Ferrara - your story about Lani illustrates courtesy. In my opinion you did the exact correct thing. It really bugs me when someone does a song, and it gets warped by people singing along into the "old standard"; the "local standard" or "how *WE* do it". And that's whether I prefer the new version or not. People owe the performer the courtesy of LISTENING to what the performer is doing - not overriding them. (Not that I don't sing along, but I try to do THEIR version, not mine - and if I can't adapt, then I shut up)

Russ - I agree that what and where does tend to affect things - but even with classical music different conductors "play" with the emphasis on various portions and can come up with quite different sounding pieces even though the written notes are identical.

Walrus - "Beeazulbub has a devil for a sideboy DOES make sense though - and very very similair to what you are hearing....(I don't know the song)