- Almost 60% of Brits get the lyrics wrong to some of the most famous Christmas songs
- The track Brits get wrong the most is Children’s song Jingle Bells
- Those in the West Midlands (55%) are the least likely to sing the wrong lyrics to Christmas songs
London, 18 December 2014, Jingle Bells has topped the poll of our list of Christmas songs that Brits most commonly get wrong, either by mistake or on purpose. As a nation of music lovers we still struggle to get the lyrics right to the most well known Christmas tracks, particularly when we’re immersed in Christmas cheer – and, perhaps, alcohol.
A recent survey commissioned by music streaming service Deezer to launch its new Lyrics function, has revealed as a nation we often get the lyrics wrong to some of the most popular Christmas classics.
Our list of the top five most mis-sung Christmas tracks in the UK are:
Next on the list is The Pogues’ ‘Fairytale of New York’ with some of us also admitting to getting these lyrics intentionally or mistakenly wrong (11%). The line “You’re a bum, you’re a punk, you’re an old glutton drunk” came out as the most commonly mis-sung lyric from our list instead of the slightly more controversial “You’re a bum, you’re a punk, you’re an old slut on junk”.
It also turns out we’re fairly creative when it comes to replacing lyrics in our favourite Christmas songs. From those questioned, lines such as ‘Walking in our winter underwear’ and ‘We three kings of Liverpool are’ were noted as replacement lyrics. But we can’t seem to get away from classic lines we all sang at school; ‘While Shepherd’s wash their socks at night’ which was another mis-sung lyric mentioned.
The survey of 2000 Brits also revealed that it’s those in the West Midlands (55%) who take their sing-alongs most seriously with these guys being least likely to sing the wrong lyrics. And, unfortunately, it’s the Welsh who are most likely to get the words to Christmas songs wrong with 62% of those surveyed revealing they get the lyrics wrong, or are not sure if what they are singing is correct.
The survey has been commissioned to mark the launch of Lyrics on Deezer, which aims to make sure that you’ll never get the words wrong whilst listening to music again. At the press of a button, users will be able to pull up the lyrics to our most loved songs, and make sure Shepherd’s socks are no longer washed at night.
Christian Harris, MD for UK and Ireland at Deezer, said: “Brits love nothing more than getting into the festive spirit by turning on their Christmas playlist at the start of December, belting out Christmas hits for far too long, with somewhat questionable misheard lyrics! We’re hoping to nip any sherry-induced confusion in the bud this year before the festive party season is truly underway, with Deezer’s new Lyrics feature.”
For further information, please contact PrettyGreen on 020 7490 3449 or email bea@itsprettygreen.com/deezer@itsprettygreen.com
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NOTES TO EDITORS
*Not examples that were included in the survey
AGR_q4 Have you EVER sung the wrong lyrics to any of the following Christmas songs/ carols, either by mistake or intentionally?
Jingle Bells (22%)
Fairytale of New York (11%)
Silent Night (7%)
Away in a Manger (6%)
I wish it could be Christmas (6%)
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2017 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 9th and 10th December 2014. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
About Lyrics
Rolling out from Thursday 18th December, users will be able to choose from two modes; ‘Sing-a-long’, which enables listeners to sing to synchronised lyrics with words automatically highlighted in time with the song, or ‘Score mode’ which provides the song-sheet in one go. So whether you’re at home crooning with your pals to a feel-good track or looking for inspiration before a tough day at work, Deezer’s new Lyrics feature makes accessing the right words to a song quick and easy.
With over one million Google searches performed for song lyrics every day, music fans’ thirst for composition and getting the words right is bigger than ever. Deezer’s unique Lyrics feature now makes access to lyrics even more simple – and much more fun.
Deezer Lyrics key features:
- Sing-a-long mode: synchronised lyrics which guides users through the song – as the lyrics are sung the words show on screen
- Score mode: fixed lyrics to view all the words in one go, so users can learn the words at their own pace
- An easy to locate microphone button providing one-click access to a song’s lyrics on the music player
About Deezer:
Deezer is the first truly global on-demand audio provider, offering a digital music streaming service in more than 180 countries, with 16 million monthly active users and 6 million paid subscribers worldwide.
Deezer is at the forefront of a streaming revolution, allowing fans instant access to the largest music catalogue in the world, with more than 35 million songs and 30,000+ radio channels on any device. Combining the best of man and machine, Deezer’s global editorial team searches for the best music around the world and its algorithmic recommendations help fans discover music they will truly love. Deezer is available on your favourite device, including smartphone, tablet, PC, laptop, home sound system, connected car or smart TV.
Launched in 2007, Deezer is a privately held company, headquartered in Paris with offices in San Francisco and around the world. Deezer is currently available as a free download for iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows devices or on the web at www.deezer.com. October 2014 Deezer acquired leading on-demand talk radio service Stitcher.
For the latest news, and official Deezer images go to Deezer.com/company/press
Discover Deezer
m.deezer.com
www.deezer-blog.com
Twitter: @Deezer
