Fascinating discussion. Somebody should point this one out every time there's another "I hate what the Mudcat has turned into" complaint.

I'm a pretty good mimic, and I love singing "The Lum Hat Wantin' a Croon" in what I hope is pretty close to the Scots accent I heard on the record (National Geographic's Music of Scotland). Now, it's no secret that I'm a Son of Aaron and not a Son of Erin, from Philadelphia and not from Fife, but I have fun doing it, and when I did it on the old HearMe the response was positive, so I don't see any problem at all. Maybe it would be different if somebody were paying to hear me sing, but I think not.

I have to take strong exception to something Malcolm said above: "Singing in a language foreign to you is another matter, of course, and should never be attempted unless you understand that language sufficiently well to conduct a reasonable conversation in it." Sorry, folk police, you're not going to stop me from singing some of my favorite Jacques Brel songs, or "Mayn Rue Platz", or even "Guantanamera"! I would agree that it is good to be respectful of the culture and learn to pronounce the lyrics properly, but I would hate to think I have to pass a test in order to sing a song. And the same would be true for a non-English speaker who wanted to sing a song in English. If they like the song, and if people like hearing them sing the song, why not?

Aloha,
Mark