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Song Parodies -> "Sing Like a Man etc."
Original Song Title:
"Walk Like a Man etc."
Original Performer:
The Four Seasons
Parody Song Title:
"Sing Like a Man etc."
Parody Written by:
Lifeliver
The Lyrics
The early 1960s was the time of the specialist falsetto lead, an offshoot of the doo-wop and harmony high tenors. I won't bother listing all the stars here, but among the most commercially successful were the Four Seasons featuring 'the sound of Frankie Valli'. The freakish power of his high range and the astute pop songwriting, arrangement and production savvy of Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe made a killer combination - three consec. No. 1s, numerous top ten entries and up to now almost 200 million units sold, if you include Valli's later successful solo career. And thanks to the smash Broadway biomusical Jersey Boys, still selling strongly.
My musically naive 13-y-o ears simply assumed these singers were girls. When I found out, I couldn't help wondering what their private lives were like. Did they get the chicks too? So that's what this is about, in the form of a medley a la Jersey Boys. For the uninitiated, the songs are 'Walk Like a Man', 'Big Girls Don't Cry' and 'Dawn (Go Away)', which along with the rarely heard 'Huggin' My Pillow', is a personal favorite.
My musically naive 13-y-o ears simply assumed these singers were girls. When I found out, I couldn't help wondering what their private lives were like. Did they get the chicks too? So that's what this is about, in the form of a medley a la Jersey Boys. For the uninitiated, the songs are 'Walk Like a Man', 'Big Girls Don't Cry' and 'Dawn (Go Away)', which along with the rarely heard 'Huggin' My Pillow', is a personal favorite.
SING LIKE A MAN
oo-woo oo-woo oo-woo, woo-oo
oo-woo oo-woo oo-woo, woo-oo
Talk like a man!
Oh, how dad tried to make me realize
Telling 'tween my thighs of male appends
My own father said 'Frankie, I would rather
This childish girlie voice would end
He said this:
'Walk like a man, talk like a man
Sing like a man, my son
Learn what it's worth, your gender at your birth
And sing like man you bum
oo-woo oo-woo oo-woo, woo-oo
oo-woo oo-woo oo-woo, woo-oo
Bye bye pater, I wanna sound like mater
Gotta sing a song somehow
Soon you'll be crying
'Cos all my hits are flying
Oh yeah, just look who's laughing now
(I'm gonna)
Fly like a man, high as I can
Sing high I can, so do
Conquer the world
Singing like a girl
And sing like a man, that too
oo-woo oo-woo oo-woo, woo-oo
oo-woo oo-woo oo-woo, woo-oo
BIG BOYS SING HIGH
Big boys sing high
Big boys sing high
Big girls sing hi-yi-yi
(They don't try)
Big boys, don't sing high
(Who says they don't sing high?)
My girl said goodby-yi-yi
(My oh my)
My girl: 'Sing too high!
I wonder why?'
'Girlie boy!' - Told me that we had to break up
'Girlie boy!' - Girlie, how my voice goes up
'Girlie boy!' - Then she said, tears in her eyes
'Boys don't sing high!'
Big boys don't sing high-yi-yi
That's a lie
Big boys don't sing high
Who said they don't sing high?
Baby, I'm no foo - oo-ool
(Check my tool)
Baby make you drool
(It's such a jewel)
Happy girl - had a few, she's in my bed
Happy girl - gave her - ooh, it rhymes with bread
Happy girl - aimed and grew. She popped her eyes
'Big boys rise high!'
Big boys, who sing hi-yi-yi
(Not small fry)
Boys' toys still apply
(Come try, girl don't be shy)
Big boys sing high
Big boys don't cry
Big boys rise high
Big boys my my
DAWN
Pretty as a big star of porn
They called her Dawn …
Dawn, come this way I'll rise high for you
Oh Dawn, stray from him he's too low for you
Hang on, hang on high C
Think (think), his voice down minor B
Think, sounds like he's dredged from the sea
And think what the future would be
With a soar-boy like me, me
Dawn come away, please come and play
Although I know I sound kinda gay
Dawn come to stay, we'll seize the day
Maybe I'm high. I sing better that wa- ay -ay
Here I go: oo-woo-woo
Dawn, lift us up just where we belong
Girl we can't change the voices with which we're born
Before you say you don't want me
I want you to drink (drink)
In the notes that I sing
Drink (drink) in my money-making
Now think what the future would be
With a rich boy like me-ee, me-ee
Dawn, come this way I'm so good for you
Dawn, come to my neighborhood and screw
oo-woo oo-woo oo-woo, woo-oo
oo-woo oo-woo oo-woo, woo-oo
Talk like a man!
