Hi Folks,

It has long puzzled me, when you consider how completely different the accents of English speakers from America, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Canada, Australia & New Zealand are, that when these people sing all their accents (with some notable exceptions such as The Proclaimers and Lily Allen) are indistinguishable from each other. Anyone got any ideas (scientific or otherwise) on why this is so?

Apparently there exists a Universal Dubber.

There's an article by the British sociolinguistics professor Peter Trudgill (at U of Essex) that discusses how UK pop groups sing with American accents. Answering the why is tough, but I'm sure he would agree it is a conscious effort on the singer's' part.

I remember a song "I'm "enry the Eighth, I am" by some British group and anyone else who sang it usd the same English accent to perform it.

And since found here.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: <Proofreader>,

ISTR that one of the tricks used by elocutionists and speech therapists is/was to get their clients to sing some difficult words. No idea why it helps, though.

Stutterers don't stutter when singing either.

Normally I would never post an answers.com site here for a question that was asked, but I found this answer interesting. Z, does it seem accurate?

[off topic]

Do you post on answers.com Kalleh? I post there sometimes.

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Meanwhile on topic, I can't resist sharing this little number with you.

While it is apparently some sort of law that rock 'n roll must be sung in an American accent, the same cannot be said for musical theatre (not prior the advent of West Side Story at any rate.)

quote:

Originally posted by Proofreader:
I remember a song "I'm "enry the Eighth, I am" by some British group and anyone else who sang it usd the same English accent to perform it.

And since found here.

A peculiar thing about this ditty is that Herman's Hermits are from Manchester and are putting on fake Cockney accents for their performance of this old music hall song. (Would you Adam and Eve it?!)

The accent in that song seemed fake to me. Good to know I was right!

Now, I wonder if one yodels with an accent?

Loved your link, Alphie!