For reference, here’s the original version of my “Master Song List” from January, 2010. Since then, I’ve been able to refine the list into a catalog of songs I’ve actually sung — though with fewer comments, sadly. But if I commented in detail about every one of the 70+ songs I’ve sung, I’d never get it posted!
The new version of the “Master Song List” is available using the link at the top of the page (or here if that’s not working).
I’ve divided up the songs between ones I’ve done and ones I’d like to do, and then between male and female voices. I really like singing songs by female artists. I’m a tenor, so they’re often in my range, and plus, girls just *sound* better. And look better too. This is possibly related to why I don’t like sports — if I want to see a sweaty *guy*, I can look in the mirror after playing DDR. *shudder* But I can’t always sing the girl songs, depending on the venue (for example, the small-town country bar in Kaufman — not the place to belt out “She Works Hard For the Money” by Donna Summer).
Songs I’ve sung, and done alright
Male Voices
* I Like Dreamin’ — Kenny Nolan 
I love this song, and it’s right in my range. Plus, it has key changes that sound great when they’re done right. The two times I’ve sung it, I’ve seen the DJ getting ready to wince — and then smile when I don’t suck.
* Good Hearted Woman — Willie & Waylon
This one was fun to do at the country bar in Kaufman, so I’ll probably do it again if the venue calls for it. It’s a classic Outlaw Country song, back when Country was still true to its roots. And it has a key change to boot, so it’s a winner all around.
* Dixieland Delight — Alabama
I can probably sing a lot of Alabama songs, but for some reason, this is the only one I’ve done. In fact, I’ve done it three times now — it turned out to be a great warmup. I didn’t realize why until the last time... it’s not just that it’s in my range, it’s because you can’t hear me sing at the beginning. The background is on the melody and it’s loud! So loud that at the start of the second verse, when it’s just me, it sounded off. I think I’ll pick it when I’m uncertain or not warmed up, but not when I’m in the groove.
* Tell Her About It — Billy Joel
Lots of fun, with a dense lyric. It’s just the sort of song that will tangle your tongue if you don’t already know it! You’ve got to know the song pretty well, and only use the prompter to keep from getting lost.
* Barlight — Charlie Robison
I’ve seen this one (and “You’re Not The Best”, below) on a surprising number of lists. There are a lot of good Texas Music artists that don’t get enough play on the radio, including Charlie and his brother, Bruce Robison. Charlie’s songs tend to party down, Bruce’s are more mellow. Bruce wrote “Travelin’ Soldier” — the song that could have been the anthem for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan if Natalie Maines hadn’t let herself become a ping-pong ball in the debate. (No politics on stage, so I don’t sing it, even though it’s awesome.)
* (Everything I Do) I Do It For You — Brian Adams
I did this one during the same set at Buffalo Wild Wings where “Blue Collar Man” flopped, and it came out alright. I was worried, because I started it high, and it goes *really* high. But a couple of ladies in the audience were smiling at me, so I sang to them, and it all worked out. I got to dance with one later, which was nice, except that I still don’t really know how to Karaoke-dance. It’s not the same as DDR — no arrows.
* Born to Run — Bruce Springsteen
There’s something about songs that mention a woman’s name. They just make me feel like I’m there, singing to or about her. In this song, it’s Wendy. Another lyrically dense song — I had to look it up and fill in the gaps. I may have to just growl past some parts, like “Beyond the palace hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard”. And I’ve got to get the right sound at the beginning... too bad I don’t smoke. Finally, now that I’ve sung the song (at The Goat), I know another secret... don’t smile. You can’t do this song with a smile.