Oh, how dad tried to make me realize
Telling 'tween my thighs of male appends
My own father said 'Frankie, I would rather
This childish girlie voice would end
He said this:
'Walk like a man, talk like a man
Sing like a man, my son
Learn what it's worth, your gender at your birth
And sing like man you bum
oo-woo oo-woo oo-woo, woo-oo
oo-woo oo-woo oo-woo, woo-oo
Bye bye pater, I wanna sound like mater
Gotta sing a song somehow
Soon you'll be crying
'Cos all my hits are flying
Oh yeah, just look who's laughing now
(I'm gonna)
Fly like a man, high as I can
Sing high I can, so do
Conquer the world
Singing like a girl
And sing like a man, that too
oo-woo oo-woo oo-woo, woo-oo
oo-woo oo-woo oo-woo, woo-oo
BIG BOYS SING HIGH
Big boys sing high
Big boys sing high
Big girls sing hi-yi-yi
(They don't try)
Big boys, don't sing high
(Who says they don't sing high?)
My girl said goodby-yi-yi
(My oh my)
My girl: 'Sing too high!
I wonder why?'
'Girlie boy!' - Told me that we had to break up
'Girlie boy!' - Girlie, how my voice goes up
'Girlie boy!' - Then she said, tears in her eyes
'Boys don't sing high!'
Big boys don't sing high-yi-yi
That's a lie
Big boys don't sing high
Who said they don't sing high?
Baby, I'm no foo - oo-ool
(Check my tool)
Baby make you drool
(It's such a jewel)
Happy girl - had a few, she's in my bed
Happy girl - gave her - ooh, it rhymes with bread
Happy girl - aimed and grew. She popped her eyes
'Big boys rise high!'
Big boys, who sing hi-yi-yi
(Not small fry)
Boys' toys still apply
(Come try, girl don't be shy)
Big boys sing high
Big boys don't cry
Big boys rise high
Big boys my my
DAWN
Pretty as a big star of porn
They called her Dawn …
Dawn, come this way I'll rise high for you
Oh Dawn, stray from him he's too low for you
Hang on, hang on high C
Think (think), his voice down minor B
Think, sounds like he's dredged from the sea
And think what the future would be
With a soar-boy like me, me
Dawn come away, please come and play
Although I know I sound kinda gay
Dawn come to stay, we'll seize the day
Maybe I'm high. I sing better that wa- ay -ay
Here I go: oo-woo-woo
Dawn, lift us up just where we belong
Girl we can't change the voices with which we're born
Before you say you don't want me
I want you to drink (drink)
In the notes that I sing
Drink (drink) in my money-making
Now think what the future would be
With a rich boy like me-ee, me-ee
Dawn, come this way I'm so good for you
Dawn, come to my neighborhood and screw
Original recordings on YouTube:
Walk Like a Man.
Big Girls Don't Cry
Dawn (Go Away)
I'm pleased to report 'Huggin' My Pillow', an obscure B-side, is now up on YouTube. Apparently Gaudio wanted it released as an A-side but was voted down in favor of the lukewarm and atypical Cole Porter cover 'I've Got You Under My Skin'. It has all the classic Seasons elements: soaring Frankie lead, dramatic tom-tom fills, trick endings, and a great song to boot. If you're a big fan of that sound like me, check it out here
Walk Like a Man.
Big Girls Don't Cry
Dawn (Go Away)
I'm pleased to report 'Huggin' My Pillow', an obscure B-side, is now up on YouTube. Apparently Gaudio wanted it released as an A-side but was voted down in favor of the lukewarm and atypical Cole Porter cover 'I've Got You Under My Skin'. It has all the classic Seasons elements: soaring Frankie lead, dramatic tom-tom fills, trick endings, and a great song to boot. If you're a big fan of that sound like me, check it out here
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Voting Results
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Voting Breakdown
The following represent how many people voted for each category.
| Pacing | How Funny | Overall Rating | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
User Comments
Comments are subject to review, and can be removed by the administration of the site at any time and for any reason.
Loved this all the way - brilliant concept, like a mini-musical! Loads of lines that made me giggle - 'And sing like man you bum' and the whole verse starting with 'Happy Girl' being just two examples. Seeing as it's three songs in one it seems almost unfair to give it only 555
Brings back memories. I felt exactly the same way about that song. I was probably a bit younger than you when it was a big hit. The line about "Learn what it's worth, your gender at your birth" is funny. I actually had something in my mind like "travel round the world, singing like a girl" even then. I'll have to look for "Huggin' My Pillow". Most every artist you hear on the oldies stations had better songs that never get played. Every station plays Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman", but have you ever heard "It Takes All Kinds of People" or "There Won't Be Many Coming Home"?
