“Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel
Written by Kevin
If you’re of the mindset to show off, regardless of your singing ability, this song plants a stake in the ground. This is your night and everyone else is a guest in it. I love this song not only because (once again) everyone and their mama knows it, but because it immediately forces you to sing from note one, plus it’s 80s nostalgia and 50s nostalgia all wrapped up in one.
Some songs don’t make you belt out each and every single note. In some songs, you can let the musical backing or funny, esoteric lyrics (Beck’s “Where It’s At”) do the work for you, but other songs put you to work. And why shouldn’t you strut around the stage? For that is the very reason we came to the empty orchestra, as karaoke translates to from its original Japanese. It’s time to fill that orchestra with vigor, verve and vocal volume.
No one expects you to be Billy Joel or a professional singer. But just the sheer attempt and the commitment to songs like this one will get you mad props. Ladies get a Melissa Etheridge bonus for performing this and knocking it out of the park.
[5songpjct Note to Kevin: In an interview with Billy Joel he says that all of the songs on this album were homages to musicians he loved listening to. This song was an homage to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.]
TOMORROW we get into a Motown classic