THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE EAGLE

Please. Don't allow John-boy anywhere near the microphone. Or any other white people. If you know what's good for me. White people doing karaoke is often worse than encountering loonies, such as the bozos with a giant pup tent in the alley, the pilgrim asking people if they had change for a hundred, or the two gentlemen arguing about car keys out on the street in front. Both of whom were plastered, but at least one of them was ready to admit that the other one was.

John-boy began to sing 'Hotel California' just as we sat down. While howling, he rubbed his big hairy hands (figure of speech) all over his chest, languorously and intently, taking joy in how his fingers felt through the thin cloth. Yeah, um. The next white guy singing did John Denver's Country Roads. We did not dawdle over our drinks.

One of the other patrons had told us outside that it was auntie's (the owner's) birthday. So we had to have at least one drink, and wish 姑媽 a happy happy. What with the infernal shrieking of karaoke patrons that proved well nigh impossible. So I wrote on my drinks napkin "有人說是你的生日。是了嗎？生日快樂！"Which proved instantly intelligible. Despite the screaming eagle and his nightmare hotel.

It still surprises me that no one there has ever done "Vor der kaserne, vor dem großen tor, steht 'ne laterne und steht sie noch davor, dort wollen wir uns wiedersehn, bei der laterne wollen wir stehn, wie einst Lilli Marleen, wie einst Lilli Marleen".
Male or female voice, kein unterschied.

Actually, I'm rather glad that Lili Marleen has never been sung at the karaoke joint. I like that song, and a drunken yuppie has no business killing it by screech. I had hummed it while smoking my pipe earlier down the street.

It's bad enough when they sometimes butcher Mackie Messer auf Englisch.

The bookseller remarked that he liked listening to some songs in foreign languages, because they sound better when you can't understand the lyrics. I can understand, but I still like them.


Fortunately no one sings at the other bar. Nor do they have big drunken egos.
And no one has ever tried to make us do a number there either.

But it was a good evening.



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