Today, I’m going to explain the anatomy of an annoyingly catchy song.
There are various things that musicians and album producers do to turn a horrible song into something that becomes mentally tattooed on our brains. It’s sort of like how aerosol potpourri sprays cover up that massive dump you just took in the bathroom after eating a hearty steak dinner.
The potpourri spray smells good at first, but if you hang around the bathroom too long, the crappy smell returns. In the case of the annoyingly catchy song, it sounds good at first, making you want to shake your ass, but after you’ve listened to it for a while, you realize how crappy it truly is and you regret spending the 99 cents for it at the iTunes Store. It’s so crappy that you wouldn’t even bother downloading the torrent for it.
After listening to several annoyingly catchy songs, including the subject of today’s review, “Chicken Noodle Soup” by Webstar & Young B, I think I’ve pinpointed what makes an annoyingly catchy song so memorable.
1. Repetition of lyrics. Repetition of lyrics. Repetition of lyrics.
If there’s one thing that makes an annoyingly catchy song memorable, it’s repetition of lyrics. Just like learning the multiplication table, the periodic table, mixed drinks, and putting the toilet seat down for the ladies, repetition has always made it easier to remember things, like song lyrics, even if you don’t want to.
The Chicken Noodle Soup song lasts for only 203 seconds, but the lines “Let it rain. Clear it out” is said 26 times, “Let’s get it” is sung 21 times, and the title of the song, “Chicken noodle soup” is sung 18 times. So if my math is correct, there’s a “Let it rain. Clear it out” for every eight seconds of the song.
Of course, these are no where close to the 55 times the phrase “peanut butter jelly” is said in the Buckwheat Boyz song Peanut Butter and Jelly. But hearing the words “chicken noodle soup” 18 times in one song is enough to make the song pop up in my head whenever I walk through the soup aisle at my grocery store and sing under my breath, “Chicken noodle soup. Chicken noodle soup. Chicken noodle soup with a soda on the side.”
2. Make it ass-shakeable.
For some adults, listening or watching The Wiggles or Barney the purple dinosaur causes quick channel changing, violent shaking of televisions, uncontrollable crying, and impromptu games of Russian Roulette. It also makes some parents wonder if having to tolerate The Wiggles or Barney was worth having children.
However, with young children they are very successful because those crazy colorful Australians and that frickin’ big ass purple dinosaur make children want to dance. Annoying catchy songs do the exact same thing in the clubs or in your car. But then again, there’s lots of alcohol at any club, and if alcohol has the power to make me look good to women at a club, it also has the power to make a song ass-shakeable, no matter how stupid the lyrics are.
What also helps make a song ass-shakeable is the use a sound effect repeatedly in the beat. A lot of hip-hop producers weave police sirens into their beats, which on several occasion have caused me to look in my rear view mirror to see if I’m being pulled over or if I need to make way for an ambulance. In the Chicken Noodle Soup song, there’s an air raid siren which just doesn’t want to stop in my head, even when the song is over.
3. Have lyrics and a title that make no sense at all, and if possible, relate it to food.
“Peanut butter jelly with a baseball bat?”
“My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard?”
“Chicken noodle soup with a soda on the side?”
Monkeys with typewriters could probably come up with better lyrics than these annoyingly catchy songs, if monkeys had the ability to form words, sentences, paragraphs, and knew how to work a QWERTY keyboard.
But history has shown that crazy lyrics that are repeated over and over again, have references to food, and have an ass-shakeable beat with them equals annoyingly catchy goodness and eventually a reference on Family Guy.
Item: Webstar & Young B – Chicken Noodle Soup
Price: 99 cents
Purchased at: iTunes Store
Rating: 2 out of 10
Pros: Annoyingly catchy. Makes me want to shake my ass when there’s alcohol in my system. Possible future Family Guy reference.
Cons: Excessive use of air raid sirens. Repetitive lyrics. Me shaking my ass. Lyrics make no sense. The Wiggles and Barney.
It may be super annoying, but it’s still better than Paris Hilton or K-Fed.
Yeah, I gave my Monkey a keyboard and he came up with “Smell my butt, then let’s all go eat some pop-tarts,” which is actually slightly superior to this song.
I just took a massive dump in my pants after hearing that song. Sadly, there was no hearty steak dinner last night or potpourri spray this morning.
I hate you for making me so hip and current. But I love you for wanting to try.
WOW.
I had never heard this song, marvo. Thank you (I think) for enlightening me… 😀
ps. so many people I know think that Peanut Butter Jelly song is FROM Family Guy. I knew it wasn’t true! Buckwheat Boyz, eh? Now I can tell them they were WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!
No Barney love, eh?
I was violently anti-purple-dino until my daughter was about three.
But there’s something inexplicable about the creature. Yeah, Baby Bop makes you want to support forced sterilization, but Barney? He’s frickin’ hypnotic.
I’d watch Bear in the Big Blue House because Bear has a very sexy voice. I’d watch Zoboomafoo because the Kratt Brothers are hot in a geeky way and lemurs are adorable. My Barney attraction I have no explantion for. I am deeply embarassed to admit that I’d start off cleaning or something while Barney was on, only to find myself sitting down and actively watching back-to-back episodes. Soap operas have the same effect on me.