All ones. Gotta stand up for Newark. Frankie with his falsetto was more man than any of us will ever be. Just be glad I don't tell him about this. He's a very menacing dude. Even if he is only 4-foot-10.
Michael, that is such a spectacular misinterpretation of my intentions that I'll give you a chance to rethink it before I respond. If it weren't for the ones I would have thought you were joking!
I think this is some funny,it rhymes with spit....That's just Mikey's way of complimenting you in the highest regard......Number one means there is no better......
@Wendy, I appreciate your sense of humor. Glad you enjoyed it. As Patrick suggested, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been the first to think of this.
@Patrick, you'll find a link to 'Huggin' My Pillow' in the footnotes. There are several uploads on the Tube now, varying in quality, but as it was recorded in mono, don't expect too much. I also recommend an obscure Frankie solo, 'The Proud One', recorded around '68, in which he reprises the classic Seasons sound, increasingly rarely by then. I heard it was later covered by the Osmond Brothers.
About those 'never get played' songs, absolutely. It applies to every artist I think, even the Beatles. Everybody knows their number ones, but it's the album fillers that really show off their ability. The Four Seasons recorded several covers that I think are better than the originals, as well as other lesser known hits like 'Big Man in Town', 'Toy Soldier', 'Girl Come Running', Save it for Me', 'Silence is Golden', I could go on and on.
I could think of half a dozen Roy Orbison songs from his early 60s Monument period that are equal to any of his hits, 'Shahadaroba', 'Indian Wedding Song', 'Love Hurts', 'Blue Angel', to name a few. I'm not familiar with the ones you mentioned, they must be later recordings, but will certainly investigate.
@ Dave W - thanks, your input calmed me down
@Michael, I appreciate your sense of humor too, but that doesn't extend to one-bombs over a private joke. I've had a blemish-free record for months now, until you decided to get precious over your home turf. Not that the votes mean that much - the feedback is the thing. It should have been obvious to you that I'm one of the biggest fans of Newark's favorite sons. It's called parody - der! In fact, back in the day, I was probably the only student in my Oz country high school who actually knew where Newark was, due to my interest in this vocal group. Maybe I should get that other prominent Jersey boy, (the one who introduced Gaudio and Valli to each other, incidentally) to come visit you. I've noticed he's pretty handy with a ballpoint pen at close range.
@Patrick, you'll find a link to 'Huggin' My Pillow' in the footnotes. There are several uploads on the Tube now, varying in quality, but as it was recorded in mono, don't expect too much. I also recommend an obscure Frankie solo, 'The Proud One', recorded around '68, in which he reprises the classic Seasons sound, increasingly rarely by then. I heard it was later covered by the Osmond Brothers.
About those 'never get played' songs, absolutely. It applies to every artist I think, even the Beatles. Everybody knows their number ones, but it's the album fillers that really show off their ability. The Four Seasons recorded several covers that I think are better than the originals, as well as other lesser known hits like 'Big Man in Town', 'Toy Soldier', 'Girl Come Running', Save it for Me', 'Silence is Golden', I could go on and on.
I could think of half a dozen Roy Orbison songs from his early 60s Monument period that are equal to any of his hits, 'Shahadaroba', 'Indian Wedding Song', 'Love Hurts', 'Blue Angel', to name a few. I'm not familiar with the ones you mentioned, they must be later recordings, but will certainly investigate.
@ Dave W - thanks, your input calmed me down
@Michael, I appreciate your sense of humor too, but that doesn't extend to one-bombs over a private joke. I've had a blemish-free record for months now, until you decided to get precious over your home turf. Not that the votes mean that much - the feedback is the thing. It should have been obvious to you that I'm one of the biggest fans of Newark's favorite sons. It's called parody - der! In fact, back in the day, I was probably the only student in my Oz country high school who actually knew where Newark was, due to my interest in this vocal group. Maybe I should get that other prominent Jersey boy, (the one who introduced Gaudio and Valli to each other, incidentally) to come visit you. I've noticed he's pretty handy with a ballpoint pen at close range.
I am really surprised that no one ever thought of this before - whenever I heard "Walk Like A Man" I wanted to scream "Why don't you sing like one!" but ah well...as you point out, it worked out just fine for him. Worked for Neil Sedaka too, apparently. :)
Terrific concept and lexecution
@ Meriadoc: Didn't quite get your reference to Neil Sedaka. He had a pop-friendly, pleasant tenor voice, a great ear for pitch, and was good harmonising with his own songs, but he didn't have a falsetto at all as far as I know. If he had, I'm sure he would have used it. Or were you referring to his effeminacy, which seems so obvious now. His mincy dancing always cracks me up on old clips.
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