OK, folks. The time has come. Let us all debate the greatest bar song of all time. First, let’s define what the requirements are. Well, there’s only one…what song is the most effective at getting a bunch of drunks to shout the words along at the top of their lungs? The more easily it does that, the higher the ranking.
I have two nominations:
“Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. I will guarantee you that if you play this song, everyone in the place will yell at the top of their lungs for the chorus. Just a fantastic bar song.
“Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond. Another one, but much calmer than “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Everyone will lift up their beers and sway to the music, singing along. Good times.
The floor is now open for debate and other nominations.
I always enjoy hearing:
One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer on the Jukebox whenever someone plays it.
We used to have The Best of Tom Waits on our CD jukebox and it would always get the regulars to sing in unison whenever somebody played “The Piano Has been Drinking”
I have noticed that Sister Christian by … um … Night Ranger (?) is guaranteed to have 90% of the people in the bar AT LEAST do the “air drums” thing during the dramatic part of the song, and a fairly decent percentage actually sing the whole song. I think this got a boost after the song was featured in Boogie Nights, but it happened before then, too.
Hajario, man, you crack me up. I’d be racing ya for the door if subjected to a bar full of people belting out Living On A Prayer.
I don’t know, it might be worth hearing a bunch of drunks doing the doot wat-doot wahoo (or however it goes) part of Living On A Prayer.
But for my money, the best bar song is:
*Oh, I don’t know why she’s leaving,
Or where she’s gonna go,
I guess she’s got her reasons,
But I just don’t want to know,
'Cos for twenty-four years
I’ve been living next door to Alice. (unofficial refrain)
Twenty-four years just waiting for a chance,
To tell her how I feel, and maybe get a second glance,
Now I’ve got to get used to not living next door to Alice…(unofficial refrain)
*
If you’ve heard this song, with the unofficial bits, then you’re not likely to forget it.
Same for Mony-Mony and it’s unofficial refrain. That’s pretty much what makes them bar songs.
It never fails! It was once IIRC a bar song… abd whether it be in a honky-tonk(*strange word) or in a biker-bar, or at a ball game…all the (well most anyway) people, drunks included will get up and sing or art least try, most don’t know the word to the…
good old “Star Spangled Banner”.
Try it sometime…sitting at the bar, make sure everybody’s lit and just start singing…you might prod one or two, but they’ll join in and pretty soon half the bar’s going…"Oh say can you see…
honky- racial slang, white people/person
tonk-variation, tonic/music
*honkytonk-cheap, noisy, garish nightclub or dancehall
*definition as per/ Random House Webster’s Collegiate @1991
