# I can't help it, I just gotta sing! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 26, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224 "2004-05-26T19:43:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/1 "2004-05-26T19:43:31Z")
There are certain songs that, no matter when, no matter where, I have to sing along to. Almost OCD in my compulsion, if one of these songs comes on, you’d better hope I’m confined to my car with the windows rolled up. So here’s my list of songs I have to sing along to… Piano Man - Billy Joel We Didn’t Start the Fire - Billy Joel (Last Billy Joel entry) Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel Paradise by the Dashboard Light - Meatloaf American Pie - Don McLean Brass in Pocket - Pretenders Come On, Eileen - Dexy’s Midnight Runners Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N Roses (And anything by Pink Floyd, but that’s different)… So, what about you? What songs make you stand up and sing? ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/2 "2004-05-26T19:46:53Z")
I don’t have a list…I pretty much have to sing along with everything. But anything Carpenters, Beatles (early years) or Phil Collins gets extra attention. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/3 "2004-05-26T20:38:18Z")
Irving Berlin’s “Cohen Owes Me Ninety-Seven Dollars.” But, I guess _that_ one gets _everyone_ up and singing. ---
**Author:** ![Shadez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Shadez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadez)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/4 "2004-05-26T20:48:12Z")
Add Billy Joel’s ‘For the longest time’. 😃 Especially when you get the bass going. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/5 "2004-05-26T20:53:59Z")
Yeah, I’m thinking I should amend my post to just say “Anything by Billy Joel”… But the 3 I listed above are the most compelling, I guess… I could probably resist the urge to belt out Longest Time or Uptown Girl, but those 3… I could be entertaining a President and still be compelled to sing. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/6 "2004-05-26T20:56:02Z")
Add another vote for “for the longest time”. My brother and I would try to sing the different harmonies with horrible results. Oh well, it’s still fun. Also, Shai’s “if I ever fall in love” (i think that’s the name) always requires my voice to help it along. ---
**Author:** ![Priam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Priam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Priam)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/7 "2004-05-26T21:25:53Z")
I sing just about everything, but I always feel an urge to sing along to the following (plus others I haven’t thought of): “Kiss from a Rose” - Seal “Desperado” - Eagles “You Learn” - Alanis Morissette All of which are totally unsuitable for my voice, but since when did that ever matter? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/8 "2004-05-26T23:04:38Z")
“Friends in Low Places.” I guess it helps that I’m usually in a bar and stinking drunk when I hear it, though. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/9 "2004-05-26T23:36:49Z")
‘Everybody Eats When They Come to My House’ Cab Calloway. Brilliant sing-along. ‘That’s Just What You Are’ Aimee Mann. I really can’t help sing along to this one. It’s a compulsion. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/10 "2004-05-27T05:45:44Z")
Anything from [Avenue Q](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=255944). ---
**Author:** ![Sandlegs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@Sandlegs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sandlegs)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/11 "2004-05-27T06:24:27Z")
Queen’s Let Me Entertain You i sing it in the shower with the girlfriend ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/12 "2004-05-27T06:36:06Z")
“Gloria” and “Beautiful Day” by U2. Well, probably anything from them really, but those two especially. Who am I kidding? I sing _all the time_. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/13 "2004-05-27T07:27:59Z")
If it exists, has decent lyrics and a melody, I sing along. I don’t discriminate. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Suse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Suse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suse)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/14 "2004-05-27T12:24:20Z")
I’ll sing almost anything alone in the car, but the song that compels me to sing no matter where I am or who I’m with is “You Never Even Called Me By My Name” by David Allan Coe. Particularly the last verse. Particularly when I’ve had a few. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/15 "2004-05-27T12:37:12Z")
James Taylor Carly Simon Carole King The Beatles The Eurythmics (and Annie alone) All of these just make me break out the hairbrush microphone and go to town! ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/16 "2004-05-27T12:51:33Z")
Singing along with the radio is practically a requirement in my car, but it gets really loud when **Bohemian Rhapsody** by Queen comes on. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/17 "2004-05-27T13:06:41Z")
I hate to admit it, but… Neil Diamond :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/18 "2004-05-27T13:12:13Z")
Three guesses. First two don’t count. Oh, and Radiohead. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/19 "2004-05-27T13:53:13Z")
> [@Roland Orzabal](#): > > Three guesses. First two don’t count. > > Oh, and Radiohead. _Thinks_ Hmmm… Hmmmm… Who could it be… Great, now I’ve got Shout in my head. Thanks a bunch, **Roland**. And I can’t believe I left Bohemian Rhapsody off my list. That’s a definite must. And just to clarify, I’m also one to sing along to everything, but there are some songs that just make me give it all I’ve got. Oh, and “I Want to Break Free” by Queen as well. Ah, if only I could sing well. ---
**Author:** ![Graycat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Graycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graycat)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224/20 "2004-05-27T14:00:49Z")
I do like to sing along to practically everything, but I _must_ sing along with any John Prine songs that come on. Especially “Paradise”. I’ve even got my 8 year old daughter doing it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-help-it-i-just-gotta-sing/247224.md?page=2)