Fabulist!

My favorite word this week: tarantism. A disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to dance, especially prevalent in southern Italy from the 15th to the 17th century and popularly attributed to the bite of a tarantula. Which leads me to tarantella, a lively, whirling southern Italian dance once thought to be a remedy for tarantism.

Oh yes. Today, boys and girls, we have dancing music for spider bites.

There's a song from Over The Rhine's concept album, a Drunkard's Prayer, one from The Lounge Lizard's Voice of Chunk, and my favorite, a live version of Tom Waits' Tango Till They're Sore. Go forth into the world. Dance uncontrollably.

Hush Now (Stella's Tarantella) - Over The Rhine

Tango Till They're Sore (Live) - Tom Waits

Tarantella - The Lounge Lizards