Public Singing and Thanksgiving
I watched The Elf over Christmas with my wife and some friends. Afterward, the thought occurred to me the the movie was, in part at least, about the awkwardness of public singing. I was only half joking.
Singing, it seems to me, has been shunted to the poles of our social life. Some of us sing in solitude – the shower, for instance. Fewer than that will sing in front of people. But singing with people is an experience that has all but vanished from American public life.
The few remaining vestiges of communal singing, or attempts at it, are primarily religious – in worship services or during Christian holidays that include song as an integral part, Christmas being the one most characterized by singing. Even the public singing of the Star Spangled Banner has religious undertones, as anyone who knows all the verses understands.1
Most of us, however, attend to these occasions of singing with, not to or away from, others with a certain sheepishness. Singing together is a vulnerable thing. One’s voice is out there, exposed. We shrink back into our lip syncing. And we almost expect everyone else to follow suit. In The Elf, one of the weird, socially-unacceptable character traits of Will Ferrell’s character, Buddy, is his proclivity to sing loudly in public.
I think it is just this vulnerability that makes singing together such a powerful force for community building. Jon Favreau and David Berenbaum apparently think so, too. Buddy the Elf enters the lives of isolated New Yorkers and slowly brings them together in musical ways. Zooey Deschanel2, or Jovie who later marries Buddy leads an odd congregation of New Yorkers in some carolling in order to rescue Christmas. And all would be lost if Walter, played by James Caan, did not join the throng by singing along.
The Elf is about the awkwardness of public singing and its hidden power, when we press through the awkwardness, to be a community-forming force.
Fine, don’t believe me. I still think singing together is an important part of community. When some of my family gathered on my deck this past Thanksgiving, we did a little. My cousin-in-law took the video with his phone.
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Viddler video.- O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave! [↩] - She actually is in an indie band [↩]
I think you’re right. I recently visited my family in Canada. We’re very close, and always have fun. We were in a restaurant and three of the four of us broke into song, singing along when a song we all loved started on the PA system. We sang the harmonies, and even the little doo-waps. The people around us got a real kick out of it. As did we. And years ago I was in a supermarket when a song I loved started playing, again on the PA. I was singing along to myself and passed an aisle where a guy was doing the same. It was kind of a rock love song. Our aisles intersected just as the romantic verse started. We turned to each other, and sang to each other as loudly and passionately as we would had we been stage. When the verse was over, we continued walking our separate ways. But I did feel vulnerable. I had an urge to run after him and get to know him, wondered if he was my ’soul mate.’ And wondered if he felt the same. I thought about him for days. I’ve had quite a few friends who break out into song in public with me. It always feels good, and it always makes the people around us feel good. Sometimes people join in. I consider these moments to be among the highlights of life – one of the little, joyous, in-tune-with-all-that-really-matters moments that make life worth living.
And, by the way, love the video and the song. Mark Twain said “Sing like no one’s listening, love like you’ve never been hurt, dance like nobody’s watching, and live like its heaven on earth.” I think his words may be key to a happy life.
That’s really funny about singing to the guy in the grocery store!
It was hilarious. Made my day. No question about it. Another time I was driving in a car with three friends. It was a big yellow convertible Cadillac. We had the top down. It was raining heavily and we were sheltered with a huge golf unbrella our host had in his trunk. “Hello Dolly” was playing loudly on the radio and we were all singing along with it. The narrow, trendy street was crowded with pedestrians, the cars slowed to a crawl. It was a real crowd pleaser. Turned a rainy day into a sunny, fun experience few will likely forget.
I think more people should do things like that. Just one such experience can completely change your outlook on life. It’s freeing. It puts life’s burdens into a different perspective – we rise above them and know that whatever we’re going through right now will pass. I believe that’s one of the roles of art – singing included, whether it’s done well or badly. It gives us hope for the future, relieves the seriousness of the present, and enables us to better handle our problems.