Have you ever been out for drinks with friends or co-workers on karaoke night? Chances are, you have. It never fails: The drinks start flowing, the music is playing, and eventually someone in the group gets dared to go up on stage and risk the potential embarrassment of revealing that they can’t carry a tune to save their life. In those situations, one is faced with the tough no-win decision to either be the party pooper or endure the nerve-wracking experience.
Having faced this situation several times myself, I felt compelled to search for “safe” songs, i.e. songs that virtually anyone can sing, while being something the audience will enjoy and possibly even sing along with. This can be a real lifesaver, as it gives you the opportunity to not only avoid humiliation, but rather to bring the proverbial house down. When you’re done, you’ll confidently thumb your nose at the Julio Iglesias wannabe sitting across the bar while high fiving your friends. So without further ado, here are my top 5:
1. Warren Zevon– Werewolves of London The lyrics are more spoken than they are sung, so all you have to do is make sure you have a decent “a-ooo!”, and you’re set. And while you probably won’t be able to dance around with a cue stick ala Tom Cruise in The Color of Money, you might want to find a good-looking female to direct your attention to when the “his hair was perfect” line comes up, for added style points (assuming you aren’t wearing a hat, or bald).
2. ZZ Top– Sharp Dressed Man This song is especially fun if you just got off work and you’re still in your suit and/or tie, so if you got it, flaunt it. You’re responsible for a grand total of about 2 notes, so even the most tone-deaf of us out there should be able to hack through this song without a problem. Feel free to do the ZZ “point” during the guitar solo.
3. George Thorogood & the Destroyers– Bad To The Bone No matter how b-b-b-b-b-bad your singing skills might be, you’ll probably be able to handle this one. Instant bar cred, too. If you’re feeling less “bad” and more, um, “drunk”, try to avoid I Drink Alone …Wouldn’t be prudent, after all.
4. Dire Straits– Sultans of Swing Unlike Money For Nothing, this cut doesn’t have a long intro, so you can avoid standing uncomfortably in front of everyone while you wait for your part to begin. Even better, it’s probably easier to sing anyway. Beware of the urge to play air guitar on the outro, however.
5. Boz Skaggs– Lido Shuffle If you ever saw Boz perform live (check the link), you’d see that the guy ain’t that great of a singer himself, so it is perfectly acceptable to sound like a drunken sailor during this classic. Also, there’s a good chance that the rest of the bar will help you out during the chorus, so you probably won’t have to worry about hitting all the notes (if you aren’t confident of your ability, go ahead skip a few of them; Boz does). Depending on where you are, and what time it is, the “one more for the road” line could really go over well too.
I hope this helps. Just keep these selections in mind before the buzz gets the better of you, and you decide to do something stupid and bite off more than you can chew with a selection like Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’. Trust me, I’ve made that mistake.
Also see: Shortcuts: How to sing karaoke
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