The "Happy Birthday" song is great for four-year-olds. They can
memorize the whole song in less time than it takes to sing it.

And I have no problems with traditions. I rather like traditions,
even, if they don't get out of control.

But the "Happy Birthday" song is a tradition that just isn't
appropriate for adults with IQs in the double digits or above,
in my opinion.

Can anyone suggest other songs that normally non-singing adults
might be able to sing without too much difficulty, that would
be in some way appropriate for celebration of a birthday?

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

__________________
http://www.FreeMars.org/jeff/

"I find astronomy very interesting, but I wouldn't if I thought we
were just going to sit here and look." -- "Van Rijn"

"The other planets? Well, they just happen to be there, but the
point of rockets is to explore them!" -- Kai Yeves

How about Inagodadavida?

__________________
Don of Borg - Cool, Calm, Collective.

"Within the next generation I believe that the world's leaders will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

There is the Beatles birthday song (4th wav file on this page), but it is not easily sung along with.

There is an even sillier children's one I know:
"Today, today, today, today, today, today is your birthday,
Its not the beatles or the bears,
Its not the pickles or the pears,
Horay, horay, horay, horay, horay today is your birthday."

I like farmerjumperdon's idea, or maybe the Hallelujah chorus. But what's wrong with acting like 4 years old at times?

__________________
At night the stars put on a show for free (Carole King)

One Earth, One Sky - IYA 2009
All moderation in purple

Auld Lang Syne?

__________________
- Learn a lot teaching others.

There's always this.

__________________
Conserve energy. Commute with the Hamiltonian.

I was with a chorale group last year, and we had a birthday medley of several well known tunes, set to birthday-type lyrics. I kinda' wish I had copied that one, before I left the group.

The tunes were excerpts from:
1. A Humoresque in C major, by Dvorak (I think)
2. Hallelujah chorus from "Messiah"; Handel
3. The Star Spangled Banner
4. A well-known Dirge, composer unkown
5. Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly, composer unkown.

This medley was always a "hit" with the audience. There was always someone in the crown with a recent or upcoming birthday.

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http://boinc.mundayweb.com/one/stats...033/prj:6/.png

Ah, yes. Very popular around the local ren groups. Heather Alexander also does a birthday song that must be heard to be believed, and of course, it's not on any of her albums. (I sicced her on a friend once.)

My problem with "Happy Birthday" is not the acting-like-a-four-year-old bit; what else are birthdays for? My problem is that only trained musicians ever seem to bother picking a key in advance, and so most performances of it involve all the singers shifting keys for the entire length of the song, generally clashing painfully most of the time. I'm kind of sensitive that way.

__________________
Gillian

"Now everyone was giving her that kind of look UFOlogists get when they suddenly say, 'Hey, if you shade your eyes you can see it is just a flock of geese after all.'"

"You can't erase icing."

"I can't believe it doesn't work! I found it on the internet, man!"

Acting like a four-year-old isn't the problem! The problem with
the song is that it is totally insipid, uninteresting, stupid,
mindless, pointless, purposeless, repetative, humorless, dull,
repetitive, boring, repetitive, boring, and repetitive.

If it was inflicted on me only once a year, that would be
tolerable. But five, ten, fifteen times a year or more?
Like I said, not for people with IQs in the double-digit
range or above.

What you said does suggest to me, though, that I might find
something suitable among more modern songs written for children.
It needs to be easy to sing, and easy to learn. The main reason
the Happy Birthday song gets repeated ad nauseum is undoubtedly
that it is already learned, so no additional effort is required.

It also doesn't help any if some of the people have had a bit
too much to drink, and I'm not one of those people.

Plus, everyone has a different idea of what to call the target.
"Happy birthday dear Sue/Susan/Susie/Momma/Grandma..."

