Karaoke Forums

When it comes to songs that have explicit or suggestive lyrics in them, I think the audience gets a charge at how creative you can be more than just saying the explicit words themselves.
Example: When the line comes up, "I can smell a pig from a mile away" why not just say, "I can smell momma cookin bacon from a mile away" The audience already knows what the song says, but if you substitute it with something silly, the audience also gets a big laugh out of it as well. I think it just lets folks know that you're more on top of your game than just the average idiot who still thinks swearing on stage is cool. Which is ironic, because no matter how rude and crude some of your audience members may be, for some reason folks are still offended whenever the singer says explicits on stage.

Like the night I did 'Closer' by NIN, I didn't sing the explicit word, but held the mic up towards the audience and let them yell it out. The folks in the audience who suddenly went wide eye, didn't direct their shock at me, but the folks yelling the lyrics out. But the biggest shock was from me that so many of the audience members actually knew the lyrics to the song. And please keep in mind, that it was a late night, it was all adults, and the song was in fact a request. Although I love the tune, it's not something that I would do regular in a show.

So there is a way around things, but folks that do the tunes just for the sake of being able to swear in public like I said, they're just idiots with an IQ of a turnip. But that's just my opinion.

James

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I serve no man and am loyal to only one God.

Being critical of a person's success in any respect speaks volumes about the lack of your own.

Love as though you've never been hurt, Dance as though no one's watching, Sing as though God Himself were listening.

My friend Tyler changes the words ALLLLLL the time when he sings karaoke.... not just to subsitute explicit lyrics...... usually he's singin' somethin about me just to embarass the livin crap outta me.....

ex.. a while ago.... I went to meet him and a bunch of friends at one bar. When I got there, Tyler was up there singing as I walked in.... he noticed me come in and without missing a beat (or changing the tempo) he changed the words to "and here she comes now I hope she's showin lots of cleavage" as he's pointing directly at me..

needless to say, I turned BEET red, kept my jacket zipped and headed straight for the bathroom to hide untill he was done singin!!

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I have a guy that sings She's Like The Wind & changes "I feel her breath in my face" to "I Feel Her Breasts On My Face".  It's usually good for a laugh, he only does it once in the song.

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HAHAHA!!

that WOULD be good for a laugh!!

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Yeah, I used to have a gal that worked for me & he would lean over & sing it to her originally, when she left, he now directs it to a girl up front in the audience.
He does a couple others too, I can't remember those right now.

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Three of my favorite lyric changes:

"Cause we were barely 17 and she had big breasts...." Paradise by the Dashboard Lights

"Give to me your leather, and sit on me, my face..."

"If I close my thighs forever....."

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Let's Kick the Tires and Light the Fires!

Split off from Kid Rock thread.  Might be a fun thread of it's own!!!

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, I was like whoa, when did I start this thread.

Other fun lyrics to change around:

Sweet Emotion-"Talk about something you can sure understand, I been a month on the road and I'm tired of my hand"

Born to be Wild-"Fire all of your guns at once and com'on girl sit on my face"

One other song I use to sing in the very first band I was ever in was Tom Jones 'Fallin In' It was a rock/country band, where I got to sing the very few rock tunes we did. The rest of the tunes were along the style of Ray Price and such. We mostly played at country clubs to rich, retired folks.
But I did the lyrics kinda like this:
"I've been in love so many times,
I thought I knew the score,
But when I went to bed with you baby,
I knew you were a w***e,
And it looks like I'm fallin in love with you,
Fallin in, tie a rope around my arse and toss me in,
so I don't fall in, in love with you"
Yeah Tom Jones was really popular with the gals, and there's nuttin like seeing a bunch of blue haired ole ladies coming up afterwards to offer you a drink and asking if you'll come sit next to them....ewwwwwwwww
Anyways, that's another thread for another time

James

P.S. Oops, I just read the part of the thread where it says keep it clean...not a problem, I always wash my hands before I scratch my arse.

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I serve no man and am loyal to only one God.

Being critical of a person's success in any respect speaks volumes about the lack of your own.

Love as though you've never been hurt, Dance as though no one's watching, Sing as though God Himself were listening.

Some of these "Alternative" songs have bizarre enough lyrics as is.  "Flaming Lips"-  "She Don't use Jelly" for instance. I had to do quite a few listens to try to figure out what the heck they were saying, talking about, and I still haven't a clue what the symbolism is.  Is Plush from STP considered "Alternative" rock ?  Not sure since I don't follow categorization as closely as you DJ's or KJ's would,  but there's still ambiguity as to which (if any) meaning that song has.  Dunno <shrug> the list goes on.

OK,  NOW I get it !!