* She Believes in Me — Kenny Rogers
This song shaped my future, way back in the ‘80s. It was the song I sang when I tried out for the Roustabouts singing troupe at Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa. Fresh out of high school, I got just what I needed — a dose of humility. I sang ok, but nowhere near the level of the other singers. And I had never taken any sort of dance classes, so I was a complete flop in the dance tryout (though I still can’t hear “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham without wanting to move my feet). But I did look at helping out on the technical side... before mononucleosis (“kissing disease”, caught by drinking from the wrong straw while working at Sonic) cut my freshman year short. I don’t know if I sang it well or not on the Karaoke stage — I was too busy reliving the past.
Female voices
* Anything by the Dixie Chicks
I run the “All-Inclusive Dixie Chicks” website, dixie-chicks.com, which is mostly stories and anecdotes from their pre-Natalie days. Of course, no Karaoke joint is going to have anything from the group’s out-of-print albums with Laura Lynch and Robin Lynn Macy, but I can sing all their new stuff, including “Not Ready to Make Nice”. I can’t start out with it, though — most songs need to be sung high. My first song at the company party was “Cowboy Take Me Away”, and I didn’t know to sing on the high end of my range instead of low. Need to be warmed up first.
* Several songs by Loretta Lynn
I don’t follow the lives of the “stars”, but when Loretta Lynn passes on, I want to drive to Tennessee or Kentucky to pay my respects. My folks on my Mom’s side are from deep eastern Kentucky, where the carbonated sugary drink is called “Pop”, not “Soda” or “Coke”. I sang “Don’t Come Home A’Drinkin’ With Lovin’ On Your Mind” at the dive bar, and it was loads of fun.
Songs I’ve sung that need some work
* Two out of Three Ain’t Bad — Meat Loaf
I should be able to do this one, but when I tried it I stank. Still trying to figure it out — it would be easy to blame it on the recording being in the wrong key, but I should be able to get it. It’s my shower song — one I can sing to make sure I’m not dawdling before work.
* Blue Collar Man — Styx
Again, I should be able to do this one, but it was something of a flop. Maybe it’s because I tried to start with it, so I wasn’t properly warmed up (either by singing or insufficient tequila). I tried it low... maybe I should go high, but I’m afraid it’ll blow out the top end.
* Fortress Around Your Heart — Sting
This is the only song where I’ve asked the DJ to change the key, because it started out somewhere I didn’t expect. But I still didn’t manage to get it right, I don’t think. I don’t know if it was me or the mix, but I know one thing — changing the key, while tempting, isn’t going to move a song from “nay” to “yay”. If I can’t sing it, I can’t sing it. I still want to try it again, though.
* Bring Me to Life — Evanescence
I’ve tried this a couple of times, but both times I’ve started low and it didn’t come out right. I’ve got to remember to go high (and make sure I’m warmed up enough). Or, just accept that there will be some songs I love, but can’t do justice to on stage.
* That Was Yesterday — Foreigner
I heard this song on Jack-FM, and it was like getting yanked by a chain attached to 1985. I immediately printed off the lyrics and sang them for days. Turns out it never actually made it to number 1, but it was in the top 5 in early 1985, the year I graduated. And the year that... well things that might happen to a high school boy when he finally finds a girl who will ask, “are you going to kiss me, or what?” Turns out, I’m not the only one who gets that feeling — I’ve sung it twice (for New Year’s and at The Goat, and the opening chords have the crowd darn near on its feet. But it’s deceptive — it starts low and goes higher than I expect. I was on falsetto at The Goat, but not consistently. Very rough performance. I may try it again, though, ‘cuz the Class of ’85 RULES.
* Touch Me in the Morning — Diana Ross
Another nice one with dense, sweet lyrics. But when I tried it at The Goat, I got whammied — it was in a completely different key. I had to sing it low, and hope for a Barry White effect. The crowd seemed to appreciate the effort. (Side note: if you listen, you’ll hear that the artist has overdubbed the more singable chorus over a background that goes something like, “Mornings were blue and gold and we could feel one another living”. The hidden lyrics were indeed on the monitor, in parenthesis... just in case.)
