Song Help Request A slight twist on the subject.

[CeeJay]

Being relatively new to the "Ukulele Scene"...but a relative old hand at the uke I am amused and dismayed in equal ratio to the amount of songs that are now dismissed as "Naff" ..a couple of examples are "Bad Moon Rising" ...recently dismissed by Manitoba Hal at a gig he did in the UK in Newcastle...and Folsom Prison Blues ...lampooned (brilliantly) by Krabbers...member of UU..so what songs are "naff" and why ?

 

[niwenomian]

What does Naff mean, CeeJay?

 

[billten]

British slang, describes something that is stupid, lame or unpalatable. "That party was naff — they ran out of beer, and the people were way too uptight." Originally from gay slang meaning heterosexual - Not Available For F&@#ing

 

[Bill Mc]

Folsom Prison Blues - not "naff."

 

[Freeda]

Certain songs get overplayed and people tire of them. That's all it is. Personal preference. Has no meaning on a macro scale.

 

[janeray1940]

Certain songs get overplayed and people tire of them. That's all it is. Personal preference. Has no meaning on a macro scale.

Agree completely. There are plenty of songs that I don't care for or don't enjoy playing, but that's not a reflection of the song - it's a reflection of my taste.

Some years back I was performing with a strum-and-sing group and the group leader really wanted to avoid "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" since it was so overplayed. But we got numerous requests for it and he gave in, and we got a standing ovation. A standing ovation! And we weren't even very good! That taught me a lot - it didn't matter what my views or the group leader's views were about the song, what mattered was connecting to the audience.

 

[CeeJay]

Just to be clear, "Naff" is scornfully used as a mocking word .....as the poster Billten rightly responded ....not too sure about the "Gay" origins ,new one on me but quite possible given the Seventies ....which as far as I recall is when the word came into prominence....it may well have been around for much longer.

...in the seventies it was used as a substitute swear word ..."now naff off" (Porridge)

Princess Anne used it quite a bit .....

I am not saying that my two song examples are naff ...over played ,whatever ...just two examples of songs that I have had thrown back at me ....I like them......

Interesting responses so far........

 

[ichadwick]

I think it may be a combination of cultures, generations and personal taste. 'Mericans and Brits have different musical cultures (being a Canuck, I get a bit of both). Songs like Bad Moon Rising are from my generation's youth - it's 45 years old! Kids today (well, anyone under 30...) may not want to hear their parents' music. I sure didn't when I was growing up.

Some members of my local uke club keep asking me to lead them in Me & Bobby Magee, which is a song I personally detest and would rather eat broken glass than play it. But some folks love it. Naff, I would call it, were I a Brit. And when I tried to lead them in You Always Hurt the One You Love and Moonglow, I got a lot of unhappy ukesters strumming along with me. Naff, they would likely have said.

So I try to mix a variety of songs into the mix: 50s, 60s, country, jazz, folk... and hope at least a few of them are a hit.

 

[CeeJay]

I think it may be a combination of cultures, generations and personal taste. 'Mericans and Brits have different musical cultures (being a Canuck, I get a bit of both). Songs like Bad Moon Rising are from my generation's youth - it's 45 years old! Kids today (well, anyone under 30...) may not want to hear their parents' music. I sure didn't when I was growing up.

Some members of my local uke club keep asking me to lead them in Me & Bobby Magee, which is a song I personally detest and would rather eat broken glass than play it. But some folks love it. Naff, I would call it, were I a Brit. And when I tried to lead them in You Always Hurt the One You Love and Moonglow, I got a lot of unhappy ukesters strumming along with me. Naff, they would likely have said.

So I try to mix a variety of songs into the mix: 50s, 60s, country, jazz, folk... and hope at least a few of them are a hit.

(see large text above) And we may not want to hear theirs either to be fair.....and I get the impression that the yoof don't like the wrinklies doing their thang either...but that is as you say generational........

My musical tastes are very Catholic and range from light classical through ragtime.. C + W (yup, both types) American and British rock (and Canadian ...though I am chagrined to say that I sometimes have difficulty telling the two apart...I believe that Americans are the noisy neighbours with all the guns and Canadians actually know to make tea with boiling water....we Brits are just a bit snobby intellectually effete and still in the George Formby era....and have tea at 4 O'Clock ....so that gets the damned stereotypes amusingly out of the way )

...Blues ....in fact I like music ...all sorts....except the stuff that I don't .....it just seems that there are a percentage of ukers ...perhaps it's just over here ..that are vociferous in mocking certain popular songs and then they strive to be "right on and cool" by trotting out obscure pieces ...usually fairly elderly tunes as wellOh well ......'nowt as queer as folk, they say'...btw I am not particularly knocking these players ...just an observation ...

Me