Difficult songs

BigDallasDick8x6

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What are the very quick tempo songs you were thinking of?

Does the karaoke repetoire include Gilbert and Sullivan? LOL There's I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General from Pirates of Penzance.

Also the second time around in All for the Best from Godspell is incredibly fast. It's also alliterative so at that speed it's very hard to do.

Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please,
Richer than the bees are in honey
Never growing old, never feeling cold
Pulling pots of gold from thin air
The best in every town, best at shaking down
Best at making mountains of money
They can't take it with them, but what do they care?
They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat
Houses on the street where it's sunny..
Summers at the sea, winters warm and free
All of this and we get the rest...
But who is the land for? The sun and the sand for?
You guessed! It's all for the best...​

I'm such a traditionalist. LOL

And without a doubt, the HARDEST song to sing in English (and various Native American languages) would have to be The Rivers and Lakes of Maine.

The Lovely Rivers And Lakes Of Maine
by George B.Wallis​

O, The lovely rivers and Lakes of Maine!
I am charmed with their names, as my song will explain;
Aboriginal muses inspire my strain,
While I sing the bright rivers and lakes of Maine-
From Cupsuptic to Cheputmatticook
From Sagadahock to Pohenegamook-
'gamook, 'gamook, Pohenegamook,
From Sagadahock to Pohenegamook.
For light serenading the "Blue Moselle",
"Bonnie Doon" and "Sweet Avon" may do very well;
But the rivers of Maine, in their wild solitudes,
Bring a thunderous sound from the depth of the woods:​

The Aroostook and Chimmenticook,
The Chimpanaoc and Chinquassabamtook-
'bamtook, 'bamtook, Chinquassabamtook,
The Chimpassoc and Chinquassabamtook,
Behold how they sparkle and flash in the sun!
The Mattewamkeag and the Mussungun;
The kingly Penobscot, the wild Woolastook,
Kennebec, Kennebago and Sebasticook;
The pretty Presumpscut and gay Tulanbic;
The Ess'quilsagook and little Schoodic-
Schoodic, Schoodic; The little Schoodic;
The Ess'quilsagook and little Schoodic.​

Yes, Yes, I prefer the bright rivers of Maine,
To the Rhine or the Rhone or the Saone or the Seine;
These may do for the Cockney, but give me some nook,
On the Ammonoosuc or the Wytopadiook.
On the Umsaskis or the Ripogenis,
The Ripogenis or the Piscataquis-
'aguis, 'aguis,
The Piscataguis. "Away down South," the Cherokee
Has named his river the Tennessee,
The Chattahoochee and the Ocmulgee,
The Congaree and the Ohoopee;
But what are they, or the Frenchy Detroit,​

To the Passadumkeag or the Wassatoquoit-
'toquoit, 'toquoit, The Wassatoquoit,
To the Passadumkeag or the Wassatoquoit-
Then turn to the beautiful lakes of Maine
To the Sage of Auburn be given the strain,
The statesman whose genius and bright fancy, makes
The earth's highest glories to shine in its lakes);
What lakes out of Maine can we place in the book
With the Matagomon and the Pangokomook
''ommok, 'ommok, The Pangokomook,
With the Matagomon and the Pangokomook?
Lake Leman, or Como, what care I for them,​

When Maine has the Moosehead and Pangokwahem,
And, sweet as the dews in the violet's kiss,
Wallahgosqueqamook and Telesimis;
And when I can share in the fisherman's bunk
On the Moosetuckmaguntic or Mol'tunkamunk?
And Maine has the Eagle Lakes, Cheppawagan,
And the little Sepic and the little Scapan,
The spreading Sebago, the Congomgomoc,
The Milliemet and Motesoinloc,
Caribou and the fair Anmonjenegamook,
Oquassaac and rare Wetokenebacook-
'acook, 'accook​

Oquassac and rare Wetokenebacook.
And there are the Pokeshine and Patquongomis;
And there is the pretty Coscomgonnosis,
The Pemadumook and the old Chesuncook,
Sepois and Mooseleuk; and take care not to miss
The Umbazookskus or the Sysladobsis.
'dobsis, 'dobsis, The Sysladobsis.
O, Give me the rivers and lakes of Maine
In her mountains or forests or fields of grain,
In the depth of the shade or the blaze of the sun,
The lakes of Schoodic and the Basconegun,
And the dear Waubasoos and the clear Aquessuc,
The Cosbosecontic and Millenkikuk-
'kikuk, 'kikuk, The Millenkikuk,
The Cosbosecontic and Millenkikuk!
Except I believe it is just a poem (despite it calling itself a song) and hasn't been set to music yet. (I could be wrong) Maybe some musician on LPSG will be inspired to do so!​
 

whatireallywant

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A drunken duet of this might be amusing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeQ-wjDH4F4

I love that song! :biggrin1: Actually I like pretty much anything by They Might Be Giants... But my favorite of their songs (which I'm sure is not available as a karaoke song) is this one... (again, a song that tweaks my nerdy side! :biggrin1:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JdWlSF195Y&feature=related
I don't think those would really be all THAT difficult to sing though.
 
