Tuesday, 24 September 2024

Speak Your Brain! Part 88. Things you've forgotten and songs that are stuck in your head.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon
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The Steve Does Comics Megaphone
Image by Tumisu
from Pixabay

As I type these words, summer feels very much over, with a chill in the air and puddles on the ground.

But there's one thing that is very much not over.

In fact, I begin to wonder if, like the Hydra before it, it can even be killed.

And that's the feature the world has grown to love, fear and anticipate in equal measure.

You guessed. It's the one in which the first person to comment below gets to decide the topic of the day.

I possess no foreknowledge of what that might be. Nor would I wish to possess any. Therefore, feel free to set your topic afloat and discover in which direction the zephyrs of discourse carry it.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

By no means is this meant to be the only entry in “speak your brain, “but share a brief story of something you have “forgotten. “

As in… On Sunday, I drove 30 minutes to play soccer (the rain head relented] only to find out that I had forgotten my shoes. One cannot play soccer in sandals, lol.

I am hopeful some of you have had more interesting and/or entertaining moments of forgetfulness!

Anonymous said...

Or… what song have you been singing in your head lately? For me it’s the song written by George Clinton for Thomas Dolby “Hot Sauce.”

chArlie

Matthew McKinnon said...

When I was a couple of years out of University I went to a gig after work with a work friend.

Whilst we were there, we bumped into someone I’d known from Uni: she’d been part of a wider of circle of friends.

I could not remember her name, and as we were further into conversation I knew the point was coming where I’d have to introduce her to my colleague.

I got into such a state of inner panic that at one point not only could I not remember her name, I also couldn’t remember the name of the person I was with. Eventually that cleared, and I remembered and was able to belatedly introduce them.

Anonymous said...

Oh Lordy, I HATE when I forget the name of someone I really ought to know. I’m glad that one instance worked out for you, Matthew. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve had to just bluff my way through, and then walk away thinking “That person was TOTALLY aware that I forgot their name…”

As for Charlie’s second question: “China Grove” by the Doobies.

b.t.

Anonymous said...

I'm good at remembering names. Its more the everyday stuff that I forget, like where I left my keys.

Earlier this year, I had to get a few things from the supermarket one day on the way home - its about ten, fifteen minutes from where I live, easy walking distance - and had 20 quid on me (I am an old skool cash person) which would have covered everything.

It was when I got home and had to empty my bag and put the shopping away in the kitchen that I noticed I didn't have a bag. Instead, I had a full shopping basket. And wouldn't you know it, still had the money in my pocket...
Duh, I forgot to use the automatic checkout in the supermarket!
True story. I do stuff like that regularly.
I suppose I should add that it wasn't intentional. Although not spending the money was quite helpful.

-sean

Anonymous said...

Lately, I have mostly been humming 'Space Is The Place' by Sun Ra to myself. And 'Ain't Nobody' by Chaka Khan.

-sean

Anonymous said...

I’ve done that too, walked out of stores without paying — never a whole basket of groceries tho :D

Plenty of times I’ve walked out of Barnes and Noble with a book in my hand —I’ve always turned around and paid (so far). And I’ve set off those anti-theft detectors at clothing stores more than once. It’s always super-embarrassing.

b.t.

Steve W. said...

Charlie, thanks for the topic.

I can't remember ever having forgotten anything but I can reveal the song currently in my head is Fleetwood Mac's Man of the World. The reason this is in my head is because I've just watched a review of the 1970s Doctor Who story Spearhead from Space which uses that band's track Oh Well as incidental music in a scene filmed in a doll factory. And that made me think of Man of the World. And now that's playing in my head.

Anonymous said...

I decided to ask Miss Charlie if she had ever forgotten anything or had a song going through her head.

She advised that she can’t remember if she ever forgot anything.

And she advised she has no song going through her head other than Charlie singing hot sauce by Thomas Dolby lately and if she hears it one more time, she’s going to shoot Charlie.

The things one learns from simple questions, no?

Colin Jones said...

