Well bert I know I used to get annoyed with every bloody guitar toting, non-stop twiddling idiot at our song circle. However since I've picked up the guitar and started trying to accompany myself my views have changed a little. Whenever I want to sing unaccompanied now and the guitar nits don't take their hands off the strings I yell "Shut up! I'm about to sing." Its part of the reason I prefer circles and get togethers where there's some degree of ordered turn taking.

My parents used to sing in the car a lot and we'd join in. The rot entered the system when my older, teenage brother started guitar and therefore didn't ever want to hear anybody singing even slightly out of tune. He'd either hit me till I shut up or pull out his harmonica to play over me till I shut up.

I think there has been a deep shift away from songs as things that are sung for pleasure by anybody to music that is performed by the select few for the benefit of the others. Its hard to simply sing as you do your work if there's other music always being played over a sound system. I get comments when I'm walking down the street singing to myself.