I love to sing. I sing to my cats, I sing to my horse, I sing in the car. However, I don’t sing in front of other people.Like most teenagers, I harboured the odd fantasy of being a rock star. I was even in a very short-lived punk band when I was 14. We wrote our own songs and used an old acoustic guitar as the bass. I was the singer; however, when you’re trying to sound like Johnny Rotten, you don’t need to be tuneful.
I thought that all I needed was a producer. I went out with one for a while; he used to wince and tell me it hurt when I sang, so I stopped singing. One radio station I worked at had regular sessions with a voice coach to improve our news reading. “It’s all about breathing from your diaphragm,” she said, as she made us read The Big Friendly Giant aloud, then lie on our backs and go “ohhhhmmmmm”. Once, I confessed to her that I wanted to sing. “Everyone can sing, darling,” she assured me.
When I am in the car, it’s: “Hello, Wembley!” I am currently radio-less and I have a long commute, so M&M’s greatest hits are bellowed out unaccompanied. At the moment, I have a penchant for The Levellers’ One Way, but Simon and Garfunkel, The Rolling Stones, The Velvet Underground and my very, very favourite, The Kinks’ Waterloo Sunset, all receive the treatment.
But just as I hate people eavesdropping on my private conversations with the grey mare (the ones where I’m telling her she’s the most bee-ooo-itful horse in the world), I’d be mortified if anyone caught me singing unawares.
11 comments:
Not really into The Kinks but your taste in music other than that is to be applauded.
You could have recorded your version of Waterloo Sunset and added it as a voice file. No one would know who you were, you could be the first blogged Number 1, that would be cool a kind of almost in the Artic Monkette.
Waterloo Sunset is one of my faves too and I always bawl away to it when driving (alone).
Your pic of Maria in TSoM reminds me of an amusing/embarrassing moment several years ago.
I was over from the States (where I was living at the time) with oldest child (then a toddler) and with my mother and sister went to (can't remember name now) a beautiful stretch of National Trust owned coastline in Devon. We walked towards a small church and there was no-one around. Suddenly my mother burst into song. "The hills are alive" she belted out as running across a field, skirt lifted up almost to her waist.
My sister and I were laughing (our mother is quite mad) but suddenly we heard clapping coming from the churchyard. Two German tourists then appeared from behind a tree and started shouting "encore!".
Well - my mother didn't know what to do with herself and my sister and I just fell about.
Singing in the car, singing in the shower, singing in the duckhouse or in the polytunnel - yup, do all that - but if anyone dared eavesdrop.....My inner Ella is so tuneful - my outer Dame Edna not so hot. Keep singing.
I used to be the same until I went on a fantastic 10 week course in Penrith, called edensong- where a bunch of women wrote songs together and performed them. I loved it so much I joined a choir and now I don't mind who hears me singing. (They might mind though!!)
Don't worry eminem, to us, you are already a star.
And Ray Davies is STILL touring !
What a guy - after 3..
Dead End street, Dead End street...
once during a long wait in the waiting room of a suburban railway station with about two trains during the day I was staring out of the window at the back and singing along to the *insert name of embarassing seventies prog rock band* record I was listening to on my portable 78's player and when one particular song came on I leapt in the air and spun around with my air guitar, belted out the first line at full voice, and scared the living crap out of the elderly lady who had come in and sat down a few feet away unnoticed by wannabe rock star yours truely. Now I buy that guy's salmon instead of his records.
I sing a lot too. On Monday I had 40 Past Midnight by Ocean Colour Scene in my head (which I haven't heard for about 10 years), Mysterious Girl by Peter Andre (which I'd heard on the TV on Sunday) and Favourite Things from TSoM (I don't know where that came from either).
Thanks to M&M I now have Waterloo Sunset in my head! It's better than what had this morning though I can't remember what that was.
I love singing along to things when I cooking or doing housework, or I will just sing something unaccompanied. Depending on his mood, Vince sometimes asks me to stop singing. My singing isn't that bad - I can keep a tune. If he's in a better mood though we'll sing together and harmonise.
Grocer, The Kinks are amazing (unlike my singing I'm afraid - no one would want to torture themsleves with my renditions).
If not Waterloo Sunset, what about Days, Lola, even Dedicated Follower of Fashion?
Sarnia, your mum sounds great fun!
Mopsa, we should do a duet!
Gill, you are a powerful woman!
Anon, thankyou. But you've forgotten the "duh, duh" on Dead End Street.
Anon #2, would that be the fish farmer who once said he hoped he'd die before he got old? I do a fab rendition of Substitute and I Can See for Miles ...
Mysterious Girl, Karen? Oh dear ...
It's not a usual song of choice M&M don't worry. I was cursed by it for several hours unfortunately.
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