This is about Alternative lyrics to songs.  Not lyrics to Alternative songs...Sorry

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

I agree with this as well.  Certainly, if the lyrics originally contain a few choice words that is how it was intended by the composer of the song.  Playing with the lyrics is always fun, but I cringe when I hear someone, for example, taking a classic ballad by the likes of Gershwin or Richard Rodgers and throwing in some gutter language that shows a complete disrespect for not only the composers but the audience as well.  If the singer wishes to appear sophisticated throwing out a few four letter words can by done by anyone and while it's good for "shock value" it is quickly forgotten.  I'm sure the audience would longer remember the performer's way of using the lyrics already in the content of the song.

OK you must have edited AS I was about to quote, I see your edit in the quote.  lol

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Yeah i'm talking more FUN lyric changes, not so much the 'shock' value changes.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

For me, at my bar gigs, if the word is in the song, then sing it, for God's sake we are all adults.  And if you are too uptight to accept that there are BAD WORDS in the world, then please stay away from my show.  THere are oh so many others things in the world to worry about than someone dropping a F-bomb at 11:30 on a Friday Karaoke Night at a bar.

Now for private gigs, TOTAL DIFFERENT STORY.  It is up to the person paying me if they want a clean show or R-rated.

I have a friend that sings "The armadillos are horny"  But he changes all the words to to the song..It is so darn funny...

Rich Sings "oh, you feel so tight baby" at the end of Alabama's Feels so right...

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Will sing or fish for food!!I'm not quite right!!

Lonnie,

   Yes,  I read back because I recalled seeing "Leather and Lace" and "Paradise on the Dashboard Lights" were included in what I thought was a thread about "Alternative music" song lyrics.  Even at that point, it still took a good five minutes before realizing that I misunderstood the title.  I was instead trying to figure out if Stevie Nicks/ Henley and Meatloaf were considred "Alternative" rock WAY back  LOL.  Oh well !

Since James and Myself are from the classic rock genre of music, pre-punk and alternative, I made the assumption that James, (like myself) didn't understand certain metaphoric meaning within certain songs of a younger generation.

..but, regarding this topic.  I doubt John Valby has CD-G's out for Karaoke  LOL   Or does he ?

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Yeah todays lyrics really leave something to be desired, it seems like most of the songs go something like this.....



AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.....
I feel bad
AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.....
I feel sad
AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.....
I feel hurt
AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.....
ran outta Pert
AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.....
can't wash my hair
AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.....
see my underwear

So please don't stare,
at my underwear.

I'm so angry, I'm so mad,
I hate my mom, I hate my dad,
I hate my room, I hate my cat
I hate my girlfriend, cos she's too fat
I hate my music, hate my guitar
I hate my skateboard, I hate my car
I hate my oatmal, biscuits and gravy
I hate my levis, I hate Old Navy
I hate to hate, (I hate to hate)
I hate to hate, (but it's too late)
so please don't stare
AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....
oh please don't stare
AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....
OH PLEASE DON'T YOU DARE F***ING STARE
at my underwear.

It's a love ballad, so you'll just kind have to use your imagination as to how it would go. If you wanna put some music to it and make a million bucks be my guest, I gotta million of them just as poetic as this one.

James

_________________
I serve no man and am loyal to only one God.

Being critical of a person's success in any respect speaks volumes about the lack of your own.

Love as though you've never been hurt, Dance as though no one's watching, Sing as though God Himself were listening.

Yeah,  So if a kid comes up and asks.

"Grandpa,  What's with this?"

How would you explain the following..

"Sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come.
Corporation tee-shirt, stupid bloody Tuesday.
Man, you been a naughty boy, you let your face grow long.
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen.
Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye.
Crabalocker fishwife, pornographic priestess,
Boy, you been a naughty girl you let your knickers down.
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen.
I am the walrus, goo goo k'choo."


Or:

Innagodadavida baby, don't you know that I'll always be true

Or:

Fairies wear boots man you got to believe me
I saw it I saw it with my own two eyes
Fairies wearing boots and dancing with a frog"

We had some doozies too in the 60's.
What I don't understand is some inuendo, and inference with slang of different areas.  Certain alternative and Indie have different meanings. I just don't understand ALOT of it.  But even in classic rock, we had ALOT of nonsensical lyrics. From the mid-60'd on. Likely even prior.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

The title was supposed to be "In The Garden Of Eden." Someone had written "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," possibly while drunk, on a demo copy. A record company executive saw it and decided to use it as the title, since it sounded mystical and Eastern spirituality was big at the time, with The Beatles going to India and The Rolling Stones experimenting with Indian instruments.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Yep.  I recall the actual story of Iron Butterfly's song.  The other songs were just drug influenced or stream of thought..

Regarding Donovan's songs.  Were these something like Zen, or some other type of spirituality, or Acid induced (if not both)

"First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is".

also

"Color in sky prussian blue
Scarlet fleece changes hue
Crimson ball sinks from view

Wear your love like heaven
Wear your love like heaven
Wear your love like heaven

Lord kiss me once more
Fill me with song
Allah kiss me once more
That I may, that I may"

While sunshine superman is clearly drug related, I've heard (but don't know) a few of his others songs were more philosophical. Whether this is true or not, I haven't a clue.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".