# One Little Bit of Vocal Phrasing In A Song That Overshadows The Entire Song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 27, 2005, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088 "2005-02-27T01:47:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/1 "2005-02-27T01:47:04Z")
Everybody likes to do bad impersonations of Glen Frey growling the word “smugglers” in _Smuggler’s Blues_. _Sorry it went down like that But someone had to lose It’s the politics of contraband It’s the **SMUGGGGGGLER’S** Blues_. What other songs linger in memory not for fine vocals, melody, or entirety of lyrics but simply for the fact that a word or line is sung so distinctively? Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/2 "2005-02-27T01:53:00Z")
“Early morning, April 4 Shot rings out in the Memphis SKYYYYY-AAAHHHH” No one ever does that falsetto right. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/3 "2005-02-27T01:53:23Z")
I love ELO’s “Don’t Bring Me Down,” but I grit my teeth when they sing **BRRRRRRUCE!** Yes, I know it isn’t really “Bruce,” but by gum, it sounds like “Bruce,” and the way they sing it has spoiled the name “Bruce” forever, in my mind. And the name “Bruce” wasn’t in very good standing in my mind to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/4 "2005-02-27T01:54:00Z")
I might have liked that song “Dilemma” by Nelly and Kelly Rowland if there hadn’t been an _ **"OH!"** _ repeated every four or five seconds throughout the song. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/5 "2005-02-27T01:55:33Z")
“Some people call me _Maurrrrice_ 'cause I speak of the pompitous of love.” ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/6 "2005-02-27T02:56:41Z")
Two moments of magic from Frank Sinatra which rescue otherwise irredeemibly crappy songs: “Cycles” when he puts everything he has into the line “last thursday/ I got fired” - only Sinatra could pull it off and “Winchester Catherderal”, where, figthing the influence of a) strong liquor and b) the fact that’s it’s Winchester bloody Cathederal he’s been reduced to singing, he pulls of “you’re bringing me down” with all the pain and heartbreak he’d save for songs like “one for my baby” or “she’s funny that way” It’s funny that a singer as indisputably great as Sinatra should be shown at his best in the face of two of the worst songs he ever recorded… mm ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/7 "2005-02-27T03:17:31Z")
Every song Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston’s ever sung. ---
**Author:** ![Priam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Priam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Priam)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/8 "2005-02-27T04:06:14Z")
Another ELO song: “Eeee-EVIL WOMAN!” ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/9 "2005-02-27T04:14:04Z")
I’ve got another Sinatra song. In his rendition of \*Ol’ Man River \* (from the soundtrack of _Till the Clouds Roll By_, and perhaps other recordings) the lyric goes: "Ya get a little drunk and ya lands in ja-ail. I gets weary and so sick of tryin’… " Listen to the way Frank dips way low at the end of “ja-aaaaaaaail” and holds it all the way to “IIIIIIII” where it swings up again – all in one breath. Very nice. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/10 "2005-02-27T04:33:25Z")
Many songs by the Stones. Brown Sugar comes immediately to mind. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, WOOOOOOOOOO!!! :o ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/11 "2005-02-27T05:43:38Z")
Threemartiniquarterhour Listentoyourselfchurn Continentaldriftdivide LEONARD BERNSTEIN! ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/12 "2005-02-27T07:02:00Z")
_If you’re going to SAAAAN FRAAAAN SSSSSISSSSCOOOOOOO!_ –as sung by my brother and I, circa 1992 ---
**Author:** ![James\_Westphal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9bd4f/32.png) [@James\_Westphal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Westphal)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/13 "2005-02-27T07:40:30Z")
Roooooooooooooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxaannne ---
**Author:** ![saramamalana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@saramamalana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saramamalana)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/14 "2005-02-27T07:56:28Z")
I forget the words leading up to this part, but: - JFK! BLOWN AWAY! WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE TO SAY?! We didn’t start the fire…\* ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/15 "2005-02-27T08:01:48Z")
Not a song in my preferred genre, but what the hell… At the end of “You Are So Beautiful” by Kenny Rogers, he goes up an octave and his voice cracks on singing, “TO MEEEEE…(crack)…EEEE!” ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/16 "2005-02-27T08:45:06Z")
Nahhhh-Nah-Nah Nah-Nah-Nah-Nahhhh Nah-Nah-Nah-Nahhhh Hey Jude ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/17 "2005-02-27T08:49:39Z")
I don’t know how to whistle online. But if I did, I would do Otis Redding at the end of Dock of the Bay. ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/18 "2005-02-27T09:34:17Z")
I Am Iron Man ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/19 "2005-02-27T09:35:21Z")
…okay, that should really have been in ALL-CAPS for effect, but the board doesn’t seem to allow ALL-CAPS posts. Bah. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088/20 "2005-02-27T12:07:57Z")
> [@dwc1970](#): > > Not a song in my preferred genre, but what the hell… > > At the end of “You Are So Beautiful” by Kenny Rogers, he goes up an octave and his voice cracks on singing, “TO MEEEEE…(crack)…EEEE!” That’s Joe Cocker, and it makes my ears bleed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-little-bit-of-vocal-phrasing-in-a-song-that-overshadows-the-entire-song/292088.md?page=2)