attempts to replace them with something more cultural, so they could do the trick.

Although sticking with the Mendelssohn might be a more attractive prospect.

Sympathy. No idea, but if you find a cure, please let me know

Switch to mine (an idiosyncratic recording of the B Minor Mass, opening bars of the Gloria, lots of overripe Austrian trebles) and you will welcome back poor old Felix and his semi-quavers with rapture Lio.
I am very tired at the mo and as Bink points out, that can be a very significant factor with these...

Thank you, thought I might not get any replies for such a weirdy one; only on Mumsnet...

More sleep is on the cards as my parents have ds tonight; will grit teeth and try humming God save the Queen (which could be a tricky combination in itself, never mind my anti-royalist stance!)

Glad it's not just me this happens to then!

I currently have Mendelssohn madness as well, only mine is the scherzo from Midsummer's Night's Dream!!!! Even worse I'm wandering around trying to hum it, and it's not easy to hum!!!

Usually find myself humming something I'm playing in orchestra, but at the moment we're doing Harold in Italy, and I've yet to discover the tune!!!!

all harmoniums (harmonia?) squeak ime

i was expecting a thread about some filthy tropical disease!!! ear worm!!!

Update: humming God Save the Queen works!

Try going somewhere with Vivaldi's Four bl**dy Seasons playing. That'll sort it out but not sure if the cure is an improvment on the problem

Wish I had such a posh ear worm! Mine is "milkshake" by Kelis. Even more annoying!

Guaranteed solution -start humming or singing the naffest, worst song you can think of and its likey to take over ( eg. Birdie Song, Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, Shuttupa Your Face.... you get the idea)

Wonder if one of these will now become someones earworm when they didn't previously have one to get rid of (evil )

I have an earworm - it's the theme to the Thomas the Tank Engine film. Not the crappy american one, the old one.

Have you tried singing along to Doodle Do?

You can all share my worst earworm - it's \link{http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/boogiebeebies/stepbystep/index2.shtml?ggm\here}.
Was stuck in Geneva for work, and the only English TV channel I could get played the same Boogie Beebies episode at 8am every morning for the whole week. I still know all the words and most of the dance moves...

Still have a europop song from the kiddies disco last year in Majorca in my head ... "Mieow , mieow, pussy..." !!!

pmsl Mrs Badger - I survived for almost a year on BBC Prime before we got Sky, a pre condition of my agreement to the renewal of dh's contract !