Song Club #57: Sing-Alongs

Writing songs that you can, uh, sing along to

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It has become a bit of a thing at the office I work from for us to sing goodbye to each other.

Just as the person leaving gets to the door, the rest of us sing them off with a long, slightly nasal “byyyeeeeeeee”—honestly, in fairly remarkable unison given how spontaneously it tends to happen.

It’s so silly, and so heart-opening. It warms me to even tell about it.

Another related story (I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this), I invited the audience at an open mic on Tuesday to sing along with me. In some video of this moment, you can hear me squeal afterwards, such was the pleasure of having other voices join me own.

In yet another related story, some months ago Adrianne Lenker opened her set at King’s Theatre by inviting the audience to sing along to her song ‘anything’ — I remember soft and gorgeous harmonies, as we joined her. And just, like, happiness.

This is the radiant joy of the sing-along!

When I was growing up in the 1990s, to be cool was to be cynical, ironical, and aloof. Sing-alongs were considered cheesy and lame because they are joyful and earnest. For such a long time they held that cringy place in my mind.

Lately, though, to sing along with others in big messy choruses has become something I seek—a balm and a wonder.

This week, I’m experimenting with some playful ‘Entry Points’ for writing sing-alongs.

I hope it means you find one for yourself soon.
Lucy

‘Entry Points’