Are You Hooked?

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While working on the IBM PC Company’s pilot internal SAP implementation project back in the 1995 timeframe, I was invited by some coworkers to attend a Blues Traveler concert that was occurring at a local outdoor concert pavilion.

Blues Traveler had released a song that year that everyone seemed to be hooked on.  By chance do you remember the title of the song?  Hook is the answer.

As the Wikipedia definition for the song states:  “The song’s title refers to a hook in music terminology: the catchy element or phrase of a song which makes it distinctive and memorable.”

Do you have any favorite musical hooks?  And, has a song ever hooked you with its first lyric?

Here are eight examples of first lyrics that always seem to lure me into listening (you’ll see the associated song title and artist called out in parentheses):

• “He said I’ll love you ‘til I die.”  (He Stopped Loving Her Today; George Jones)
• “I made it through the wilderness.”  (Like a Virgin; Madonna)
• “Hey, Jude, don’t make it bad.”  (Hey, Jude; The Beatles)
• “Last night all alone in a bar room, I met a girl with a drink in her hand.”  (Almost Persuaded; David Houston)
• “You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht.” (You’re So Vain; Carly Simon)
• “This one goes out to the one I love.” (The One I Love; R.E.M.)
• “Amarillo by morning, up from San Antoine.” (Amarillo By Morning; George Strait)
• “Crazy, I’m crazy for feeling so lonely.” (Crazy; Patsy Kline)

Now, let’s forget about songs.  Which people, places or things have immediately grabbed your attention in the past few weeks or months, and how soon did you become hooked?

More importantly, which of your hooked on habits or associations do you need to break?