'cos I used to believe what I read, so now I know that others will believe that it's true...

Evening all. I was going to post this up a whole lot earlier, but the sun was shining and the pub was beckoning to me... so I sort of let it slide.

I hope you don't mind too much, and that you can find it in your hearts to forgive me.....

This week's Guest Editor was the second ever recipient of the much coveted "Blog of the Week" accolade... I actually originally offered her this gig way back in January, but for one reason and another it took us until now to finally make contact. As she's clearly a lady of great taste, it is with no little pleasure that I am able to finally unveil her to you as the leader of this week's homage to the God of the Earworm.

Ladies and Gentleworms.... without further ado... it is my great pleasure to hand you over to....

Earworms of the Week - Guest Editor #39 - Mandy from I Have Ordinary Addictions

My first time guest blogging! Wow, it is a privilege and an honour. I feel special and awkward all at the same time... kind of like when I would win awards at school. I always felt proud of myself when walking up to the podium to receive the award, but I knew that once the ceremony was over, people would make fun of me for being a nerd. Ah, school days... how I miss you. On to my Earworms of the Week, loud and proud:

1. "When You Wasn't Famous" - the Streets
   
   I've only heard the new Streets album two times, but I had already heard this single several times, because I had watched the video online. In true Mike Skinner style, it's funny and catchy, and you end up feeling a little sorry for poor Mike living the popstar's life. Great video too. I wish the Streets were more popular in the States, because I think our hiphop scene could stand a shot in the arm.



2. "Big Guns" - Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins
   
   I could have chosen anything from this album, because all of the songs run through my head on a pretty constant basis. I love this album, and I think it has a pretty secure spot on my 2006 top ten list. Buy this album now. Buy it! The power of Christ compels you!



3. "For the Price of a Cup of Tea" - Belle and Sebastian
   
   This song nearly makes my teeth hurt. That's how sugary it is. But come on, how often do you hear B&S singing about cocaine, sex, and making what I think is a silly penis size joke? Instant classic!



4. "Bad Medicine" - Bon Jovi
   
   I've recently finished reading Chuck Klosterman's Fargo Rock City: A Heavy Metal Odyssey in Rural North Dakota, in which Chuck describes growing up as a metal fan in the midwest. I love his writing, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading this book, since I've read his other two. ANYWAY (as Chuck would say), the book mentions Bon Jovi quite a lot, especially "Bad Medicine."Therefore, I can't get it out of my head. Apparently Bon Jovi have a new song out now, which I heard playing on MTV as I was getting ready for work the other day. It's terrible. I never thought Bon Jovi were great, but oh how they have fallen.



5. "Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns N' Roses
   
   Yes, this song is in my head for the same reason as "Bad Medicine." However, "Sweet Child O' Mine" is a far, far superior song. I've always loved this song, and I have really fond memories of singing it a cappella on a swingset with my pal Sean. While we were being filmed. I have that video somewhere...



6. "Like Glue" - Sean Paul
   
   Sean Paul is everywhere right now. You cannot escape him! MTV and VH1 are playing two or three different singles in their current rotation, and my husband watches music videos every morning as we are getting ready for work. Therefore, Sean Paul is in my head all day long. Usually, the songs (which do sound an awful lot alike) jumble together in my head until "Like Glue" - his best song, in my opinion - breaks through. And then it stays. I blame liking this song on my time spent in India, where it was a huge single. By the way, the Sean in my "Sweet Child O' Mine" story is a completely different person than Sean Paul, whom I have never met.



7. "Life Is A Pigsty" - Morrissey
   
   Terrible, terrible title for a song, especially a song this beautiful. Morrissey dusts off his best falsetto and puts it to use on this one, which I find incredibly fun to sing. Years ago, my friend Diana and I hypothesized that Morrissey would one day become a lounge singer in Las Vegas, à la Tony Bennett or Tom Jones. We determined this because nearly every one of his songs can be turned into a lounge song. Seriously, put on your best swinging voice, begin singing any Moz song, and insert your best smarmy "Hi, how you doin' tonight?"or "Where you folks from?" in between lines. It works. Anyway, his latest album, Ringleader of the Tormentors, clearly proves our hypothesis. It has become scientific fact. And I love him all the more for it.



8. "The Wait" - Built to Spill
   
   I've been listening to the new Built to Spill album a lot, and I really like this song. It feels like I've known this song forever. In fact, I even looked it up to see if it had appeared on another record, because I felt like I'd always known
   it.



9. "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" - Michael Jackson
   
   This has been in my head since my friend Mark played it while DJing for our friends' wedding party. What happened, Michael? You used to be so good.



10. "I feel like Chicken Tonight" jingle
    
    Yes, the Chicken Tonight jingle. You see, I just made a fantastic garlic and citrus chicken. I guess the act of roasting a chicken put the jingle into my head, and it will not go away. According to Wikipedia, the actual Chicken Tonight product is no longer available in the US (but still popular in the UK and Australia). Maybe that's why I don't hear the jingle anymore. However, I do remember the TV commercials with the stupid people flapping their arms like wings. I like it when Super Furry Animals sing the jingle as part of "Calimero," their song about the little cartoon chicken.

Et voilà! My Earworms of the Week. Exciting, no? I hope you enjoyed your stay inside my head. Thank you, and come again. Exits to the right.

----

Thanks Mandy (nerds welcome here, by the way).

Another excellent list - and I know exactly what you mean about that bloody "Chicken Tonight" jingle, which (as you say) I have mentally accompanied in my head with the image of someone walking around flapping their arms about as they pretend to be a chicken. I haven't eaten the bloody stuff in about 15 years, but somehow the advert is still lodged in my brain. Actually, adverts often provide us with the most insidious earworms of the lot. Rarely a day goes by without me earworming that Tina Turner-alike jingle they used to use for the Bodyform adverts ("WOOOOOAAAAAH BODYFOR-ORM...bodyformed for Yooooouuuuuuuuu"). It's always a pleasure to see a list that contains a bit of Bon Jovi there too. Oooh! Suits you!

Good list. Good list. Thanks for playing!

Next week: who knows?

Have a good weekend, y'all.

[Previous Guest Editors: Flash, The Urban Fox, Lord Bargain, Retro-Boy, Statue John, Ben, OLS, Ka, Jenni, Aravis, Yoko, Bee, Charlie, Tom, Di, Spin, The Ultimate Olympian, Damo, Mike, RedOne, The NumNum, Leah, Le Moine Perdu, clm, Michael, Hyde, Adem, Alecya, bytheseashore, adamant, Earworms of the Year 2005, Delrico Bandito, Graham, Lithaborn, Phil, Mark II, Stef, Kaptain Kobold, bedshaped]