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elegant20

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For a huge drinking game, anything by Bob Dylan..

If you sing his songs in Karoke.....a fourth quarter drunk and sound exactly like him. Great songwriter, but what the hell is he saying....it could have been gibberish in some bizarre language.

:biggrin1:
 

whatireallywant

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Does the karaoke repetoire include Gilbert and Sullivan? LOL There's I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General from Pirates of Penzance.

Also the second time around in All for the Best from Godspell is incredibly fast. It's also alliterative so at that speed it's very hard to do.

Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please,
Richer than the bees are in honey
Never growing old, never feeling cold
Pulling pots of gold from thin air
The best in every town, best at shaking down
Best at making mountains of money
They can't take it with them, but what do they care?
They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat
Houses on the street where it's sunny..
Summers at the sea, winters warm and free
All of this and we get the rest...
But who is the land for? The sun and the sand for?
You guessed! It's all for the best...​

I'm such a traditionalist. LOL

And without a doubt, the HARDEST song to sing in English (and various Native American languages) would have to be The Rivers and Lakes of Maine.

The Lovely Rivers And Lakes Of Maine
by George B.Wallis​

O, The lovely rivers and Lakes of Maine!
I am charmed with their names, as my song will explain;
Aboriginal muses inspire my strain,
While I sing the bright rivers and lakes of Maine-
From Cupsuptic to Cheputmatticook
From Sagadahock to Pohenegamook-
'gamook, 'gamook, Pohenegamook,
From Sagadahock to Pohenegamook.
For light serenading the "Blue Moselle",
"Bonnie Doon" and "Sweet Avon" may do very well;
But the rivers of Maine, in their wild solitudes,
Bring a thunderous sound from the depth of the woods:​

The Aroostook and Chimmenticook,
The Chimpanaoc and Chinquassabamtook-
'bamtook, 'bamtook, Chinquassabamtook,
The Chimpassoc and Chinquassabamtook,
Behold how they sparkle and flash in the sun!
The Mattewamkeag and the Mussungun;
The kingly Penobscot, the wild Woolastook,
Kennebec, Kennebago and Sebasticook;
The pretty Presumpscut and gay Tulanbic;
The Ess'quilsagook and little Schoodic-
Schoodic, Schoodic; The little Schoodic;
The Ess'quilsagook and little Schoodic.​

Yes, Yes, I prefer the bright rivers of Maine,
To the Rhine or the Rhone or the Saone or the Seine;
These may do for the Cockney, but give me some nook,
On the Ammonoosuc or the Wytopadiook.
On the Umsaskis or the Ripogenis,
The Ripogenis or the Piscataquis-
'aguis, 'aguis,
The Piscataguis. "Away down South," the Cherokee
Has named his river the Tennessee,
The Chattahoochee and the Ocmulgee,
The Congaree and the Ohoopee;
But what are they, or the Frenchy Detroit,​

To the Passadumkeag or the Wassatoquoit-
'toquoit, 'toquoit, The Wassatoquoit,
To the Passadumkeag or the Wassatoquoit-
Then turn to the beautiful lakes of Maine
To the Sage of Auburn be given the strain,
The statesman whose genius and bright fancy, makes
The earth's highest glories to shine in its lakes);
What lakes out of Maine can we place in the book
With the Matagomon and the Pangokomook
''ommok, 'ommok, The Pangokomook,
With the Matagomon and the Pangokomook?
Lake Leman, or Como, what care I for them,​

When Maine has the Moosehead and Pangokwahem,
And, sweet as the dews in the violet's kiss,
Wallahgosqueqamook and Telesimis;
And when I can share in the fisherman's bunk
On the Moosetuckmaguntic or Mol'tunkamunk?
And Maine has the Eagle Lakes, Cheppawagan,
And the little Sepic and the little Scapan,
The spreading Sebago, the Congomgomoc,
The Milliemet and Motesoinloc,
Caribou and the fair Anmonjenegamook,
Oquassaac and rare Wetokenebacook-
'acook, 'accook​

Oquassac and rare Wetokenebacook.
And there are the Pokeshine and Patquongomis;
And there is the pretty Coscomgonnosis,
The Pemadumook and the old Chesuncook,
Sepois and Mooseleuk; and take care not to miss
The Umbazookskus or the Sysladobsis.
'dobsis, 'dobsis, The Sysladobsis.
O, Give me the rivers and lakes of Maine
In her mountains or forests or fields of grain,
In the depth of the shade or the blaze of the sun,
The lakes of Schoodic and the Basconegun,
And the dear Waubasoos and the clear Aquessuc,
The Cosbosecontic and Millenkikuk-
'kikuk, 'kikuk, The Millenkikuk,
The Cosbosecontic and Millenkikuk!​


Except I believe it is just a poem (despite it calling itself a song) and hasn't been set to music yet. (I could be wrong) Maybe some musician on LPSG will be inspired to do so!​

Links!!!
Here's "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSloW2coCDQ
Yes, there are parts of it that are very fast! :biggrin1:

