The last week or so, I’ve been stuck singing the same set of songs in the shower (I am an inveterate shower-singer). They are fun songs, and for some reason, I just keep singing them over and over. I did it while at the hotel in L.A. and again this evening after working out. Since we’re all friends here, I figured I’d share the 11 songs I’ve been repeating with some minor commentary.
1. Change Partners (Bing Crosby)
This was Fred Astaire’s signature song, I beleive, but this version is a solo by Der Bingle. It’s a very smooth and even song, good for getting started out. I should probably mention that I have no musical talent whatsoever, but I can carry a tune pretty well, if I do say so myself. In any event, I like this one. It reminds me of Ventura Blvd. in Studio City.
2. Hello, Hello (Kay Thomson and the Williams Brothers). I sing the Williams Brothers parts. For some reason, I love the part of the song when they sing their names: “Dick Williams! Don Williams, Bob Williams, and Andy Willaims!” It’s a silly song, but it’s fun to sing. Incidentally, Kay Thomson sounds a lot like and older Judy Garland in this song.
3. You Gotta Start Off Each Day With a Song (Bing Crosby and Jimmy Durante). Admittedly, my voice isn’t quite scratchy enough to do Jimmy Durante’s parts (I can usually mimick whoever I’m singing pretty well) so I sing Bing’s parts on this song, which are a humorous backup. I can never get through this song without bursting into laughter because Jimmy Durante is so funny in it. This is the way stand-up comedy should be.
4. Clancy Lowered the Boom (Bing Crosby and Dennis Day). I heard this song once in an Irish bar in Alexandria, and forgot about it until I got a CD of Bing Crosby’s old radio show. This is a great drinking song. No matter how many times I’ve tried, I can never get all of the verses in this song right. Usually, I know a song after hearing it once, maybe twice (my memory is weird that way), but not this song. I keep trying to learn it, though, in case I am ever in a bar an Irish bar again and people start singing this song.
5. They All Laughed (Bing Crosby). This would be my theme song, were I to ever have a theme song. These is a smooth and easy song to sing. I like it because you gotta love any song that mentions, Thomas Edison, and Orville and Wilbur Wright, and Guglielmo Marconi in the same song.
6. Far Away Places (Bing Crosby). This is a sentimental song that I real like. I based a whole story around this song, several years ago. It’s a slow song but good exercise.
7. Dear Hearts and Gentle People (Bing Crosby). This song reminds of showering after going for a run in Studio City. This is a summer song. In the dead of winter (like now) I sing this song in the shower and (in my mind) it is temporarily summer.
8. Play a Simple Melody (Bing Crosby and Gary Crosby). I used to sing Bing’s part on this song, but I’ve been singing Gary’s part this last week. It’s a little more challenging, especially when the two are singing different parts (I know there is a technical name for this, but it escapes me).
9. Sam’s Song (The Happy Tune) (Bing Crosby and Gary Crosby). I sing Gary’s part. I love the quick and witty lyrics and whenever I sing this song in the shower, I have to do it either before or after I shave, otherwise, I’ll cut myself. I challenge myself each time to sing Gary’s part perfectly and usually I can do it. I love this song. I sometimes find I’m humming it to myself at work.
10. Gone Fishin’ (Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby). Another summer song. I sing both parts in this song. I can do a pretty good Satchmo–at least recognizable. Plus, he usually got the better parts to sing. This is just a great song. It reminds me of fishing in Vermont.
11. Now You Has Jazz (Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong). From one of my favorite movies, High Society (ah, Grace Kelly! Sigh!) The musical arrangement is just awesome in this song, especially when the piano and trumpet comes in. There is a great duet at the end of the song between Bing and Louis and I always sing both parts.
So there you have it, probably more than you ever wanted to know about what I sing when I’m in the shower. So what do you sing in the shower?
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