Every time I get into a car lately, I hear the Kelly Clarkson song "Breakaway." Every time. Even if it's just a few minutes apart.

Different cars. Different radio stations. Different states, even. No, there were no CDs or iPods. That would be an obvious explanation. It's just the radio, not even HD radio. And yet every time I get into a car, there it is.

This has happened to me a couple of times before. Same song.

The first time, it was March 2006, and I just got annoyed by it. But after making a rather significant life decision -- opting to stay in Phoenix rather than move to L.A. -- in mid April, it stopped.

I didn't think much about it, other than, "Thank goodness! I can finally get that song out of my head."

It's not that it's a bad song. I actually kind of like it. But when you hear something continually, you hit your saturation point pretty quickly. I don't care how great the song is.

The second time it happened was shortly before my birthday in September. It went on for weeks. One night, after hearing the song for maybe the hundredth time while driving home, I fired up Nahla (my trusty iBook) and ordered NutriSystem. I started on Nov. 1, and dropped between 20 and 25 pounds by Christmas. I didn’t hear the song after placing the order.

Until now.

It started a couple of weeks ago.

I was telling a friend about it, and he asked if I'd ever listened -- really listened -- to the lyrics.

I have. How could I not? The song is on every dang time I get into a car. Whether it's a five-minute drive or a 50-minute drive, I can pretty much guarantee that I'll hear it.

"Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window
Dreaming of what could be
And if I'd end up happy
I would pray."

OK. True enough, I guess, but not particularly earth shattering. Skip to the chorus.

"I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly.
I'll do what it takes 'til I touch the sky.
I'll make a wish...
Take a chance...
Make a change....
And break away."

There's the meat of it. Right there.

So, what change do I need to make?

In a spur-of-the-moment decision, I cut my hair yesterday. Told the stylist to do whatever she wanted. She chopped off a pretty good amount, so it's significantly different.

Apparently that wasn't the change the cosmos was looking for from me, though, because I once again heard "Breakaway" on my way to work this morning, when I was leaving for lunch and when I was coming back from lunch just an hour later.

I'm clearly not getting the message.

Any suggestions?

And don't say change the station. I've tried that. Doesn't work.