Despite what I'm humming, I swear, I'm cool.

I know I’m not alone when I say that one of life’s most frustrating phenomenons is when a song you hate gets stuck in your head and you can’t stop singing it. This happened a lot to those of us who grew up in the ‘80s because there were only like 4 radio stations and they all played the same station approved top 40 playlist over and over again. So if hearing Survivor’s The Search Is Over made your skin crawl, there was no escape.

Today we get these lame songs stuck in our head because a lot of them sound catchy in television commercials and movie trailers. That’s how Train’s Hey Soul Sister got stuck in my head. I haven’t been able to stop singing it for a week and unlike the commercials which just use the music and not the lyrics, I’m stuck singing “Ain’t that Mister Mister on the radio, stereo – the way you move ain’t fair, you know” out loud in the grocery store where other people can make fun of my lameness. When you’re caught singing something lame in front of strangers there’s no time to explain that you really don’t like that song, the damn commercial just got it stuck in your head. And when you try to make excuses to the people who know you, they just bust on you harder so what’s the point, right?

And listen, I have no problem or grudge against Train or their fans. I just happen to think that particular song is incredibly lame and I want to rip out my tongue every time I catch myself singing it. And Train doesn’t care because they are psyched to be on top again after going without a big hit since that song they had about fried chicken and soy lattes in 2001. I hated that one, too. But I did like the song from their first album called “Meet Virginia”. Like all their songs it’s corny and the lyrics don’t make any sense but it’s catchy and I loved the video because it starred Rebecca Gayheart, who played Antonia Marchette, the tragic wife of Dylan McKay on 90210. I still cry every time I see the episode where she dies and he goes back to the house and sobs into her wedding gown. Luke Perry is brilliant.

And speaking of Gayheart, you all know she recently had a baby with Eric Dane, aka McSteamy of “Grey’s Anatomy”, right? Did anyone see the cover shot they gave US Weekly introducing their baby to the world? The baby is wearing more clothing than McSteamy. I never want to hear that guy complain about not being taken seriously as an actor because come on, who poses for a new baby picture wearing no shirt? It’s like, forget how cute my brand new baby is, check out these guns? I can’t even imagine how I would have reacted when Mac was born if at every photo op Bobby had felt the need to rip his shirt off and give some kind of shit eating “how you doing?” grin. Unbelievable.

But back to the subject at hand. Songs that stay with us when we don’t want them to.

Sometimes for me it’s kids songs when I’m trying to interact in grown up world. Trust me, it sucks to go out with your adult friends and not be able to stop singing Miranda Cosgrove’s new hit single “Kissin U”. What do you mean you guys aren't big iCarly fans? Oh, right, we’re not tweens. My bad.

And sometimes it’s adult songs stuck in my head while I’m playing with the kids. Trying to explain to your four year old why Uncle Mills has 99 Problems But The Bitch Ain’t One is never a good idea.

So maybe being caught singing lyrics like “So gangster, I’m so thug; You’re the only one I’m dreaming of” isn’t the worse thing that could happen today. Then maybe again it is.