Which is why I’m not going to listen to this song. I don’t need any more agents of subliminal control in my brain.
That is the second time this week I’ve heard that song. Curses to you Marvo, curses to you.
I also had never heard the song before, and I am one of those people who thought Peanu butter and jelly came from family guy. I am not a hip person, what can i say.
I held out against my daughter watching Barney throughout her preschool years. I did however develop a severe hatred for Elmo.
i can’t believe you paid good money for this song!! marvo, you must be rich.
Wow, that was awful. But I’m excited to find someone else who has the weird Zaboomofoo/Kratt brothers thing going on – they are geekily cute, so I don’t mind the show (except for the scary Claymation parts, I HATE the scary Claymation parts).
The song is insane..yet catchy….and in this day…that’s a hit!!
Why does that Peanut Butter and Jelly song have a rapping banana if it’s about peanut butter and jelly??? Oh, never mind…
I hate you now for putting both of those songs into my head. I must now go and watch the Wiggles (who are infinately better than Barney as Greg is kinda hot) do the Hot Potato to cure myself.
Chuck – Well…I did Paris’ song a 2 out of 5.
Mir – Hmm…Shouldn’t the lyrics go the other way? Shouldn’t he eat Pop-Tarts and then smell his butt?
Domokun – I am not hip, so this review is a sad attempt to be hip.
Webmiztris – But admit it, if you were drunk, you would totally shake your ass to it.
Wednesday – I actually have watched Zoboomafoo and I don’t even have kids. That is sad. 🙁
grins – Um, to solve your problem, I think you should click here.
Barb – Mmm…Tickle-Me-Elmo. Good times and KayBee Toy Store setting off all the Tickle-Me-Elmos.
jenn – I just happen to have found enough money in between my sofa cushion. My fine Chinese silk covered sofa cushions. 😉
Melanie – It’s fantastically horrible.
Sir Ay – Someday, I will have my own one-hit wonder.
Mooselet – Hate…that’s such a strong word. Can’t you say, extremely pissed off that I just took several minutes of your life that you’ll never get back? 🙂
Hmmmm, I really really love a bubblegummy junk catchy song. Currently I’m stuck on SexyBack. I play it way too many times a day. However, I hae never heard this Chicken Noodle Soup song and now I want to be sure I never do. I bought whole albums before just to get the one song (back in the days before digital music files proliferated, you know the dark ages). I don’t even want to remember how many I’ve purchased in the past. Any good suggestions for other catchy songs out right now that deserve more than say a 3 out of 5? I just got a hold of Nas’ Illmatic on your recommendation, haven’t listened to it yet, but it is first on my playlist when I get to work!
I really want to gift it to all my friends, just so they can suffer.
Is this a bad thing?
This has to be one of the dumbest songs I’ve ever heard. Not as bad as “Whistle While you Twurk”, but still pretty bad.
But I will admit, I love “Peanut Butter Jelly Time.” I first saw it online, but when I saw it on Family Guy (Brian dressed up, no less) I couldn’t stop cracking up.
wow this is actually a real song. This is just sad. What’s even worse is all of the people at my school like it. This is even worse than the supersoaker song: http://youtube.com/watch?v=nWj6vkZ_m1U
All these lame catchy rap songs…
Oh, and I didn’t know peanut butter jelly was actually a song before the vids. Cool.
This is one of the stupidest songs I have ever heard. It will be repeating itself in my nightmares tonight as I sleep.
What about the monkeys that spent alot of time learning the DVORAK layout? Huh?
You know, I was just telling someone the other day “Let it rain – a clear it out.”
*nod*
FCU[K]ING – Yeah, it totally does.
L’il E – I have yet to listen to SexyBack. I hear it’s a decent song, but I’m not much into Mr. Timberlake.
KT – Yes, you might not have any friends.
Brie – I would like to hear a Kidz Bop version of Peanut Butter Jelly Time. That would make it significantly worse.
calvin – I’m pretty sure Tupac and Biggie are rolling in their graves right now because of all these “rap” songs.
Toni – You’re welcome. 🙂
Muneer – Those monkeys are smart. They’ll figure out the QWERTY keyboard in no time, after they get bored throwing their own poop.
Tickkid – I never want it to rain, unless there’s a drought.
this song sucks really baddd its just gets stuck in ur head and makes no sense at alll i think im gunna go write a song about some soup this song is worthless
cole reid niki robbie keeli jay – I suggest vegetable or pea soup.
wats really gud wit dis***
YO I LOVE THIS SONG
nene – I dunno.
Ericka – YO I LOVE ICE CREAM
i sent the mp3 to my friend hoping she would have the same “what the fuck” reaction as i had, but instead she sent me this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuoxlAMxjIc
wendy – I don’t have anything even close to the coordination to be able to do anything that even resembles that dance.
this is my jam i love this song
All this is is a take on New Orleans Bounce Music. If you are going to take someone’s style of music, give them props at least