photo from flikr
chrisinplymouth's
photostream
In what now seems like an eon ago (was there ever a time I was blogging before the A to Z April Blogging Challenge?) I wrote a post about having a song of the moment (or SOM). Briefly, a SOM is a song that has taken residence in your head and can cause behaviour alterations, like hanging around in cars just to hear the end of the song. You would think that with a SOM, I would know all the lyrics, all the pauses, all the subtle differences in beat throughout, all of the song’s nuances. You would think…
When I was a teenager and even when I was a twentager (a term I just made up to connote someone in their twenties), I used to know the lyrics to all of my SOM’s, relevant other songs and just songs I didn’t really need to know about. I would sing along perfectly timed and worded to even the most complicated of tunes. I’d like to think I can appreciate beat, rhythm, chorus and verse.
However, something happened on the way to the concert hall. Somewhere along the line, my head got filled with children’s schedules, household schedules, household administration, laundry, payment deadlines and work related matters. My brain, being a finite capacity organ got stuffed with all sorts of adult trivia and my ability to remember song lyrics has been compromised ever since.
This doesn’t stop me from singing along to SOMs and any other song that catches my ear. I think we have all been there. Driving in the car with teenage son, good song comes along, singing along happily, the big main chorus moment about to arrive and ………I fluff it. Said teenage son in fits of laughter and thinking I’m seriously uncool because the fluff moment comes usually when the artist has paused briefly and well, it’s out there for all to hear.
Then there’s the cover up. Me singing along quite happily until my knowledge of the lyrics 
dries up. So I don’t miss a beat, I make up some words that sound the same as the words in the song, sometimes with hilarious consequences. Sometimes, the cover up is not even done with that much finesse, sometimes there is only a grouping of sounds that aren’t even words, sounds that are meant to sound like the words in the songs and that I know what I am doing. At this point I lose all credibility for cool with my teenage son who is laughing hysterically trying to say “you don’t know the words, do you, Mum?”
Really, the artists have a lot of explaining to do as to why they can’t get with the programme. It’s not that hard, really. I refuse to admit my lip synching days are here just yet. I’ll leave that to the professionals.
What do you do when the lyrics don’t come as they are meant?
Raising the Curtain 
Aren’t the lyrics just meant as a suggestion? Sing loudly and confidently, and in my case, off key! Vivid imagery in today’s post, thanks.
Thanks, hope I didn’t scare any kids out there with my imagery 😉
This is so true. I can’t help laughing. I believe the TUNE is the most important part!
if I have made you laugh it was a good day 😀
I’m bad about remembering lyrics, but I’m pretty good about remembering the music. I do well with wordless pieces like symphonies.
Lee
Places I Remember
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog
I think my son would prefer me to do well with wordless pieces too…
I usually ‘hear’ some of the words as something else. Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “There’s a bathroom on the right” or Elton John’s “She’s got electric boobs…” comes to mind. When I sing the wrong words, I generally look wildly around myself and say to whoever is with me “Did you hear how he/she messed up the words?!” We usually get a good laugh from that one.
Love this comment, Jim. I mishear (if there is such a word) as well. Or I deliberately change the words. Beyonce’s song “Deja Vu” comes to mind. The chorus is about 8 lines ending in words rhyming with “deja vu”. I couldn’t resist adding a few more along the lines of “When you sneeze you go ah choo” and “Cows speak goes moo moo”.
The face of the teenage son is always priceless! Personally, there are times when my new lyrics make more sense and frankly flow better…well, that’s what I tell myself has I hit the high notes! This was great!
Thanks, my lyrics sound better sometimes too… see my reply to the comment above 🙂
I have those songs as well. So many, my teenager now believes its an art to flub the lines as long as we are happy singing!
Flubbing is definitely an art form… well, that’s what I think and I’m sticking to it 🙂
I love that quote. and that term you made up–twentager:)
Nutschell
http://www.thewritingnut.com
Happy A-Zing!
Thanks… imagination is a wonderful thing. Happy A-Zing to you too!
This made me chuckle, it’s so true. I also have moments in the car or at home with my teenager when I’m singing loudly along and the words escape me…if they were ever there in the first place. The flip side to the song of the moment is ‘the ear-worm’ that irritating song or theme tune that just won’t leave your head no matter how hard you try to make it and you can be assured you know all the lyrics to this annoyance. Great post.
Good luck with the rest of the challenge. My blog is Doctor Who themed but I’d love it if you had time to pop by even if you aren’t aware of or a fan of the TV show.
http://itsmotherwho.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/normal-0-false-false-false-en-gb-x-none.html
Thanks Karen, appreciate the positive feedback. Any ear worms on Dr Who?
Pingback: song recording: “not just a promise” « JRFibonacci's blog: partnering with reality
Seriously, this is why I love Iggy Pop – the man writes songs in 25 words or less so it is really easy to remember his lyrics (eg – “no fun my babe no fun” repeat at least ten times!) … OK so this doesn’t work for Candy but you get my drift… Oh, what about Johnny Lydon… “this is what you want, this what you get”? Maybe you need to think about more punk in your repertoire?
Maybe, got any good punk reccomendations :)?