I ain’t no hollaback girl. Yeah, that’s right.
Although many of you have probably heard this line from Gwen Stefani’s hit song “Hollaback Girl,” do you know what it means?
Maybe you do, maybe you don’t. But one thing is for sure; if you’ve heard this song, you know how to spell the word bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
Regardless of whether hearing this song makes you want to dance across a football field, accompanied by your own private marching band, or jam a pencil in your ear in order to rupture your eardrum, it’s pretty catchy. Admit it, you’ve gotten the song stuck in your head on more than one occasion.
So, what exactly is this song saying about society? Now, I’m not talking about an interpretation of the lyrics here, because frankly I have no idea what most of them are. And let’s face it, it’s not the profundity of the word “bananas” that makes “Hollaback Girl” so gosh darn unforgettable.
In fact, I’m sure if you were to sub in any other seven-letter word from oranges to poodles, the song would still be a hit. Rather, society finds the song memorable because it is simple and set to a catchy beat.
And what’s more is that popular songs do not just get stuck in our heads for the time being. We can often effortlessly recall them years after they have faded into oblivion, a fact that I confirmed this weekend while belting out previous hits by Britney Spears, Mandy Moore, Alanis Morrisette and Backstreet Boys among others, without difficulty.
Clearly we are aware that rhythmic patterns hold the key to memorization. Take the alphabet song for example. Why else would we set the alphabet to the melody of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”? It is much easier to commit to memory this way than if it were purely 26 prearranged letters.
Even the Pledge of Allegiance follows a rhythm. This pattern has become so ingrained in our minds that we can recite it on command without giving much thought.
Many poems and nursery rhymes follow patterns that encourage memorization as well.
And advertising companies depend on catchy slogans to increase sales of their products. Costumers are more likely to recall the most creative and simple jingles when it comes time to make a purchase. Oscar Mayer is just one of thousands of companies that have profited from using jingles. Today most everyone knows, “that Oscar Mayer has a way, with B-O-L-O-G-N-A.”
Even educational programs have realized the impact songs have on learning. “Schoolhouse Rock” has been using songs to convey educational concepts for years. I’m sure many of you learned all about conjunctions and how a bill becomes a law from this cartoon.
Just about any subject can be arranged into a song. There are even multiplication rock cassettes available to help with memorization in math.
Perhaps there is something to be said for learning through song. Simple, catchy patterns could be the key to memorization. And this key could unlock the door to learning. However, in order to find out, we must apply the technique to our everyday lives.
The next time you’re up cramming the night before an exam and can’t seem to absorb the material, try this. Put on your favorite song and arrange your notes to fit the beat. The results may surprise you.
Even if you don’t compose the next hit song, odds are you will learn something. And it’s better than trying to learn by rote. That could drive you bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!
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Taylor Copeland can be reached at [email protected]
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