Songs I haven’t tried on stage yet
Male voices
* After All (These Years) — Ed Bruce
I haven’t had a chance to sing this song yet, but I’ve been wanting to so badly. It’s the country song that starts out, “There’s a parking lot where the corner cafe stood, one of the places we first fell in love”. A start-low-end-high song, so I’ll have to be sure I’ve got it right. Lyrics on Ed Bruce’s site — yes, he’s the one who wrote “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys” (also in this list).
* Dance Little Jean — Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Awesome, sweet song. Should be right in the middle of my range. When I’m singing it to myself, I get all teary-eyed, but I’ve found that doesn’t happen on stage... at least, not yet.
* Somewhere in the Night — Barry Manilow (along with almost anything else by him that fits the mood)
I haven’t tried any Manilow yet. This one seems like a good start... it’s in my range, and it’s got a key change. Well, it’s not too hard find a key change in a Barry Manilow song, is it? But I’m afraid I’ll blow the high note on some songs (“Weekend in New England”), or that it’s too slow (“Could It Be Magic”), or that it’s overdone (“Mandy” — a girl’s name song so you know I wanna sing it!).
* Foolin’ or Photograph — Def Leppard
These songs (from “Pyromania”) are almost like twins. If you hear them back to back, you think it’s a repeat. I’m not sure if I can pull them off, though — “Foolin’” is low-high, and “Photograph” has a “whoa-ho-oa” that I’m not sure I can do. But if the situation calls for a rockin’ song, I might pull these out.
* Runnin’ on Empty — Jackson Browne
In the ‘80s, it seemed so strange that the songs would be about the ‘60s. Now that I’m in my 40s, I get it — *we* are the ones writing the songs, and remembering things from... oh, about 20 years ago. But the sentiments are universal, and now I understand why I don’t have to change “69” to “89” (or “09”) in the line, “In ’69 I was 21, an’ I called the road my own. I don’t know when that road turned into the road I’m on...”
* Turn the Page — Bob Seger
The only song I really enjoy from my daughter’s Guitar Hero: Metallica game. It seems like a perfect Karaoke song, so my only concern is that I’ll bogart the good stuff by picking it. But in the places I’ve hit so far, nobody’s tried it.
* Carry On (My) Wayward Son — Kansas
I’m sure Guitar Hero songs are highly overrepresented on the Karaoke stage. But this one sounds like it will be fun. If I’m ready to start out a song at the top, this would be great. Only problem — long instrumental break. Probably won’t do it, but if someone else does, I’ll be singing along.
* Baby Blue — Badfinger
This one could go high or low — but judging from past experience, I’ll suck if I start low. It’s another one with a woman’s name, so it really gets me when I’m alone and lonely. “The special love you have for me, my Dixie Dee”. Ok, maybe that’s supposed to be “my Dixie dear”, but it sounds like Dixie Dee to me, so that’s how I’m gonna sing it.
* You’re Not The Best — Charlie Robison
This should be another fun Texas Country song. “Barlight” went over well, so this should work.
* The Bluest Eyes in Texas — Restless Heart
I would have sung this one by now — but I got the artist wrong. Thank goodness for the Internet! The trickiest thing will be the overdubbing, where “Where did I go wrong” overlaps with “Did I wait too long”. I’ll probably cut “wrong” short to sing both the first time, then after that I’ll have to see how it sounded (and what the background track does).
* Country Boy (You Got Your Feet In LA) — Glen Campbell
Starts in the middle and goes high, but not too high. Should be a winner. When I was a little kid, I lived in Lake Charles, and I naturally figured that “LA” meant “Louisiana”. And as any little crawdad-hunting boy knows, you can really get your feet stuck in an LA swamp!
* Whip It — Devo
Surely this one is overdone, but it’s come up in the in-between music *twice*, just as I’m coming up to the mike, and both times it seemed like the crowd brightened up when it looked like I was gonna go for it. So I think I’ll sneak it in.
* Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys — Willie/Waylon (written by Ed Bruce)
This classic Outlaw Country song was made famous by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, but it’s written by Ed Bruce — who has kindly put the lyrics up on his official web site. Something folks may not realize is that the control of a song (and the accompanying royalties) go to the *writer*, not the most famous *singer* of a song. You may associate Patsy Cline with “Crazy”, but Willie Nelson wrote it. So go ahead and sing “Crazy”, ’cause Willie needs the money for his Biodiesel project.
* I Saw The Light — Hank Williams, Sr.
I know, one of the rules of Karaoke is “keep it light”. Well, this song is about The light, right? And it’s actually pretty up-tempo — I can deliver a blessin’ without anyone even realizing it.
* Why Me, Lord? — Kris Kristofferson
If the audience gets warmed up by “I Saw The Light”, then maybe I can spring this bit o’ gospel on them. It goes from low to soaring high, and we’ll probably need some inspiration by the time the morning comes!
Female voices
* Several songs by Abba
I love Disco. I remember the day in the late ‘70s, listening to AM 740, a country music station in Tulsa, when I flipped the switch from AM to FM. It just happened to pull up “Dancing Queen” by Abba, and I was hooked. Dancing Queen actually goes too low for my range — I found that out the hard way on stage at a Green Party fundraiser, singing with Colin Boyd. He still remembered it a year later — which means I did better than I thought, or sucked hard enough to leave a mark. So “Dancing Queen” is out unless I can really hit that low note, or just leave out “you’re in the mood for a dance”. But “Waterloo” came out strong on my first in-the-wild Karaoke night — even though it was in a strange key. And I could do “Knowing Me, Knowing You” as a duet, with me on harmony (see the Duets section).
* Several songs by Donna Summer
I’ll have to see what fits the mood, but I can do plenty of Donna Summer’s disco songs. “This Time I Know It’s For Real” is a fun one (though it’s technically not disco). “I Love You” is a favorite. And “MacArthur Park” was my first Karaoke experience, back before it was invented — sixth grade music class, when we could bring a 45rpm record and sing along. I stank, but it was because I didn’t have confidence. I was too self-conscious, and made excuses for singing about a cake. I’ve lost all traces of self-consciousness now, or at least I will have by the time I get on stage. Heck, a few shots of El Jimador, and I may lose the other kind of consciousness as well.
* If I Can’t Have You — Yvonne Ellman
This one seems to stays right in the middle. The strange thing is that there’s a lyric that’s missing everywhere, just before “Can’t let go, and it doesn’t matter how I try”. It’s like “Whoa oa oh ohhh whoa oh, ee ah ee in ah in everything ee e ooh”. Maybe she’s just scatting?
* Have You Never Been Mellow, Please Mister Please, Hopelessly Devoted to You — Olivia Newton-John
I love the pre-“Physical” Olivia. I guess she decided she had too much of a goody two-shoes image, but the thing is, I *like* the goody two-shoes songs. I’ve actually done “Hopelessly Devoted to You” before — at the Sonic in Mesquite, that had Karaoke (outside!) set up for a few Thursdays several years back. If they’d kept it going, I’d have been hooked long ago.
* Telling Me Lies — Trio (Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris)
This is a great song, but I can’t do it high, and it starts out low. I can only do it if I’ve got good low-end voice.
* Evergreen — Barbra Streisand
I don’t get what the big deal is about Barbra Streisand. Apparently, she’s a huge deal, but I don’t know any more of her songs than I do any other moderately successful singer from the 70s. This one is a favorite, though. It’s a bit slow, but it’s right down the pipe on my range.
* You Light Up My Life — Debbie Boone
Another one that I love, but it’s hard to do. It starts super-low and ends high. When I sing it in the car, my son is surprised that I can get so low — but it’s not at anywhere near the volume that I get on the other end. We’ll just have to see if the tequila has anything to say about whether I do this one.