"All For the Best"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnIW-eIAJxE
 

Principessa

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whatireallywant

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I used to be crazy for Envelopes but I licked the habit. :tongue:

I Will Always Love You

And I Am Telling You

I Have Nothing

Respect

I have sung in church choirs all my life and in the chamber choir in high school. Doesn't matter if I am drunk, buzzed, or sober. :frown1: I SUCK at karaoke. :redface:

I actually LIKE the bad singers at karaoke because I figure if they can get up there and totally suck, then so can I! :biggrin1:

It is different from singing in the choir. I used to sing in choir, my last year of high school and first year of college. However, I also wrecked my vocal cords doing that because they had me singing first soprano! My voice has changed since I was younger (everyone's voices change, not just guys at puberty :biggrin1:), and I'm now an alto. I was actually becoming an alto sometime during my first year of college, because when I tried to sing at the beginning of my second year of college, it was physically painful and I had to drop out of choir. And in fact, I was physically unable to sing at all until just recently. I'm doing karaoke partly to get my voice back since I really do like to sing and wanted to sing even when it was painful for me to do so, and partly because it might help me with my social anxiety.

I'm not attempting "I Will Always Love You" at all! I won't do the Dolly Parton OR the Whitney Houston version! Both of them sing too high for me! Respect would be hard to sing too. It's a little closer to my voice pitch but I can't do that particular style of singing. Plus I have a hard time with the idea of doing a legendary song like that in karaoke (because of my own vocal limitations!) One singer who is within my vocal range, but who I feel like I can't do her songs until I get much, MUCH better, because of the whole "legendary" thing, is Patsy Cline.

I've just started this whole karaoke thing. I've only done three songs: "Just a Girl", "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and "Believe". My next karaoke is just before Christmas so I'm going to do a Christmas song and one or two others. I'm trying to figure out which Christmas song I'll do (It won't be "O Holy Night", as I made a mental note in a previous post! :biggrin1:) I have a couple of ideas though... And I have a few ideas as to the other songs I'll do as well.
 

whatireallywant

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One song I remember being a tongue-tier was Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire." LOL I remember making fun of it as a kid after having to listen to it in science class.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m50p-XScreM

I mentioned that song in my OP. :smile:

Actually, I have a thing for songs that go really fast like that, although I think they'd be torture to do in karaoke! :biggrin1:
 

whatireallywant

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Don't kill me WIRW, but 'O Holy Night' is actually in my range. :redface:

Ha ha! It actually might be in mine too, but I was referring to a previous poster saying that it is difficult because it's so popular and everyone judges you on it!

Here are a couple of the Christmas songs I'm considering doing next karaoke...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWjVCyNWs1o
(The Pretenders are one of my go-to groups for karaoke - Chrissie Hynde is within my range nicely!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad7KU9bCTAM
Carrie Underwood is a little high for me on a few notes but I love this song... I might do better singing THIS version, sung by Bing Crosby...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWjzTAkWLBM

Here's another one I can consider doing...(I love this song too)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUDgDTwR9u8
Just be sure that the version they have of "The Coventry Carol" is Alison Moyet and not Joan Baez. I like Joan Baez but she's a soprano! Alison Moyet is another of my "go-to singers"... (As well as, when I practice more and can do some faster songs, Yaz or Yazoo depending on which side of the pond you're on!) "The Coventry Carol" is also sung by Loreena McKennitt, who is one of my favorite singers but one I can't sing along with - high soprano there! This is also pretty much my favorite kind of Christmas song - I like the REALLY old ones like from medieval times!
 
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Qua

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anything that needs crazy range jumps. And not falsetto shit like the Darkness' I Believe in a Thing Called Love.

Queen, Guns N Roses, Soundgarden/Audioslave, Led Zep, Iron Maiden, Jeff Buckley (if he's ever on Karaoke...I hope not) all have absurd jumps, from comfortable male baritone to upper range alto

Alice in Chains is one of my favorites to do. Somehow I can imitate Layne to a tee (except when it gets a hair too high...I'll nail Would? but Man in the Box is too much)
 

whatireallywant

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I was stumbling along earlier on an "O Holy Night" guitar solo piece... funny you should mention it. I love Christmas songs... (and not the modern, corny santa-related ones).

I like the old Christmas songs too! Especially from medieval times or Victorian era. (I like costumes from those eras too - I want to go to a Renaissance Faire!)

What I miss most about not being in choir anymore is not being able to do madrigals - they were my favorite to sing, along with Handel's Messiah.

Here's a madrigal Christmas carol...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0OlgQ24aNI

BTW Hotrocker, love the Einstein quote in your sig! I'm also interested in both physics and music, although my career is in neither.

I was mentioning "The Coventry Carol" in my previous post, and found this video with several different versions of it sung by some sopranos and altos, and a tenor, as well as instrumentals of it. Two of my favorite altos are on there: Alison Moyet (whose version I posted in full above), and Mary Fahl, who is also the former lead singer of October Project (one of my favorite bands that most people have never heard of!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb1GIwtJNog
 
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whatireallywant

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