Like Sean, I live about a 15-minute walk from my local supermarket (Tesco) and a couple of years ago I was on my way to do some shopping when I realised I'd left my debit card at home so I had to walk all the way back and fetch it - nowadays I always double check I've got my card with me before I leave the house! But even worse, around 5 or 6 years ago when I still used cash I was in my local post office intending to withdraw cash from my bank account using my debit card when to my horror I completely forgot my PIN and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't remember it. I had to leave the post office and sit on a bench while desperately trying to remember the number and thankfully after about 15 minutes it came back to me. Nowadays I'm totally cashless and I use contactless but the PIN is required after every few transactions for security purposes so I make absolutely certain I know the number!

Charlie, your "earworm" question is one I'd considered asking on Speak Your Brain too before now! At this very moment the song in my head is "Sad Songs Say So Much" by Elton John but it'll change by tomorrow no doubt!

Anonymous said...

Charlie -

I went to the the cinema last night and since seeing the trailer for ‘Heretic’ I’ve got a mishmash of ‘The Air That I Breathe’ by The Hollies and Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ going around and around.

Matthew McKinnon said...

- sorry, that’s me.

Steve W. said...

I can report that I currently have Ground Level by the Stereo MCs going round in my head.

Because of Matthew mentioning Creep and The Air That I Breathe, I suspect I shall soon have Lana Del Rey's noticeably identical Get Free going round in my head.,

Anonymous said...

Speaking spontaneously - e.g. phone calls - sometimes my mind can't retrieve obvious facts - e.g. famous actors' names. Later - after the call - the facts return. Speaking in front of people, this has happened too. Also, my filing system ( I use that term in its loosest possible sense) means I misplace important documents.

Sade - "Coast to coast, LA to Chicago", etc.

Phillip

McSCOTTY said...

Just last week I forgot my debit card number when paying for a present. I had to apologise to the shop keeper and put it back. As I walked to my car the number suddenly came to mind. I went back to the store only for the shop keeper to hand me my debit card that I left on the counter!

Current earworm tune is Bowies Sufferajette City which is currently being used for a Citroen ad in the UK

Anonymous said...

Charlie - Chicago featured on Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers - including the ghost of 'Resurrection Mary' !

Phillip

Anonymous said...

Good god… not resurrection mary!!! I forget which Catholic cemetery or road side in the woods she appears in , lol!

Anonymous said...

Charlie - I think it was Resurrection Cemetery, but she popped up elsewhere, too!

Philllip

Anonymous said...

“Vote early, vote often” “re-appear early, re-appear often”.
It’s the Chicago way Phillip!

Charlie

Anonymous said...

Also, according to AcC'sWofSP, Al Capone was haunted by one of his victims! Plus, for Boney M fans, Ma Baker's last stand was featured, too (but that was in Florida, not Chicago!)

Phillip

Colin Jones said...

Phillip, I heard Sade's Smooth Operater in Tesco just a couple of weeks ago!

And this morning in Tesco they played Manic Monday by the Bangles.

But the earworm in my head at the moment is Who Do You Think You Are? by the Spice Girls which I heard on YouTube earlier today, for possibly the first time since it was released in 1997. I'd forgotten how catchy it is.

Colin Jones said...

Talking of catchy songs - this month is 30 years since Saturday Night by Whigfield reached #1 in the UK.

Anonymous said...

"There's no-one I'd rather be/ But I just wish I'd never been born..."

Hope everything's Albright with you, Steve (;
I'm not a big fan of late 60s/early 70s blues-rock, but Man Of The World is a good one. Perhaps not the most cheerful record ever made though...

Its a bit surprising to hear the Beeb used a bit of a Fleetwood Mac tune in 70s Dr Who. I don't recall hearing anything other than in-house Radiophonic Workshop music in the programme, and wouldn't have thought the budget stretched to paying a royalty.

Gotta say in general I'm not sure I approve of using bits of pre-existing records on TV and film soundtracks. Obviously there are some good examples - The End in Apocalypse Now is really effective - but everything seems to use familiar music these days.
I miss soundtracks that come up with listenable new stuff. Like Suspiria, or Across 110th Street.

-sean

Anonymous said...

*Hope everything's alright with you, Steve
Albright? Wtf? Where does spellcheck get this stuff from?

-sean

Colin Jones said...

Whigfield's Saturday Night must be the only UK #1 to begin with comedy quacking noises!

But apparently the girl in the video genuinely did the singing despite claims to the contrary.