Inappropriate Music

Yesterday I went climbing for the first time in months. As I was halfway up the artificial wall, I became aware that I was singing a song under my breath. What was it? 'You Don't Need a Licence For That' by George Formby. Perhaps not the best motivational song for climbing, particularly the lines stuck on repeat in my head:

"You need a licence whatever you do,
One or two things they've exempted, it's true,
Lumbago, the gout, or a touch of the flu,
You don't need a licence for that."


Is it any wonder I was disconcerted? I've blogged previously that I've got through climbing sessions before by singing songs from Sweeney Todd under my breath, but that was a choice. I picked something angry that would fire me up. Maybe George Formby made me angry, although it was more in the 'cut the rope now' manner. He's just so damn catchy!

Inappropriate music disturbs me when I'm writing as well. I need some music on in the background but, if I'm into some serious editing, I need something bland and not the musical showstoppers that I usually favour. I have two playlists that I really shouldn't listen to while I'm writing - 'Loved Songs' which has about a thousand songs that have received fifteen plays or more on iTunes and 'Musical Favs Etc' which is exactly what it says on the tin and has over seven hundred songs on it. If I let those loose during 'work time' I invariably end up singing along.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who suffers with the compulsion to play their favourite music as opposed to the music they can work to. Although I may be one of the few who doesn't mind George Formby - when I'm not climbing walls.