The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #110842   Message #2329621
Posted By: GUEST,Phil at work
30-Apr-08 - 08:04 AM
Thread Name: Songs learned 'from the singing of...'
Subject: RE: Songs learned 'from the singing of...'
I've introduced songs before now as "from the singing of Neil Young", or whoever. It raised a laugh.

Feeble jokes apart, I think there's more to this than meets the eye: different introductions convey different messages.

You can say
"I heard this one sung by Fred Mulch"
- if you like this song, look out for this person's performances

Or
"I got this song from Fred Mulch, it's on his second album _Much More Mulch_"
- if you like this song, look out for this person's recordings

Or the all-purpose
"I got this song from Fred Mulch"
- if you like this song, look out for this person's recordings *and* performances

Or you can say
"I learned this song from the singing of Fred Mulch"
- if you like this song you'll just have to come and see me again, as I collected it personally and am the only person you're ever likely to hear it from

I suggest that, for most of us, the last of these should be used very sparingly.