# Need "a capella" song suggestions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 13, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315 "2009-08-13T18:26:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/1 "2009-08-13T18:26:07Z")
For the last five years, it’s been a tradition at my military unit for me to sing one _a capella_ song at the Christmas dinner. My choices have typically been short simple tunes like _I’ll Be Seeing You_, _The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)_ and last year’s _Night and Day_. Now with four months to rehearse, I don’t have any particular song in mind and am requesting help. Anyone know of a reasonably challenging _a capella_ song no more than five verses long without repetitious choruses, preferably with a youtube link to a good performance (a clip from _De-Lovely_ proved quite useful in learning _Night and Day_) and it need not be Christmas- or winter-themed. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/2 "2009-08-13T18:57:59Z")
_Amazing Grace_. Yeah, it’s a hymn, but it sounds good a cappella. ---
**Author:** ![the\_first\_supraliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f475e1/32.png) [@the\_first\_supraliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_first_supraliminal)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/3 "2009-08-13T19:07:27Z")
Don’t Worry, Be Happy ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/4 "2009-08-13T19:10:54Z")
One of my favorites that IMO is quite pretty a capella is _Hark The Herald Angels Sing_ ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/5 "2009-08-13T19:30:33Z")
[Three Kings Bop](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD7BeutpkS4#t=02m04s)? Slightly more grim…[The Minstrel Boy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8jlCedM-cE)? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/6 "2009-08-13T19:36:41Z")
Minnie Ripperton did pretty well with _Lovin’ You_. And the best part is everyone will be waiting to see if you’re gonna do the high part ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/7 "2009-08-13T19:38:12Z")
Mmmm Bop. ---
**Author:** ![SmashTheState](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@SmashTheState](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmashTheState)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/8 "2009-08-13T19:44:11Z")
You’re in the military? Perhaps I might recommend the Horst Wessel song? ---
**Author:** ![shorin-ryu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shorin-ryu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shorin-ryu)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/9 "2009-08-13T19:48:42Z")
I sing this Tom Lehrer song every Christmas: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSlpCBek1\_M](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSlpCBek1_M) ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/10 "2009-08-13T19:49:35Z")
I always liked [Caravan of Love](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6GXV0FNEeI) by The Housemartins. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/11 "2009-08-13T20:32:02Z")
_I’ll be Home for Christmas._ ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/12 "2009-08-13T22:13:19Z")
Danny Boy. It’s often performed _a capella_ anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/13 "2009-08-14T03:16:47Z")
Maybe [Up On The Roof](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34UAzKIeltk)? ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/14 "2009-08-14T03:43:15Z")
Billy Joel’s “And so it goes”. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/15 "2009-08-14T03:53:13Z")
[Everything’s Okay in the USA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ovsmHXVNTY), though you’d probably need to round up a couple friends. I have no other suggestions since all the other a capella songs I know are in German. ---
**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/16 "2009-08-14T04:34:56Z")
“Yesterday” by Paul McCartney ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/17 "2009-08-14T12:09:57Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > For the last five years, it’s been a tradition at my military unit for me to sing one _a capella_ song at the Christmas dinner. Well, now we know when to invade Canada. Try Dave Van Ronk’s [_Last Call_](http://dezji.wordpress.com/2007/10/05/song-of-the-day-dave-van-ronk-last-call-1973-1994), which was done in an acappella version. There is (named for the song?) a Cornell University acappella group called “Last Call”. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/18 "2009-08-14T14:56:22Z")
[Carol of the Bells](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxECs6rBvjM) works very well by a men’s chorus. For example, a fragment of it is sung in [The Twelve Days of Christmas](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28GUU1YbP_E) by Straight No Chaser. ---
**Author:** ![Keweenaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Keweenaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keweenaw)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/19 "2009-08-14T15:10:17Z")
imogen heap - hide and seek can’t tube at work, but I bet there are some a capella vids. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315/20 "2009-08-14T21:39:03Z")
> [@Oy](#): > > [Carol of the Bells](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxECs6rBvjM) works very well by a men’s chorus. For example, a fragment of it is sung in [The Twelve Days of Christmas](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28GUU1YbP_E) by Straight No Chaser. Hell, you should steal Straight No Chaser’s version of The Twelve Days of Christmas. The segue into Africa is my favorite part, especially “Fiiiiiive golden rings”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-capella-song-suggestions/506315.md?page=2)