From time to time I like to share lists of songs I’ve sung at karaoke over a given period, mostly to express to the uninitiated how possible it is to go to karaoke and sing lots of your favorite songs — weird stuff too, not just big hits.
Once you know that, you can start going to karaoke all the time and reveling in its transformative powers, come out of your shell, become a better person, etc.
Here’s everything I sang in a little bar in Tokyo’s Golden Gai district at my birthday party last week:
- Rebel Yell – Billy Idol
- Touch Me - The Doors
- Sunday Morning - The Velvet Underground
- Darlin’ - The Beach Boys
- Maybelline - Chuck Berry
- I’m Not Like Everybody Else - The Kinks
- Out of Time - The Rolling Stones
- Material Girl - Madonna
- Every 1’s A Winner - Hot Chocolate
- Young Americans - David Bowie
- Reflektor - Arcade Fire
- Don’t Think Twice - Bob Dylan
- Working for the Weekend - Loverboy
- The Boys Are Back in Town - Thin Lizzy
- Pink Triangle - Weezer
- Minority - Green Day
- Red Hot Moon - Rancid
- New York City Cops - The Strokes
- Perfect Day - Lou Reed
- Rocky Raccoon - The Beatles
- Alison - Elvis Costello
- Burning Love - Elvis Presley
- Daria - Cake
- Work to Do - The Isley Brothers
- Debaser - Pixies
- Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding
It was the first time I ever sang a Bowie song. I’d always been too hesitant because it seemed like messing up a Bowie song would be too much of a bummer, but when I saw “Young Americans” in the songbook and I was with a bunch of young Americans and had had a lot to drink, it seemed like a good idea.
If you want to sing some karaoke soon, I might recommend doing it at Pop’s this Friday with Roger Niner (who has an incredibly extensive songbook) or at Singin’ & Pingin’ at Rickshaw Stop on the 23rd with DJ Purple (who puts on a very special “Dance Karaoke” party).
