Blokes Who Can't/don't/won't Sing

[saxy_jag]

I'm trying to get some interest in an office choir at work. Since the office team mostly consists of 40-something male parks officers, tree surgeons and landscape architects this isn't going to be easy and not likely to happen overnight. I think I might be able to work on them at Christmas, however, because the boss usually plays mix tapes in the office throughout December and he's open to song suggestions.

So ... all you blokes who would never be seen dead in a choir robe ... what kind singalong song might you be inclined to join in with? Doesn't matter if it's at football, down the pub, drunken karaoke or whatever - just something you don't feel daft singing.

[boxtops]

one for sandyroe

[boxtops]

..and this one

[sandyRoe]

Bad as he is, compared to me he'd sound like a Pavarotti or a Carrera.

[saxy_jag]

Problem solved. Thanks for all the sensible suggestions. I've chosen a couple of songs for the xmas playlist and then I'll wait and see what the reaction is.

Those who don't want to sing won't have to, but those who do and just lack confidence may welcome the opportunity to have a go without the pressure of anything formal. I don't mind if it doesn't work. At least I'll have tried and not sat on my jaxy waiting for someone else to try it.

I wonder what would have happened if those who started Answerbank had listened to the people who said 'don't bother, there are plenty of other websites people can go to'.

[dizmouk2009]

Good for you saxy_jag.

I wish I could suggest some songs but I can't really thing of anything fitting. Get a bit of Meatloaf going and see if you can get them air guitaring and doing some moves.

As far as the whole off-debate about whether they will or won't do it seems a little silly to me. They are all grown men who can make up their own decisions as to whether they want to sing or not. Like you said saxy_jag you aren't forcing them to do anything. I personally wouldn't sing but I wouldn't have any issues with anyone singing around me even if they are out of tune.

[Peter Pedant]

.

Having been a member of a chapel choir, sx -I dont know

It is all to do with Anglo Saxon amour-propre (dig the mix of languages huh ?)

that is how the blokes feel - when I confessed to reading Hamlet on a grassy bank in the sun some old b+gga crawled up to me to say he read poetry but never told anyone because grown men didnt read poetry...... Russian men read bo-dry by the way - Essenin is taught in schools - that would be Russian schools.


If you say it is singing for chrissakes,
how do you feel with your gut hanging out at work,
your flies perennially open
your hair at the back making revolting greasy ducktails with the oil of unwashed hair leaking onto the collar
falling about drunk at week ends

they will say - No No that doesnt make us feel like tw+ts

(missing word would be t-w-i-t by the way)

Good Luck

[ichkeria]

Any song at all would tempt me.

Unfortunately when I sing I frighten people, so they wouldn't let me :-)

[saxy_jag]

This, Peter Pedant, is why I'm taking this slightly different approach. They won't 'sing' if that's what I call it. But they will join in with some of the cheesiest, daftest songs the boss puts on that Christmas playlist. Often it's just to have a laugh, and they do stupid voices or make up rude words because, as you suggest, that doesn't compromise their perception of manliness.

Just a couple of weeks ago they decided to have a 'Good Life' stint and they were all going around pretending to be Richard Briers whistling that little 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' that he does and wondering what the words were - probably so that they could make up something daft to replace them with. So they will do it, but just not if it's presented as anything formal or serious.

[Scarlett]

It makes me sad that singing is so good for you, yet many men have this idea that it is in some way not macho enough. If men sing when drunk or at the football, then they are doing it for the same reasons as everyone- for joy and celebration and to express emotions. It's a shame that those emotions have to be whilst under the influence- be it of alcohol or of other men.