Nani,,Izzy,Susy,Shell,,Lisa,,Tammy,,Nesh,,(have we more? sorry)

Feel free to get outside the box here.
dieguy
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Sun Oct 31, 2010 2:21 pm

I guess I have never thought about gender roles when picking a song to learn but then I realize I do this subconsciously. For instance one song I absolutely love and think would be a great one person acoustic song (if you could sing it) would be "Killing me Softly". I actually downloaded the chords once but never really worked on it. I feel I am secure in my masculinity but can not see myself singing "Strumming my pain with his fingers" or "I felt all flushed with fever,Embarassed by the crowd,I felt he found my letters,and read each one out loud" :S

I guess this is one of those guilty pleasures that will have to remain on the morning shower playlist for me.

Bill


AndyT
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Sun Oct 31, 2010 2:36 pm

Bill,

I think that there are a lot of guys that remember her sweet incredibly high pitched voice singing that song. Because of that, I'm sure there are many more men that know the song than you might think. LOL I always loved it, though I'd probably never sing it in public.


wammer
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Sun Oct 31, 2010 11:09 pm

So my to/two/too/tutu/2 ??? cents worth....for what its worth


I sing and play songs because I love/like the song...be it for the tune or the lyric. I would never change the words as I sing the song from my heart usually ......I think I just become the singer of a great tune. I guess what Im trying to say is ???????


I didnt write the song I'm just singing the/his/her song


Tammy


kenoakee
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Mon Nov 01, 2010 12:05 am

Hey guys great topic.....have been following along from the start
I read what Bill wrote about "Killing Me Softly" and it made me think of a part this movie "About A Boy"



Just thought others might find it interesting

Ken


songman52
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Mon Nov 01, 2010 12:08 am

Interesting topic. For me, it depends on the song. I used to sing "Killing Me Softly" quite often in public and used the feminine pronouns, e.g., "killing me softly with HER song", "strumming my fate with HER fingers", etc. So I guess it depends on how the substitutes sound in a particular song.

Jerry


AndyT
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Mon Nov 01, 2010 4:20 am

Ok then...



Anyone remember Minnie Ripperton?



Two songs that filled my younger days. Both of them bring back a flood of memories. Both of them I'd love to play. But I would change them to better reflect how things have changed since then.


willem
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Mon Nov 01, 2010 5:44 am

OKE,,thanks Lady's and man,,i gives me a broad sight of your thoughts about lyrics in a song and your right, don't change lyrics,,it is the song written by artist and we can't offend them,just take songs from a woman or man's imagination..for me are lyrics very important and make a lot out of them,,, i do not change them,but when i sing(try) ''Angie"'i think its ......


schm040
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Mon Nov 01, 2010 7:04 am

I agree with those who do NOT change the words.

James Taylor changed the pronouns in Joni Mitchel's "River" when he sung it for her at an event dedicated to her music and I thought he ruined it by changing the gender perspective.





wiley
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Mon Nov 01, 2010 8:01 am

Composers - "Killing Me Softly";

Norman Gimbel - lyricist, 1984 inductee Songwriters Hall of Fame

Charles Ira Fox - composer, 2004 inductee Songwriters Hall of Fame

This is the original singer, Lori Lieberman, whom the song idea was written for, and the original composition.




This guy did this cover. Perry Como did a cover where he did change the gender.



Story goes that Gimbel had written down the 'ideal' years before after reading a book given to him by Lilo Shifrin whom Norman had written lyrics with for several soundtracks. Norman had suggested the two of them do a Broadway, Lilo gave him the book as an 'idea' for that production, which never happened. In that book was a passage in which the major character sits in a bar listening to a pianist who 'Kills me softly with his blues'.

Gimbel was hired at a later time to compose for the "Lori Lieberman' project and during one of their discussions, she began talking about how Don McLean, in a concert Lori had recently attended, 'killed me with his words'. Gimbel wrote the lyrics and handed them over to Fox to compose the music.


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