Harmonising whilst singing happy birthday

[NCParanoia]

Caveat: I know there's bigger and worse things going on in the world that I should be annoyed at, but here we are.

Does this make anyone else totally cringe? I have a family member who always harmonises when we sing happy birthday, especially the last bit. I find it so cringey.. its a bit me me me when the point of singing happy birthday is for the birthday person to be in the limelight. Also isn't it something awful we all sing just because we have to, not because we want to?

Am I alone in this? Do you harmonise when singing happy birthday? If so - why?!

(I promise I'm also a happy, fun person who likes to have a good time. I appreciate i sound like a massive birthday grinch)

It's a notoriously difficult song to sing well (hence used a lot at auditions) so I suspect those harmonising are taking the chance to show off their skills

@Justmuddlingalong

Hey at least they're not miserably whispering it like I do. Shit song.

I don't know what this means. I'm so far feom musical sorry. Do you mean she does like extra notes? It's a bit cringe and look at me.

@dorissimo1985 I wish I'd had your mum. My kids also refuse to do this stuff!!! I used to know a few good descant lines to Christmas carols and stuff....but it's all to high for me now. And everyone knows you have to know the original words to Stille Nacht.... 🤣
Musis is a wonderful gift. Singing is like a beautiful jewel and brings such joy. (And for some embarrassment lol)

I know this is a third world problem but I’m laughing as I can totally imagine people doing this. Thank fuck no one in my family does or else I’d be laughing my socks off at them

@Justmuddlingalong

My mother still sings the "you look like a monkey and live in a zoo" version and then cackles manickly at her hilarity. I'm 50 FFS. 🙄

I am glad you said you were 50, or I might have thought I was your mother! :o :o

I think I knew there was a second verse, but i could not tell you how it goes!

@Hotandknackered

I don't know what this means. I'm so far feom musical sorry. Do you mean she does like extra notes? It's a bit cringe and look at me.

She sings the last line to a different tune, but notes that still 'fit'.

Imagine listening to a choir — they don't all sing exactly the same notes all the time.

This thread has cheered me up inordinately for some inexplicable reason.

OP YANBU.

@Cheetahfajita - just for your delectation. I haven't watched this the whole way through but the cringeworthiness of what I have seen will give you some idea of how it is when done in company. Enjoy

I come from a family of wankers (read “singers” and “musicians”) and they ALL do this. It’s like a competitive sport.

And given the opportunity they grab an instrument to play while they are at it.

It makes me want to rip my ears off.

I fucking hate the lot of them and only go for the cake as I’m a fat bastard.

I think Marilyn Monroe did it better, and I'm sure that JFK would agree (with the singing, of course )

@NCParanoia

cheetah harmonising is singing the same line of a song but in a different key so it sounds melodic. Probs not the best description but hopefully you know what I mean!

If your harmony parts are in different keys its no wonder it sounds awful!

@ODFOkaren

I come from a family of wankers (read “singers” and “musicians”) and they ALL do this. It’s like a competitive sport.

And given the opportunity they grab an instrument to play while they are at it.

It makes me want to rip my ears off.

I fucking hate the lot of them and only go for the cake as I’m a fat bastard.

This made me laugh a lot!

My dds used to do this.

In their defence they were very young, and both autistic - they both started communicating through music and song.

Dd1 ‘just’ sang everywhere. All the time. Constantly.

Then dd2 came along, and she started organising the harmonies. Even at toddler music groups. And she used to tell me when others were singing out of tune (at toddler music groups )

Thankfully they no longer do the harmonising thing. Well, dd1 still does sometimes, but more because she’s singing the prt that dd2 taught her when she was younger, or to actually harmonise as such.

Ha ha, we are all quite musical in our family, so harmonies are de rigueur! It's all a bit daft and a bit of fun and sometimes you'll get too many voices on one part, or someone dicking about, but we can all sing in tune.

No, we don't burst into harmony during funerals or watching musical theatre, it's very much a time and place thing.

Oh this is awful!

This is me! It's not a desire to show off or look musical, honest! That's like saying people who use long words are just being showy!

I grew up in Wales, where at church everyone freely harmonised. I don't think in terms of the tune, but the overall music.

It's like Bohemian rhapsody, where everyone sings a different 'tune'. I could no more stick to the tune than I could talk without using the letter a.

@seriouslymole that youtube video is priceless. What are pair of twats!

Also, I sing alto in choir, so rarely/never get the tune.
It's just not that important to me, musically speaking. It's one piece of the picture.

I'm not explaining very well. Sorry.

@LuluBellaBlue

I know this is a third world problem but I’m laughing as I can totally imagine people doing this. Thank fuck no one in my family does or else I’d be laughing my socks off at them

A third world problem....?!

It’s family tradition that we do this - badly. There are complaints made if we forget to do it and it’s almost a competition for who can do it the worst.

Oh dear, I do this! DCs hate it and ask me not to and I have always wondered why.

In my head it makes a routine song sound more interesting, I think I'm putting in some extra effort for the benefit of the birthday person, a bit like making a home made cake instead of buying in the shop.

I'm prepared to stop if people on here can give me a really clear explanation why it's wrong!

As a "wanker" (thanks for that description @ODFOkaren) I would never harmonise happy birthday, that's just pure attention seeking even if you're doing it ironically!

My face screwed up so much when I read that title that now I look like Churchill the dog

That would drive me bloody insane. Everyone knows Happy Birthday should be sung terribly out of tune.

When students we went out for a friend's 21st at a pizza place. She was a member of a choral society, and about 3/4 of the people were from that. So we had happy birthday sung beautifully in 4 part harmony. It really sounded fantastic.

It contrasted with the drunk equivalent from a rowdy table of 6 a bit later.

They used to always do this on Eastenders.... there was always some fella in the background geezing it up