Sunday, May 18, 2014

A Silenced Songbird

I have this habit--no doubt excessively annoying to the members of my household--of singing bits of songs whenever I'm reminded of them. Since I have a more or less inexhaustible store of song lyrics in my head, this happens more often than you might think.

So, for example, I might be sniffing some meat to see if it's still good and start in with the refrain to "Tainted Love." Or maybe Charlie is wailing inconsolably during one of his many (MANY) unexplainable almost-two-year-old tantrums and I'll start singing in my best twang, "Gloooom, despaaair, and agony on me; deep dark depression, excessive misery.*"

Anyway. I sing with some frequency is the point. I didn't even realize how often I sing until yesterday when my stubborn and long-running cough transformed my pretty decent voice into something resembling a three-pack-a-day smoker's voice. It's ugly. I keep starting to sing something and then stopping myself, horrified at the sounds coming out of my mouth.

So I haven't been warbling about very much lately, except for the one mandatory song. And that is Cubby's lullaby. Every night before bed--and every day before his nap if he takes one--I have to sing Brahms' "Lullaby." I've been doing this now for two years, and you best believe Cubby will not tolerate any change in that routine. So I sing it, even though it kind of hurts my throat and most definitely hurts my ears.

Let's hope my voice returns soon; I'm pretty sure Brahms turns over in his grave to cover his ears every time I butcher his lovely melody.

* I had no idea until I looked this up just now that this song is from the show "Hee Haw." You should really check out this clip. Magnificent.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Doesn't everyone do that? Nah, I know they don't but I do as well.
Does Cubby sing? I don't know, maybe it is mostley girls who do . Beth

Anonymous said...

Oh, even the silenced songbird deserves at least one note of support! Mary in MN

Kristin @ Going Country said...

Beth: Cubby does, in fact, sing a lot. He even makes up his own songs to melodies he knows. It appears Charlie will also be a warbler, based on the screaming scene at the breakfast table this morning wherein Charlie was humming along and Cubby got VERY ANGRY because WE DO NOT SING AT THE TABLE, CHARLIE, STOP STOP STOPIT RIGHT NOW.

So of course Charlie kept right on going, because enraging your bigger brother is way fun.

Mornings are such a serene and peaceful time around here.

Lindsey @ Half Dime Homestead said...

Oh, my goodness - thank you for this. Because I have the annoying habit of saying lines from movies, commercials or tv shows whenever I'm reminded of them! Songs, too, but not as often.
Like the other night, I caught some food before it hit the floor in the kitchen and burst out with: "chalk up another save for the Ek!" Which, of course, is an obscure line from a Mike Birbiglia comedy routine that only I know. And that takes too long to explain to those people looking at me with raised eyebrows. So I just look like a dork most of the time...
But I do it with a tremendous amount of charm.

FinnyKnits said...

I sing a lot, too, but unlike you, I have a horrible voice and the songs are all made up as I go.

Bubba thinks I'm a total nutter, but he keeps laughing, so I keep singing made up songs with my crap voice.

:)

Daisy said...

There is a song for every occasion. Truly. Trust me - I teach music.