Can someone explain this to me? (1 Viewer)

Why is it when I listen to an English band, such as The Rolling Stones, I can uderstand the lyrics pretty well but when they speak, such as Mick Jagger, I can't understand a word they say. Their accents are so thick in speach but are almost "Americanized" when they sing. This has been keeping me awake at night for years! Well, not really, but you know what I mean. A free ticket to Kezar Stadium to the first with an answer I'll accept! Gene

You want an even better example? Listen to the members of ABBA speak English...the guys are very fluent, but the girls are a bit uncomfortable with it. In fact, some of the VERY early ABBA songs were recorded with the girls singing the songs phonetically.

The 49ers played there before the 'stick'; right down the street about 12 blocks. It held about 50k before they rebuilt it mainly for HS sports. It is located in golden gate park and the niners practiced there this year.
The stick is known as the place where a pitcher was blown off the mound; Kezar is the place where the officals didn't signal a touchdown till the reciever tapped the offical on the back to show he had the football. The fog rolled in and you couldn't see a foot in front of your face.
Most players complained about the seagulls sitting and shitting on their shoulders

Good thought Jim, but does this apply to all British bands? I can't think of one that sings in a british dialect. A few Aussie bands such as men at work have at least a noticable accent. I have heard of Japaneese groups that learn songs in English or German yet do not speak a word of either. Anyhow, lets give a few others a chance to respond before giving out the valuable prize! BTW, if you have seen "The Groove Tube" or was it "Kentucky Fried Movie", there was a skit where a sports caster announcing an up-coming game said "the winners will be given a tour of Kezar Stadium. The losers will be taken into the lockeroom and SHOT". Oh well. It was funny back then.

Off the top of my head...

Roy Harper
The Kinks
The Clash
Herman's Hermits
Pet Shop Boys
Belle & Sebastian

To add to the list
The Jam
Oasis

O.K. I'll give you the Herman's Hermits and maybe The Clash, but The Kinks accent isn't very strong to me. As for the rest, I'm an old-timer and don't know any of their stuff. I'm sure I would recognize some if I heard it, but I wouldn't know who sang them. Well Jim, it looks like you may be headed to Kezar! Exited? BTW, airfare, hotel, food, cab rides, tips, taxes, fee's (including hidden fee's)return airfare, shipping, handling, storage, excessive surcharges, and anything else you can think of are the sole responsibility of "the winner". Your mileage may very. You may have other rights which very from state to state (but not here). Void where prohibited. And you did remember to send in your $100 entrance fee right? Enjoy your "free tickets"!

I've always considered that the very act of singing is a distortion of speech.

Sung words may be drawled, bent or twisted to suit rhythm, rhyme, etc.

So the singers native spoken language is rephrased when singing. Call it the phonetic phactor.

You'd recognize very wide differences in spoken accent from many regions of the US, or Canada, but not necessarily hear it in singing from the same regions.

I like it when you can get an accent twist in a song, like 99 Luftballons

Yes John, I agree that singing would change the form of the spoken word. I just can't believe how much it changes for some people/bands. When listening to them in song, every word seems crystal clear. Yet, when I hear them talk, even though the language is the same the result is totally different, and barely understandable. It justs seems really weird to me. Gene

Most British punk bands sing with noticeable British accents.

The famous "classic" rock bands started off by basically imitating American blues.

After arriving in America for the first time, the Beatles were asked, "Why do you speak with English accents, but sing with American accents?"

The response? "It sells better!"

My Dad listens to old-time country music. As a kid I remember him watching Mel Tillis on TV. Tillis, who stuttered severely when he spoke, could sing without a problem. I thought this was stranger than the accent issue.

O.K. Jim. Tell the "Diggers" two guys in a "white van" will pull up along side them one day in a local strip-mall. Have them roll down their window and say the pass word "Dayton tower speakers". The guys in the van will take care of the rest! Good point Ralph. I remember that as well. I knew a kid in high school who stuttered. But when he read from a book or sheet of paper he was able to control it. Always walked around with pen and note book in pocket! Anyway, 35 year question solved in less than a day. That's amazing. I wonder if there is forum here on what to do with the ladies!. Oops! Sorry gals, just kidding! Bill

Sure,wave a shitload of money around and they will be on you like flies.
Why else do you think strippers marry tiny 70 year old men with depends? Not for their millions

Back to the English accents; after living there for a couple of years I got pretty good at them. Generally in London and in the South they were fairly easy to understand. I lived in the North near the Scottish border. I found out that they spoke in two different accents, a local accent and a 'amercianized' accent for others - even if you were from a different town 10 minutes away. The local accent sounded like bringing up phelgm with a bad case of the flu. It would also come out after 12 or so pints.

Heh. My wife says the same thing about my (Scottish) accent - that it's fairly mellow & understandable in day to day use, but as I get progressively drunk, my "real" accent slips through to a point where regular Americans can't understand me.

So does Green Day and they're from San Francisco (home of Kezar Stadium).

Re the Mel Tillis phenomenon, very common I hear.

David Bowie on the other hand, always spoke well, but was unable to sing "Changes" without stuttering