So I’m watching 27 Dresses this weekend, and after the bar sing-along scene to Elton John’s "Bennie and the Jets," I find myself momentarily distracted and wondering how often an entire bar erupts in song. Has it happened to you? I’m talking about the whole bar, not just you and your friends belting out the "I’ve seen a million faces, and I’ve rocked ‘em all" line of "Wanted Dead or Alive."
I myself have experienced this phenomenon only once. About 10 years ago in San Diego, at a piano bar called Albie’s Beef Inn. I was with my sister and two friends. We didn’t want to drive and the bar was next to our hotel. We walked in and were the youngest people there by 50 years. We said, "Either we leave now, or we get drunk immediately." We ordered shots. I remember singing "All of Me" and "The Very Thought of You" at the piano (which my sister informed me the next morning was actually a Casio). We ended the evening in an all-bar sing-along — and kick line — to "Those Were the Days."
Your turn.
Comments (1-30) of 77 Add your comment
The only occasion I experienced was the whole bar breaking into “Sweet Caroline”. It was odd and kind of scary, but we made it through with no real permanent scars.
Last June, I was in a campus bar right around spring graduation. Don’t Stop Believin’ came on, and everyone sang along. I mean everyone. This happened to be a mere two days before the now famous Sopranos finale.
Anytime Sweet Caroline or Living on a Prayer came on at the bar near my college, everybody sang along.
I was at an Irish bar in NYC and I vaguely remember the entire bar erupting into the Star-Spangled Banner. I can’t remember why, but it was fun!
I was in a bar/pub in Calgary once,the place was packed and there was a cover band playing the usual stuff (Elvis Costello, Oasis, etc). They then broke into “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond and the place went nuts! The whole bar was singing along with band at the top of their lungs.I thought it was so cool. I’ve never experienced anything like that before or since.
I wish my mind would have gone somewhere during that movie. It was awful.
I’ve experienced it a few of times. The songs being “Sweet Caroline” and “Piano Man.”
“Sweet Caroline” “Don’t Stop Believin’” & “Come on Eileen” are definitely bar sing-alongs that i have experienced!
ugh, i hate sweet caroline. such a cliche. if a bar puts that on i know it is not my crowd.
Don’t Stop Believing after the White Sox won the world Series.
By the way I saw 27 Dresses, I was dragged there by friends, I wanted to see Cloverfield, but anyhow the movie was terrible. Not funny at all, Katherin Heigel is overrated
Once got caught in a “Total Eclipse of the Heart” singalong at a dive bar. It was unbelievable.
Yep. “Sweet Caroline” and “Piano Man” are the classic spontaneous bar sing-along songs. I’ve heard it happen with “American Pie” as well.
Well, in my clubbin days, “This is why I’m hot” everyone sang. I learned some of the words to the song that night!! HA!
Oh, and “My Humps”. My Lord, that song was BELTED at the clubs, ususally while chicks shaked, yep, their humps. Ugh.
I’ve had this happen multiple times. Mostly to “Don’t Stop Believing”, “Jessie’s Girl” and “Living On A Prayer”. It’s always so much fun when the entire bar erupts into one song!! =)
What a pessimistic article, obviously your not going to the right bars.
How about dance/move alongs? There is a Nintendo Medley out there and at a bar in my old college town (holla! Lincoln, NE) they used to play it and everyone would stop whatever they were doing and pull out some old Super Mario moves. It was awesome… They always followed it up with the Inspector Gadge theme song which everyone would sing to. Then, when all was done we’d all go back to getting drunk and socializing. Good times, good times…
I own a small bar & grill and it happens sometimes – its fun! Its usually late on a weekend night of course. Irish songs, Piano Man, and yes Sweet Caroline are some tunes that come to mind.
Not exactly the same, but there is a wedding band in my town that, at the end of the night, has everyone gather around a piano and sing along to “Piano Man.” It’s really no fun when it’s so orchestrated, especially to such a cliched and ultimately boring song.
Barrit’s (Barrett’s?Baret’s?) Privateers. Try being at any bar in Halifax and not be caught in the sing-a-long when that song comes on. At least ten years ago that was the case.
“O the year was 1778
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
A letter of marque came from the king
To the scummiest vessel I’ve ever seen”
In college, I recall the entire bar (not a dance club, mind you) singing and dancing along to “Hey Ya!” by Outkast. Then someone yelled out, “Play it again!” And they did.
One night at karaoke, we sang “Dancing Queen” and the place erupted. It was a lot of fun. I’ve also seen that happen when someone sang “Tiny Dancer” and we all sang along ala Almost Famous.
Do karaoke bars count? Get up and sing Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks or Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey and everyone joins in.
It wasn’t technically a bar, but I witnessed an entire Huddle House singing along to “Jessie’s Girl” at 4 am on a game weekend in Athens, Ga.
I think a whole par sing-a-long happens about every Friday or Saturday night at The Peanut on Main St. here in Kansas City. It’s a tiny hole that gets so crowded you have to dance on your table/chair while the whole bar sings at the same time to a viriety of classics typically by Elton John or the Beattles or something. Very fun.
Oh, c’mon, “Sweet Caroline” survivors. If the entire 30,000-person crowd can sing it at Fenway with no physical or emotional scarring afterward, you can too. Buck up.
A hundred years ago, when I was going to NYU, there was a local bar called Adam & Eve, and one night when I was there someone played the flip side of “Philadelphia Freedom” on the jukebox, which was a boisterous live recording of Elton John and John Lennon singing “I Saw Her Standing There.” And I can guarantee you that everyone in that bar sang along, LOUDLY and gleefully. Even the falsetto — ESPECIALLY the falsetto.
Then John Denver’s “Annie’s Song” followed it and brought the entire bar down like a mudslide.
I am a bartender and every time someone plays You Never Call Me by My Name by David Allen Cole, the whole place errupts in song.. It’s the best
ditto on the david allen coe song!
also: hank williams, jr.’s song “family tradition”– that always got the crowd going. not to mention the last song played at the end of the night– silk’s “freak me”. that’s just how we roll down in atlanta!
I’ve been knee deep myself in barroom singalongs – although I have to add that it was karoake night on these occasions … but yess I have experienced them and on purpose.
The difference here is that I would NEVER be caught dead up onthe bar … the stage – yes… not the bar…