Tuesday, July 10, 2012,
Words by Joe Raposo. Think Sesame Street, although I don’t think he ever appears on the show. I usually identify this song with the Carpenters, but it’s actually an old standard on Sesame Street. Turns out, I don’t remember the original, mostly because I was too old for Sesame Street when it came out. Not too smart, just too old. On YouTube you can find many different versions. Here’s a video that includes a slew of folks doing the song at Sesame Street.
Sing, sing a song,
Sing out loud, sing out strong.
Make it simple to last your whole life long.
Don’t worry that it’s not good enough or anyone else to hear
Just sing, sing a song.
Words by Joe Rapaso.
Pics by Joe Kayaker.
I remember that song — but I like the pictures WAY more than I like the song. I’d rather imagine that redwing blackbird belting out “My Way” or “I Am What I Am”. Much better tunes if you ask me.
Gosh, Michele. I LIKE that song. I’m a rock-and-roller at heart but I’ve always been fond of that tune. Maybe it’s because I don’t feel ashamed to belt out “Don’t worry that it’s not good enough or anyone else to hear” with my less than stellar voice. No one ever mistakes me for Caruso.
I could definitely see a Red-wing singing “My Way”. That’s easy. But “I Am What I Am”? Huh? You must mean “I Yam What I Yam”. That’s Popeye the Sailor Man and that’s real culture, the kind of stuff Joe Kayaker was raised on. Toot, toot! JK
It’s an OKAY song, but nothin’ to write home about and I never especially wanted to belt it out. But the second song I mentioned is not from Popeye — sorry, JK — it’s from Broadway. Here’s a link — great lyrics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E65ZSn83pz0
As for Caruso, well, he’s lying on a chair in my den right now — floppy ears and all. Henry most certainly IS Caruso! 😉
Michele, I checked out your link. Actually, I had googled your song before replying to your initial comment. I’m afraid that I’ve never heard of the song before and that, worse, it does nothing for me. I think Sammy Davis doing “I Gotta Be Me” captures that sentiment much better. Just my opinion.
One thing I noticed about your “I Am What I Am” song is that all of the folks that perform that song wear cocktail dresses. Strangely enough, most of the performers are male. No offense, but I’m going to stick with my man Popeye. JK
And what’s wrong with cocktail dresses??? Considering the male birds look prettier and more decked out than the females, I think that song may be ESPECIALLY appropriate. But I do think Linda Eder does the best version I’ve heard and I could not find a link to hers. Sammy Davis will do, however; I agree that works well too.