Okay, the whole verse is: Let me sleep on it. Baby baby let me sleep on it. Let me sleep on it, I’ll give you the answer in the moring". But before someone else points this out, this verse is from Paradise By The Dashboard Lights. Not On a Hot Summer Night.
Not only do I spontaneously burst into song, I’ll make up new verses to tunes I already know, to suit my current situation. I don’t always do it very well, but like I always remind my kids “Hey, if I was Wayne Brady, I’d be black. And a man. And rich”.
I guess every office has a ‘Larry’, eh? Sadly, my office’s is my boss … It can be real, real tempting to call in sick on April 1st. But I’m afraid that that would just make it that much worse when I came in on the 2nd to view the carnage.
I’ve referred to myself as and been called by others a “walking jukebox.” Love it.
I will admit, however, that alcohol helps a helluva lot. Two weeks ago my friend had a gig in the city, and I got reeeally drunk. We left the place to go to another bar, and for some reason I can not recall, while walking I busted out into an Italian aria that I did in high school (Amarili Mia Bella for anyone interested). I swear, that song never sounded better! I remember thinking “wow, this is crazy, I’m singing an aria on the streets of NYC in the middle of the night…wait, this is NYC, who gives a damn?”
Hmmm. I hardly ever break into song in public. Maybe I don’t drink often enough … Still, an aria isn’t all that bad. When I do start singing in public, it’s usually G & S rather than something contemporary. Or especially “Weird Al”. I think it feels a little more sophisticated to be heard singing, “Oh, Is There Not One Maiden Breast” than “The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota”. If, perhaps, a bit kinkier.
Extremely rarely, it scares me when I do. Last time it was Katrina and the Waves, Walkin’ on Sunshine, it’s been quite awhile since I’ve felt that well.
Though I am prone to burst into song anyway (see below), I think having a pet in the house makes me do it with greater frequency. Having rescued a stray off the hard streets of Charm City, I find that my cat acts a little weird, hence his theme song:
Psycho Kitty
Qu’est Que C’est
fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run run run away
My most memorable instance of breaking into song was during a brief car ride with my then girlfriend. I was singing “Werewolves of London,” which she unfortunately didn’t recognize. I got quite a crazy look during all my long ARRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOs!
This thread title reminded me of a time when I was walking along the street with my father around the age of 9 or 10. In those days he always wore a hat and on this particular day we had stopped at the street corner, he handed me his upturned hat saying “hold this for a minute will you”. Thinking nothing of it, I obliged when suddenly he burst into song, some opera piece IIRC. All I remember is being totally horrified, dropping the hat and walking away. I think it’s hilarious now but at the time I could have died of embarrassment. It’s such a pity I didn’t appreciate my dad’s lighter side back then.
I am more likely to sing in the shower (a solo my friend did from Les Miserables in high school, or gospel music to which I make up words when the verses run out) or along with the radio in the car, but I do on occasion start singing in the office.
The other day was a pretty good example: I asked my co-worker where something was, and she told me to take a step to my right. So, naturally, I followed that with the remainder of the song (and motions!!) from RHPS. My co-worker who has next-to-no cultural references was appalled at the outburst, while everyone else in earshot was laughing too hard to explain it to her.
Given that I generally have little faith in my ability to carry a tune, I am more likely to trot out exerpts from the lyrics at opportune moments. For example, when asked about my last boyfriend, I replied that he was “a hairy-headed gent who ran amok in Kent, but I sure would like to meet his tailor.”
