# Difficult-to-enunciate lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 23, 2014, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327 "2014-03-23T00:46:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327/21 "2014-03-24T10:12:42Z")
A good many folk songs – from various parts of the British Isles, anyway – share in this trait. Their makers plainly had fun making the choruses long, agglomerative and complicated. One of the more tongue-twisting of such songs is an English one, “The Mallard”. I have trouble doing direct links; but googling “The Mallard Song” will bring up “The Mallard Song – You Tube”, with a bespectacled bearded guy in a baseball cap singing the piece in question. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327/22 "2014-03-24T12:12:42Z")
I’ve never found _Wipeout_ available for karaoke. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327/23 "2014-03-24T16:13:05Z")
“Cry If You Want” might be a good example: Don’t you get embarrassed when you read the precious things you said Many many years ago when life appeared rosy red No one ever shared your bed Nothing ever filled your head Except yourself and little Ted ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327/24 "2014-03-24T18:06:28Z")
If you’re going with Lehrer, you need to mention “The Elements.” I’m always amazed by [Daniel Radcliffe’s version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSAaiYKF0cs). ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327/25 "2014-03-24T20:08:45Z")
From Sondheim’s _Into The Woods_: Rooting through my rutabaga, Raiding my arugula ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327/26 "2014-03-25T00:26:52Z")
Also from Lehrer, this bit from _When You Are Old And Grey_: _An awful debility,_ - A lessened utility,\* - A loss of mobility\* - Is a strong possibility.\* - In all probability\* - I’ll lose my virility\* - And you your fertility\* - And desirability,\* - And this liability\* - Of total sterility\* - Will lead to hostility\* - And a sense of futility,\* - So let’s act with agility\* - While we still have facility,\* - For we’ll soon reach senility\* - And lose the ability.\* Although, to be perfectly honest, few of these songs are particularly difficult to sing, as long as you actually know the words and how to pronounce them. The Lobachevsky bit in the OP isn’t hard, and Pick-A-Little is downright easy. As for my contribution, the tough part is to remember to take a big enough breath! ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327/27 "2014-03-25T00:47:40Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > If you’re going with Lehrer, you need to mention “The Elements.” > > I’m always amazed by [Daniel Radcliffe’s version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSAaiYKF0cs). The [Aristotelian version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcS3NOQnsQM&feature=player_detailpage#t=116) is perhaps more karaoke-friendly. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327/28 "2014-03-25T01:22:47Z")
I’m going with a speed rapper, [namely Twista.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jAqT0auvO8) His name used to be Tung Twista. Can you guess why? ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327/29 "2014-03-25T03:21:16Z")
“I Want You” by Savage Garden. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327/30 "2014-03-25T10:47:39Z")
Putting On The Ritz [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VGItt9cCgc) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327/31 "2014-03-25T23:26:50Z")
“[Third Uncle](http://youtu.be/2zSrkb5pkrQ)” Just _try_ to sing along. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327/32 "2014-03-26T02:18:26Z")
[Royals](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVB6np4qwG0). Just try to sing that laundry list in the chorus. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327/33 "2014-03-26T05:08:58Z")
The Dead Kennedys - Drug Me > [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > And there’s always the immortal [I’ve Been Everywhere](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov4epAJRPMw&feature=kp). That version is bad enough, but the song was originally Australian, and the words are even more foreign to everyone else. Try singing about your visits to Woolloomooloo, Maroochydore, and Yeerongpilly. Bauhaus managed to cover Third Uncle. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327/34 "2014-03-26T06:03:06Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Also from Lehrer, this bit from _When You Are Old And Grey_: > _An awful debility,_ > > - A lessened utility,\* > - A loss of mobility\* > - Is a strong possibility.\* > - In all probability\* > - I’ll lose my virility\* > - And you your fertility\* > - And desirability,\* > - And this liability\* > - Of total sterility\* > - Will lead to hostility\* > - And a sense of futility,\* > - So let’s act with agility\* > - While we still have facility,\* > - For we’ll soon reach senility\* > - And lose the ability.\* > Although, to be perfectly honest, few of these songs are particularly difficult to sing, as long as you actually know the words and how to pronounce them. The Lobachevsky bit in the OP isn’t hard, and Pick-A-Little is downright easy. As for my contribution, the tough part is to remember to take a big enough breath! Well, try to sing the last part of “The Elements”–beginning with “argon”–real fast, and see if you don’t stumble. Hard, eh? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difficult-to-enunciate-lyrics/684327.md?page=1)