Karaoke Forums

Why do people request to sing songs they don't know ?

Had a group on Saturday that requested songs to sing and when the song began
they just LOOK at each other like a deer in headlights? So for most of the songs silence from the mics until the chorus and which point SCREAMS instead of singing ( happened every song )

Now I'm not talking about singing songs poorly or bad singers ...But requesting songs you just don't know ???

Yea, I've seen that. For example the only thing in a song someone would know is."Who let the dogs out? OOOOFFFFF OOOOOFFFF"

I think for most it's excitement, or a rash choice... Karaoke addicts will sit at home and listen to a song beforehand... where as your average customer is more likely to hear part of a cd you are playing and assume they know it. It may also be that, one person in a large group knows the song well, but is too shy to attempt it without the others joining in.

I quite often sing songs i don't know. I've heard "Hot and cold" about three times and never really paid attention, but having brought it for my collection, i thought it might be an idea to try it... I had no idea how the verse went, and made it up as i went along... But i have the advantage of being able to hear music, so although i may not sing the original tune, for the best part i'm in key. Most modern pop music is predicatable as well... which helps.

How about just inexperience?

I started singing karaoke in the summer of 2005. My wife and I got the Supercore set, and a 6-disk Chartbuster Essentials '60s set. We were looking for songs we thought we knew. We saw Petula Clark's Don't Sleep In The Subway and said, "Yes, we know that song!" Then we actually tried to sing along with it, and realized that the only thing we knew was the "Don't sleep in the subway darling" chorus. The rest of the song was completely lost to us.

If you don't have a rig to practice on at home, it is easy to get up there with a song you think you know and be at a loss. I try not to forget that experience when I am hosting -- I sing along and help them and lots of times they pick it up.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

"Alesha Dixon - The Boy Does Nothing"

The girls at my local love singing this. Except they know about 2 lines of the song. The rest they just mumble - one even just hums in tune.

Fair play - they enjoy it and nobody else really cares that much.

Just keep my hand on my gain control for the chorus...

No different than a song you *know* but can't *sing*

Someone in the audience will know it and the whole place will be carrying the singer. Nothing wrong with that.

I've had situations where guys, trying to impress a woman they're interested in, will let them pick something for them to sing.

Sometimes they will kind of know the song and sometimes they won't. If it's the latter it can hilariously backfire on them. A large part of the room can usually guess what's going on and believe me they'll hear about it for the rest of the night.

Bill - been there, done that. My GF I was chasin at the time thought it would be hilaround to request "Thong Song" for me. So I aproached the stage nervously... The host knew me and quietly said "Don't worry, you can do this mate, easy! Just do it at your own flow - people who read rap and try to keep up can't!!"

Nailed it

Here's a variation that my son heard from a little friend of his on the school bus:

"Who let the dogs out (woof, woof, woof)
Who let the cats out (meow, meow, meow)
Who let the chickens out (bawk, bawk, bawk)"

Actually, I think I like the song better that way!

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I love being a mom!

Now Mr. Jam....this is where the KJ steps up to the plate, and shows them how it goes. Especially on a crowded night, whence you forbid yourself a place in the rotation......a chance to do your job, and get some vocal muscle exersize....