Would you like this or find it unbearably cringe?

[TheEnterainer]

We have a friend with a birthday in a few weeks.

The number one song when he was born was ‘Cinderella Rockafella.’

As you’ve possibly guessed - if this was his birthday number one - he’s still a young lad and might be a bit shy and self conscious when it comes ti things like showy displays ! 🙌

His birthday’s at the beginning of March.

What my partner and I would love to do is an impromptu dance to this song when we all visit the local social club in a few weeks to celebrate his birthday.

I’m busy learning the exact lyrics for this song already!

i personally LOVE this song although some people apparently find it a bit twee

SO -

YANBU - it’s a lovely, gesture and great to take initiative at a time when most people are busy scrolling their phones and CBA to make an effort for anyone or anything!

YABU - ‘Cinderella Rockafella’ is a novelty record sung by seasoned performers and the ‘Average Joes’ of this world can’t carry off such a performance without it looking extremely naff!

I said ‘young at heart’ because I had a barrage of people insisting that 57 isn’t young.

i see my friend the 57 year old as the young lad i knew playing football down the park. To me that’s him

I'm 41 and have no idea what was number 1 when I was born. If someone did what you're planning to do on my birthday, I'd be very confused and embarrassed!

But only you know whether the birthday "boy" would instantly be able to recognise it his birthday song and enjoy the "show".

I imagine some would love it and others like myself would be horrified. It's your call! Personally I'd go with a bottle of whisky, book or tickets to something lol.

How on earth do you know it will mean nothing to the birthday person? - it's a bit of a stretch for you to claim that. I certainly know most of the songs which were popular the year I was born. Presumably OP intends explaining anyway.

Brits do seem to be fun sponges from reading this thread - people here would be more up for it.

Is this a joke? If not please film yourselves and send us the link.

And yet you really thought that the young fellow playing football down at the park who you see him as, who you describe as a bit shy and selfconscious, would enjoy you and your husband pulling focus on his birthday and putting on an amateur performance of a hideous comedy track, that is not in any way special or probably even known to him, just because you've dug up it was the number one single at the time of his birth and you like it.

It's so tone deaf and self-indulgent. I would pray for the earth to swallow me if this sort of thing happened at my birthday celebration or any occasion for which I was present.

Surprised at how many people wouldn't like it. I'd laugh my head off if somebody did this.

It's so bad I can't stop laughing 😂
I can actually imagine myself singing this, while rat-arsed, in some random faraway holiday karaoke bar

But I'd never consider such a performance an appropriate gift for a friend 😐

Id be absolutely baffled if my friends did this.

What a terrible song and lyrics 😂 I’d kick someone out of the party if they brought this into the mix. No way

This would be the worst thing that ever happened to me.

Even the sped up Carpenters cover is still horrific stuff.

Why would he think two of his friends dancing and yowling to this would be fun, some sort of gift or treat? Would he not sit there cringing and hoping the floor would open up and swallow him whole? I know I would, particularly when it becomes obvious this is not 'impromptu' at all but thoroughly (badly) planned and arranged...

Buy the bloke a pint, and whatever gift he'd actually like and think about the focus of his birthday being him, rather than you!

I've never understood this fascination with 'what was number 1 when you were born' anyway - by the time he was old enough to be properly interested in music this song would have been min. ten years out of date, if he'd ever heard of it at all.

If a close friend knew/discovered my favourite song and made the effort to practice a quirky/fun routine, I'd probably find it sweet and appreciate it.

On the other hand, I've just googled my bday song and I don't like it at all. So if they were to perform it in public at my birthday gathering- I wouldn't die of embarrassment or leave or any other extreme reaction described by PP. It wouldn't ruin my birthday but I would however find it odd and feel like my friends don't actually know me

As you’ve possibly guessed - if this was his birthday number one - he’s still a young lad and might be a bit shy and self conscious when it comes ti things like showy displays !

You know that your friend won't like it. Be a true friend and respect your friends feelings. It sounds as though you'd love it, but he certainly wouldn't.

This

Why would you want everyone looking at you on your friend’s birthday? Stop being so self-absorbed

Was it in Gavin and Stacey? I don't remember that

Don’t think so

If you want to make yourself look like a prize twat then go for it

I reckon if everyone on this thread were to say they'd cover, say- 10 miles, we'd be able to get someone in to film it. 🎥 🍿

I feel the same but then again, my friends are very much a 'karaoke crowd' so it wouldn't seem out of place.

I'm finding the whole 'its the worse thing that could ever happen to me/I'd leave the party/I'd never speak to them again' wildly dramatic though
Surely most normal people would just carry on enjoying their party with the rest of their friends and not sack it all off for the sake of one couples strange five minute performance

If you really feel the need to perform something, at least do it song that would be memorable to him or a favourite of his. What is the point of this song- he won't remember it? You just have the bees in your bonnet about this song for some reason.

No but they do a duet and doing it in role as Bryn and Nessa would give it a humorous element other than just cringe.

Many MNers are a strange breed, not to mention overly dramatic and prone to hyperbole. They take themselves, and life, far too seriously. Thank goodness the people I know in real life are nothing like them. 😄

Haven't read the whole thread, only 1st two pages and all the OP's comments, so sorry if a million people have already said this sort of thing, but...

No! You and your DH singing a romantic duet sounds like it's all about you and your lurrrve, not your friend's birthday.

Why do this randomly on his 57th? Usually this sort of eye-poppingly cringey demonstration is saved for a milestone birthday where at least it might be slightly less inappropriate. Why 57? Why not last year, for example?

As someone else in their late 50s, I'd say phrases like "young at heart" and describing someone in their late 50s as a "young lad" is a big step on the slippery slope to saying "I'm X years young you know!" and inviting strangers to "Guess how old I am! Go on, guess! I won't be offended!". Such people inevitably sulk for the rest of the evening because someone guesses they're 2 years older.