Songs That Go Down Well In Nursing Homes

Besides playing old war songs etc what songs go down well in nursing homes ?

I play Country Western, Big Band, Scottish Music living in Scotland but would like some other ideas ?

Along with your C&W and BigBand, try some 50s Rock and Roll! Many of the people were teens then. They love it.

Google the top hits and top movie songs of the late 40's to late 50's in your country, and I think that you'll get a lot of great ideas.

All of the above.

There are so many great tunes to pick from the 20’s-60’s. While I’m not at all a NH veteran, I done enough to know that a good mix of “monster hits” from the big band era, classic C&W, 50’s early 60’s rock and R&B, songs from the “Great American Song Book” all go over well. Maybe add some Patriotic, Show tunes, and Hymens too. You can never go wrong with Sinatra and Elvis hits.

But you never know… I’ve had folks in their 70’s-80’s request the Eagles “Hotel California,” the Doors “Light My Fire”, The Village People’s “YMCA” Cindy Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and Lady Gaga. But again, you do fine with hits from the 20’s-60’s.

I happen to have a NH job today and I’m putting together a list right now. Here’s what I’m considering:


After The Loving
All My Loving
All of Me
All the Things You Are
At The Hop
Bad Bad Leroy Brown
Beyond The Sea
Blue Berry Hill
Blue Suede Shoes
Chattannoga Choo-Choo
Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White
Crazy
Fly Me To the Moon
Folsom Prison Blues
Good Luck Charm
In The Mood
Jonny B Good
My Girl
My Way (thanks Gary for the style)
Quando, Quando, Quando
Release
Rock Around The Clock
Satin Doll
Sea of Love
She’s Not You (Elvis)
Star Dust
Sweet Caroline
Travelin’ Man
Under The Boardwalk
Your Cheatin’ Heart

Sorry I’m kind of rambling on and on. I hope that helps!

Yes! Sometimes when I'm about to play my last song I ask the audience "you'd y'all like to hear some Big Band, Country or Rock and Roll?" They always reply "Rock and Roll!"

Also you may ask if anybody is having a B-Day that Month (or last month or next month) Play/sing happy birthday for them. Everybody likes to sing along to a good version of Happy Birthday.

Amazing I play many of those at my 1 hour gigs. One comment about My Way. I many times will sing/play My Way the last song of the gig. I stole a line from Sinatra used at his Madison Square Garden performance in what I think was 1974. Old blue eyes said at that concert, "And now ladies and gentlemen, the National Anthem, but no need to stand". One time at an assisted living facility that's the way I opened my playing My Way. At least one member of the audience's hearing was poor, one guy a veteran stood up and and saluted the entire song. I'm careful now how I phrase the intro of My Way.

Besides being in Scotland which is a big song choice concern vs the USA......... It Doesn't matter what you play, ....
But how you play it!

I Saw the Light, I'll Fly Away, Just Over in the Gloryland, One Day at a Time.

True Dat

So, I guess that means Jimi Hendrix and Iron Butterfly will work ok then huh?

... never know till you try it ...

montunoman ... that list is like the 'gold standard' of "solid gold standards"

Do the math:

Someone 25 in 1948, would be 89 today, which is hitting the age range where they're either A) unable to get down to the dining room, activity space, etc or they are B) dead...

I'm not saying there won't be any people that old, just that its a minority within most NH audiences.

I'd suggest a better target would be about 10 years later, say 1958. Those folks are 79 and even that's a tad on the high side.

Look at your audiences and ballpark how many are in their 60's, 70's, 80's and up...

A nice mix of pop, country, rock, etc. which aims at the bulk of your audience will play the most dividends. If 50% of your audience is in their 60's, then play 50% of your stuff for them. If 30% is in their 70, play 30% of their material and so on...

I'm playing less and less and less Big Band stuff in the last few years...more and more 60's, 70's and newer...

Good luck...

montunoman ... that list is like the 'gold standard' of "solid gold standards" [/quote]

Thanks Tony. I need to thank you for recomending the show "Million Dollar Quartet." If you want to see what goes over in BIG way with people of "a certain age", you got to see that show!

I won't be the one to try it anytime soon but it just a matter of (not too much)time before lots of NH residence will be very familiar with Hendrix. I guess the average Woodstock atende would be in the 60's now, right?

Everybody is forgetting this is Scotland hes talking about...most any song can be done in any genre or rhythm if you a good musician



so....... what is your mostly Scottish song list gonna be ..?

Amazing I play many of those at my 1 hour gigs. One comment about My Way. I many times will sing/play My Way the last song of the gig. I stole a line from Sinatra used at his Madison Square Garden performance in what I think was 1974. Old blue eyes said at that concert, "And now ladies and gentlemen, the National Anthem, but no need to stand". One time at an assisted living facility that's the way I opened my playing My Way. At least one member of the audience's hearing was poor, one guy a veteran stood up and and saluted the entire song. I'm careful now how I phrase the intro of My Way. [/quote]

A quote of his I like to use with this song goes like this: This song was written by Fred Ebb and John Kandor, arranged by Don Costa, recorded by Liza Minelli and stolen by me.

Joe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Way_(song)

Paul ... glad you enjoyed it ... it is just a FUN show ...

A quote of his I like to use with this song goes like this: This song was written by Fred Ebb and John Kandor, arranged by Don Costa, recorded by Liza Minelli and stolen by me.

Joe [/quote]

Start spreading the news?

When I do Elvis songs I like to announce........
"This next song was done by Michael Jackson's ex father in law"

funny to see the puzzling looks on the audiences faces lol

Funny, I never thought of that relationship

True story, folks. When we do our little Elvis medley, the wife explains how, on a cruise last year, I entered an 'Elvis Dance Moves' contest. And I won.

Brilliant, except for the fact that I pulled a leg muscle in the process. (I always blame the ship for tossing me around). It always gets a big laugh, though.

Then I explain that there'll be no more Elvis moves from me, I'll just stick to singing the songs tonight.

From Wikipedia -
"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Comme d'habitude had in turn originally been written in English, titled "For Me". Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the original French song or the earlier English version. "My Way" is often quoted as the most covered song in history.