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

__________________
http://www.FreeMars.org/jeff/

"I find astronomy very interesting, but I wouldn't if I thought we
were just going to sit here and look." -- "Van Rijn"

"The other planets? Well, they just happen to be there, but the
point of rockets is to explore them!" -- Kai Yeves

How long was this thing? Were the tunes linked together somehow?
Were the lyrics any good? Were they fitted to the music? Any
chance that I could get them?

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

__________________
http://www.FreeMars.org/jeff/

"I find astronomy very interesting, but I wouldn't if I thought we
were just going to sit here and look." -- "Van Rijn"

"The other planets? Well, they just happen to be there, but the
point of rockets is to explore them!" -- Kai Yeves

Ugghh. That's only an order of magnitude less awful than the
Happy Birthday song.

However, your moniker suggested to me the idea of trying to
write something to fit some snatch of the Pastoral Symphony.
I'll listen to it now to determine if there is anything useable.
Even if there is, I may not be able to find words to fit.

If I had the money I'd hire a musician to compose something
for me.

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

__________________
http://www.FreeMars.org/jeff/

"I find astronomy very interesting, but I wouldn't if I thought we
were just going to sit here and look." -- "Van Rijn"

"The other planets? Well, they just happen to be there, but the
point of rockets is to explore them!" -- Kai Yeves

From a 1940's Saturday morning radio show "No School Today" starring Big John and Sparky. Melody "The Merry Widow Waltz":

Happy birthday, happy birthday just for you.
Happy birthday and may all your dreams come true.
As you blow out the candles, one light stays aglow.
It's the sunshine of your smile where'er you go.

__________________
"Everybody's playing the Game
But nobody's rules are the same
Nobody's on nobody's side." (Tim Rice)
No matter how strong, or brave, or pure of heart you may be; sometimes the dragon wins!

I'll ask the group's director for a copy, or at least all the information. It is a published song, and should be available at your local music store (that sells sheet music, etc.)

Tom, in Albuquerque

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http://boinc.mundayweb.com/one/stats...033/prj:6/.png

There is always the option of not singing something at all. After twenty years together, my wife and I have yet to sing to each other on a birthday. If you like music, have some, then wish the person well.

Or you could sing that inane birthday ditty they sing in restaurants.

Something like:

Happy happy Birthday
It's certainly a thrill
To see you on your birthday
We hope you took your pill.

Happy happy birthday
So let's all raise a cup
And after your last birthday
You'll push the daisies up.



Or something like that...

What planet are you from?

If I do nothing, the "Happy Birthday" song will happen.
If I were to attempt to stop all singing (which I certainly
don't want to do), I would be considered with contempt at my
own birthday; considered with contempt and ignored at anyone
else's birthday. All I can hope to do is change the course
of the ship slightly.

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

__________________
http://www.FreeMars.org/jeff/

"I find astronomy very interesting, but I wouldn't if I thought we
were just going to sit here and look." -- "Van Rijn"

"The other planets? Well, they just happen to be there, but the
point of rockets is to explore them!" -- Kai Yeves

Thank you! That's great! Certainly far from perfect, but great
nevertheless.

The scansion almost works. Two problems-- one easily fixed by
changing "blow out the candles" to "blow out candles". But
trying to force "wherever" into two syllables is very clumsy.
I take it you remember this from the 1940's? Can you give me
any guidence on how to sing it?

I didn't recognize the music, but I'm amazed at how quickly I
was able to memorize the tune. It didn't sound at first like
it was distinctive enough to remember, but just two or three
listens established it in my mind.

This might be worth passing around at my parent's co-operative
apartment building for people 55 and over. If you remembered
it, I'm sure a lot of people there will recognize it.

I notice that you joined in 2002 but only have six posts.
Reserved fellow, you are!

-- Jeff, in Minneapolis

__________________
http://www.FreeMars.org/jeff/

"I find astronomy very interesting, but I wouldn't if I thought we
were just going to sit here and look." -- "Van Rijn"

"The other planets? Well, they just happen to be there, but the
point of rockets is to explore them!" -- Kai Yeves