Nightmarish stories of musical hallucinations, songs with the power to transcend language, and the triumphant return of the Elvis of Afghanistan. 

This hour of Radiolab: pop music's pull.

Some songs have the nefarious power to stick mercilessly in our heads, and some songs have the transcendent allure to overcome cultural differences. We ask how songwriters create these songs seemingly out of the ether, listen in on the music a deaf man hears, and examine the timeless appeal of the Elvis of Afghanistan.

***Earworms

***Songs that Cross Borders

***Afghan Elvis

[April 21, 2008]