Songs I’d love to do — but have never seen on a Karaoke list
* Red Dirt Girl — Emmylou Harris
This was a popular song, not sure why it’s not more widely seen. The biggest problem is that Emmylou sings it like she’s got rocks in her mouth, but it still works:
“Budderewonbeanymenshninnanewsoddaworlboutthlifeannnadeatofa red dirt girl named Lillian“
Obviously, I’m not going to even try to emulate that style! Just give me the lyrics and I’ll see what I can do.
* Armadillo Jackal — Robert Earl Keen
One of the pioneers of Texas Music, Robert Earl Keen is a legend where he’s known and unknown everywhere else. This is one of his early songs — the first-person tale of the guy who brings you those tourist-trap stuffed armadillos drinking a Lone Star. Starts low and ends high, but it’s perfectly centered in my range.
* Cold Black Heart — Shawn Mullins
Another Texas Music singer, this song is a classic murder ballad, a story of starry-eyed love turned to cold-blooded murder. Each verse has a piercing, near-falsetto rise that punctuates the tale, and it ends with a chilling a capella section.
* Whispers in the Dark — Skillet
I’ve never heard this song on the radio, but my daughter got it from a friend and I loved it — and bought it from iTunes to make it legal. I pride myself on the fact that all the music I listen to is 100% legal, either bought online, downloaded from the artist’s site, or ripped from real CD’s that I bought with actual cash money. The group, Skillet, is primarily a Christian hard-rock band. The song could have been twisted into one of those “contemporary Christian” songs where you can switch “Jesus” with “Baby” and make it a love song. I really don’t like those songs — I prefer to keep my Agape and my Eros separated, thanks. But they didn’t fall into the trap — this song is played as a straight love song, and it’s awesome.
* The Outlaw’s Song — Domino Kings
I can’t even find this one on iTunes, so the chances of finding it in Karaoke are between slim and none. It’s a chilling ballad of a prisoner facing his final judgement — not by the executioner, but by Death itself. “Jailer oh Jailer, please help me, Jailer don’t leave me alone, for there’s a man in my cell with a slingblade, and he’s comin’ to take me below...”
* Boat on the River — Styx
Styx is sorely underrepresented in the Karaoke song lists I’ve seen — even a standard like “Blue Collar Man” has only been listed in one of the books so far. Maybe it’s because their songs are more complex than they appear, with multiple overlapping parts. But this one is a straight ballad, melancholy and beautiful.
Duets I’m *dying* to try
My standing promise: I just want to sing with you. I’m not going to sing “Endless Love” and then expect you to fall in my arms. I’m a hopeless romantic, sure, but I’m also a single dad — I’ve got responsibilities that are incompatible with a casual fling! That doesn’t mean we can’t exchange email addies, though... and I do love hugs.
* You Don’t Bring Me Flowers — Striesand/Diamond
I actually got to do this one as a duet — with Leah, the female half of Totally Twisted Karaoke. She was worried that she might not do well, because her family was there and she’d had a wee bit to drink, but it was awesome.
* (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life — from Dirty Dancing
This is from one of my all-time favorite movies, and I guess it’s a microcosm of how things have changed. Jennifer Grey got a nose job, and Patrick Swayze is pushing up daisies. Wow! But I’ll remember “Nobody puts Baby in a corner”, and of course, the lift. (For completeness, the artists are Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes — he’s one of the Righteous Brothers, and she’s sung a lot of soundtracks. Never knew their names before, which is kinda sad.)
* Endless Love — Lionel Richie/Diana Ross
I’ve never seen the movie, but I love the song. It’s a perfect love song, a declaration of everything that’s wonderful about the other person, and a promise that it’ll last forever. And musically, it’s great, because the guy has the harmony part. That’s the problem with Karaoke — you don’t get to sing harmony!
