# Songs by non-singers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 3, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402 "2010-07-03T05:50:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/1 "2010-07-03T05:50:55Z")
Having just watched a repeat episode of _Dexter_ featuring Keith Carradine as Special Agent Lundy, I was pretty shocked to see his name come up again in one of the iTunes Essential genres collections for the song _I’m Easy_, which I even vaguely remember hearing. so it must have been a fairly big hit, and I’m just now realizing what a run-on sentence this is. I’m sure this thread idea has been done before, but it’s one in the morning and I got nuthin else. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/2 "2010-07-03T05:59:12Z")
[She’s Like The Wind](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pNpR6KGLEk)-Patrick Swayze ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/3 "2010-07-03T06:12:35Z")
I hope these count Beverly D’Angelo as Lurleen Lumpkin [Your wife don’t understand you, but I do](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCzPAaIGOZM) [Bagged me a Homer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c04cGc7XoMg) [Bunk with me tonight](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eVm69wrJRk) [Stand by your manager](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZZwFq9b960) [Cryin’ in my cradle](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omItTO-96_E) [Daddy’s back](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_QTHOPB9Go) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/4 "2010-07-03T06:14:40Z")
Entire threads could be dedicated to the recording careers of William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Edit: Should also mention Don Johnson, whose song “Heartbeat” hit #5 on the singles chart, at the height of his “Miami Vice” fame. I remember a show on VH1 some years ago, in which they had some celebs watching videos of really bad songs, and ultimately selecting “Heartbeat” as the one video which VH1 would never show again. They even destroyed the videotape cartridge of it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/5 "2010-07-03T09:54:25Z")
The song “I’m Easy” was not famous because it was a big hit. In fact, it was only a minor hit. It’s famous because it won the Academy Award for Best Song. It was sung by Carradine in the movie _Nashville_: > **[I'm Easy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'm_Easy_(song))** > > I'm Easy may refer to: ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/6 "2010-07-03T10:22:32Z")
The Blues Brothers’ entire catalogue. I love it and they were backed by a terrific band, but Belushi and Aykroyd were not singers by any stretch of the imagination. Pre- **Grease** , John Travolta had a novelty hit called “Let Her In.” He actually had singing chops (He was in the touring company of **Grease** before he was a sweathog), but he didn’t use them in this treacly David Cassidy wannabe tune. “Respect Yourself” by Bruce Willis “Party All the Time” by Eddie Murphy “MacArthur Park” by Richard Harris “Wandering Star” and “Barroom Buddies” featuring Clint Eastwood ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/7 "2010-07-03T13:48:27Z")
Shelly Fabres always said she didn’t have much to do with her #1 hit, _Johnny Angel_. She said, she couldn’t really sing, so they backed it with session singers and arangements to make her sound decent. Her TV brother Paul Petersen had a hit with _My Dad_, which went to #6 ---
**Author:** ![kim\_jung\_il](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@kim\_jung\_il](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kim_jung_il)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/8 "2010-07-03T14:40:41Z")
Charles Manson has several songs available. The pick of them is called “Look at Your Game, Girl.” ---
**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:** [July 3, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/9 "2010-07-03T17:31:45Z")
“Gallant Men” by Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen. Hit the top 40 and won a Grammy. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/10 "2010-07-03T17:38:19Z")
“Deck of Cards” by Wink Martindale (yes, the game-show host) was a top ten hit back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/11 "2010-07-03T17:40:02Z")
[“Thunder Road”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRH7FtAAbJE), by Robert Mitchum. “Let The Eagle Soar”, by John Ashcroft. Sorry, but it had to be said. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/12 "2010-07-03T19:01:56Z")
Wow, you folks are digging deep! I am impressed, though I’m sure most of these songs would as well stay buried. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/13 "2010-07-03T19:26:35Z")
[Don’t Give Up on Us](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY8APrYU2Gs) by David Soul (Hutch in _Starsky and Hutch_). Edit: Looking at Wikipedia I guess he started as a singer. I didn’t know that ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/14 "2010-07-03T19:30:58Z")
“[Wandering Star](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE9vc2cO170)”, with Lee Marvin. Dude couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/15 "2010-07-03T19:44:23Z")
[The Unknown Stuntman](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4LX8PPMuOY)–Lee Majors ---
**Author:** ![jrbor76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9e8a1a/32.png) [@jrbor76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jrbor76)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/16 "2010-07-07T22:50:26Z")
Nobody’s mentioned Vicki Lawrence? The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia? Shocking. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/17 "2010-07-07T23:07:22Z")
> [@jrbor76](#): > > Nobody’s mentioned Vicki Lawrence? The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia? > > Shocking. Why would me mentioning that be shocking? 😛 Anyway, that reminded me of Kelsey Grammer singing the theme to his own show. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/18 "2010-07-08T00:12:26Z")
Benny Hill’s **Ernie** (The fastest Milkman in the West) topped the UK pop charts twice. Neil Morrissey had two UK #1s with \*\*Bob the Builder \*\*and **Mambo #5** (or Mambo 6 & 7/8ths if you prefer) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/19 "2010-07-08T00:15:47Z")
[The Hoff](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJQVlVHsFF8). I guess he’s considered on in Germany, but… NSF your sanity. ---
**Author:** ![KennerTheGreat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@KennerTheGreat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennerTheGreat)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402/20 "2010-07-08T00:29:47Z")
Eddie Murphy’s [Party All The Time](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDbpzjbXUZI) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-by-non-singers/545402.md?page=2)