Dirty dancing

I'm not a big fan of karaoke. For one thing, I really don't see the point of getting up and belting out a tune in front of a bunch of strangers, unless you are totally smashed. Ah, you say to me, but that's how you are supposed to do karaoke. Well, putting aside the fact that quite a lot of people don't and actually take it quite seriously, if I am at the point where I am drunk enough to sing in front of people in front of a mic., I am also quite possibly drunk enough that I can't actually, you know, stand-up straight. Anyway, who needs karaoke when there are perfectly good spontaneous singing opportunities without the need for dry ice smoke and feedback screeches and lagging prompts?

I am, however, a huge fan of interpretive singing. What is interpretive signing, you ask? Why, it's when a song not only moves you to sing along out loud, but it also inspires you to dance along with actions suited to the lyrics. Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about.

There were certain artists or soundtracks that were golden standards for this kind of singing among my peer age (ABBA, the Grease soundtrack...although, come to think of it, those seem to be the golden standard regardless of when you were born!). But as every artist has his or her own special niche, so does every interpretive singer, and mine happens to be songs to do with affairs of the heart. (I didn't say it was a particularly individual niche!)

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Somewhere down the line, I have an entire post devoted to the wondrous annual compilation of 'unique' talent and songs otherwise know as Eurovision. For this post, you only need to know that this little song was the entry for 1982, a year after Bucks Fizz (another post in the making) won the contest for England (or was it United Kingdom? Eh, it ultimately the same, right?!). One of my first attempts at IS, it has also been one of my most lasting ones. In fact, I may or may not have done a modified IS to it quite recently, while driving back from seeing a show this past Sunday (definitely a post coming on that. The show, not the interpretive dancing.)

Watching this now, I must say I finally fully appreciate why poor Sally-Ann never got anywhere with Stephen. Here's a hint, honey: when a guy picks you up from your kneeling position in front of him, it's not that he's just not into you; he's just not into your sex. Because, let's face it, no straight man is ever going to pull up a woman from her knees so he can look better into her eyes.

Finally, how cute is the reference to sending a telegram? (That reminds me, yet another post coming on archaic references in songs...hmmm, I really should keep track of these things.)

One Step Further - Bardo



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I kind of felt bad when I chose this one as an excellent IS song, because my mom really likes Rod Stewart, and it kind of felt like mocking her choice. To be honest, I like the old fellow, too, but let's face it--his songs are almost IS classics.

Broken Arrow - Rod Stewart

ROD STEWART "Broken Arrow"

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Lest you think I don't use some of my own favorites for IS opportunities, let me assure you that I am democratic in my choices. I love this song by Darkness, which is in the style of the good old glam rock of the 70s. Lyrically, though, you couldn't ask for a better candidate. (Also, proving that liquor is not needed for expressing your need to IS, I gave an impromptu--and the first--rendition of this in the Virgin Atlantic store at Caesar's Palace in Vegas. Yes, sober. I have no shame.)

I Believe in a Thing Called Love - Darkness