* Whiskey Lullaby — Alison Krauss/Brad Paisley
I had to look up the male singer on this one. I’m not into modern Pop-Country — even my daughter admits that it bears little resemblance to traditional Country Music, like Loretta Lynn or Tammy Wynette. So as far as I’m concerned, it’s Alison Krauss (an amazing voice) and a fill-in-the-blank generic country singer. I’d love to sing harmony on this one. Of course, the harmony actually switches between the male and female side, but I’ll just sing whatever she doesn’t. This song would also work for a solo singer, but it’s not nearly as powerful.
* No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) — Streisand/Summer
Yep, this is a girl/girl duet. Whichever part I sing, and whatever gender my duet partner, it’s going to be a hoot!
* Meet Me In Montana — Marie Osmond/Dan Seals
No, I guess Marie Osmond isn’t the first one you think of when you think of country music in the ‘80s. But this one is pretty good. Verse by verse is separate, and the chorus is together. I can’t remember who sings the harmony in the original, but I’m hoping I can sing harmony on stage.
* Suddenly — Olivia Newton-John/Cliff Richard
This would be a nice one. The guy has the harmony in the chorus, and it even has a two-part section where he’s singing behind her. I’d better figure out what he’s singing, though! No idea who Cliff Richard is — I thought it sounded like Peter Cetera of Chicago fame.
* Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer — Kenny Rogers/Kim Carnes
This would be a nice, basic duet, with male harmony on the chorus. It’s a bit complex in some parts, though... but this is Karaoke, I’m sure we’ll muddle through.
* Anything with Loretta & Conway
I could probably make my way through anything from my CD of Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn duets. “Louisiana Woman — Mississippi Man” is a classic, and the songs of forbidden love like “Feelins” and “Lead Me On” nice (but slow). My favorites may be a couple of songs I didn’t even know about until I bought the CD — “Pickin’ Wild Mountain Berries” and “You’re the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly”. Will anyone even know who Ruth Buzzi is? (Truth be told, I barely do — I was a little kid when Laugh In was on TV).
* Tonight, I Celebrate My Love — Roberta Flack/Peabo Bryson
Ok, this song is probably a bit *too* intimate, even with my “no romance” promise. It goes from “What I want most to do is to be close to you” all the way to “When I make love to you, tonight”. Maybe after some tequila. A LOT of tequila.
The Blacklist: Songs I did, but won’t do again
* Picture — Kid Rock duet with whichever female singer fits the radio format
I sang this duet at the small-town Country bar. I asked one of the female singers if there was anyone who would be mad if she did a duet with me, and she said no problem. Turns out her *husband* didn’t mind a bit (and was actually a cool dude, thankfully). I let her pick — and she picked this one. It would not have been my choice.
I don’t like Kid Rock anyway, and I hate the way this duet is with one singer for Country stations and another one for Rock stations. A duet should be two people on a stage singing to or at least WITH each other. I know that’s not possible most of the time, with modern studio techniques and big-name artists’ schedules. But at least *pretend* it was a song about you and the other singer. It’s clear that Kid Rock couldn’t have cared less who was on the other track, as long as the name on the greenbacks in his pocket was Benjamin.
Oh, and he doesn’t do the iTunes thing, apparently. So if you simply *must* buy it, you’re stuck with the Karaoke version. I guess that’s not the worst thing that could happen... better than stuffing more money in his phat wallet.
Word to the wise: do NOT try to do what Kid Rock does on “I was off to drink you away!” You *will* suck. I did, and so did the guy I saw at Buffalo Wild Wings. I suspect this is one of the (many) songs that make the DJ wince inside when he gets the slip.
Updates
List created: 12/26/2009
12/27/09: Added songs by Diana Ross, Sting; Added “needs work” category
12/29/09: Added Chicago, Loretta & Conway, Restless Heart, corrected Willie & Waylon songs
01/04/2010: added iTunes links, misc song adjustments. How did I get “Fishin’ in the Dark” mixed up with “Dixieland Delight”?