I’m a karaoke junkie – go to k-bars every chance I get. I love to sing and I’m really good at it. I like to sing a diverse, eclectic range of songs – folk, doo-wop, classic rock, alternative rock – just about anything, really, except for rap and hip-hop (I’m white) and country (I’m white but not stupid). But there’s some songs I’d like to do, but can never find in the book. For instance:
Velvet Undergound’s “Alaska” and “Heroin.”
Pete Townshend’s “Let My Love Open the Door.” (Can hardly ever find any Townsend, really, except for “Behind Blue Eyes.”)
Anything by Indigo Girls or Michelle Shocked (even though I’m a guy).
“Between Days” by the Cure.
“Just a Bum” by Greg Brown.
“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” by Paul Simon.
“King of California” by Greg Alvin.
Does anyone else share my frustration? What are some songs you’d love to sing in public while drunk, with a microphone and backup instrumentals, but never get a chance to?
I’m a little frustrated that the bar I go to has multiple opportunities to sing Toby Keith’s Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue, but I can’t find John Lennon’s Imagine to save my life.
I’d like to sing “Rolling” by Soul Coughing, because I do it in the car to work every day. Haven’t ever seen it at a karaoke bar, though. Same with the Royal Crown Revue’s version of “Stormy Weather,” which is a lot easier for me than the chick versions.
And ever since I saw Elf I’ve wanted to do “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” but I can never find someone to sing it with (the women I usually hang out with always get a case of the shy all of a sudden). It just doesn’t work solo, obviously.
You’ve really never seen Indigo Girls songs at a karaoke bar? I thought they were all required to have “Closer to Fine” at least, like it comes in a package set with “Crazy” by Patsy Cline.
(Personally, I’d never want to do one of their songs. I went to school in Athens, GA, and heard more than enough cheesy Indigo Girls rip-off bands to last a lifetime and to see the horror that can happen when anyone other than them performs their songs).
This is a thread I’d considered starting a while ago and forgot about. Then when I saw it, I couldn’t think of what song it is that I’ve wanted to do. And now I remember! I would love to do Groove is in the Heart by Deee-Lite. Man that song is fun! I’m sure there’s more than just the one but it was bugging me that I couldn’t remember which one was at the top of my list, so there you go.
“Sitting”, by Cat Stevens. I sang this song as my senior solo at the year-end choir concert (I wanted to sing it at graduation, but they made me do “Maybe Someday” instead). I can sing me some Cat Stevens – even if he is a terrorist.
“Advice For the Young at Heart”, by Tears For Fears. I do a fairly decent Curt Smith too, and I’ve always thought it was a very pretty song.
“Don’t You Forget About Me”, by Simple Minds. This is one you’d figure would be there, but it never is. Jim Kerr’s vocal style is incredibly fun to imitate, but alas, I never get the chance.
Wow, I feel lucky. The guy running the show I go to has “Why don’t we get drunk”, “We didn’t start the fire”, and (I think) “Italian restaurant”.
If I ever found someone who had “Bright side of life” from Life of Bryan, I think I’d have to follow him/her around to every show they do. Ditto for “Every sperm is sacred” (although that really needs a few people).
I’ve always wondered if I’d have the guts to do “Lapdance is always better when the stripper is crying” by the Bloodhound Gang. I tried Bad Touch (the “Discovery channel” song) once, and realized that by the time I’m drunk enough to do it, I’m too drunk to get the words out fast enough.
Hmm, what else have I been perpetually hoping to see…
“Proper cup of coffee” by Trout Fishing in America
“This is the Life” by Weird Al
“Elephent Medly” from Moulin Rouge (also requires a female partner willing to do it)
Anything from “Mr Hanky’s Christmas Classics”. I think I could pull off “Swiss Colony Beef Log…”, and I’ve got some friends who have always talked about doing the dreidle song as a group.
My solution to this problem is to sequence in midi using Cakewalk Pro and then burn it to a CD to take to the karaoke bar.
I did it for Twist In My Sobriety by Tanita Tikaram, Tomorrow Never Dies from the Bond movie, Don’t Ask Me Why by the Eurythmics, and Original Sin by Taylor Dayne.
Those are a few of the ones that I’ve done. My backing tracks generally sound better than theirs.
