Florence Foster Jenkins - Laughing Song from Die Fledermaus

[TheDoomOfAllFires]

Oh God, this is fucking awful...

...

But I can't stop listening to it XD

[lourak]

Does anyone truly know the truth about Jenkins? Was she suffering from some kind of delusional pathology, or was it a stunt of some kind?

[angelcity6]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

[Galahad1950]

I've just entered the Twilight Zone.

[VlaDaful]

omg.discusting ;/////////

[vocalissimo1]

Sounds like Katia Ricciarelli towards the end of her career.

[2222LINDSAY]

There must be something in the Geneva Convention about this kind of bizarre and unusual torture?

[amsterm8]

Thanks you so much, hahahahaha OMG!~ hah hah ahaha

[shieldsguy]

This song is 1 of my favourite light opera songs its from de fledermous shes terrible but she gives people a laugh i suppose

[onieshka]

@shieldsguy That's why most of the people came to listen to her. She was sure that she was really gifted and she was sure that the laughing people were other singers jalouse of her wonderful voice...

[lourak]

@onieshka How do you know that this wasn't a stunt? Is there any proof?

[ChazsmateIII]

Instead of talking they ought to play this to suicidal jumpers.

She's my new fantasy sweetheart.

[thomastmwc]

isn't bad at all

[MsBlynn]

Flo...bless your heart!

[Nungirl238]

OH JESUS! Come and get me now!!

[amsterm8]

@Nungirl238 YES! YES! YES! Lord, have mercy

[leftyliz140]

I wonder if she would have been a better singer if she'd just found a non-opera/classical genre in a more accessible range. This is kind of how a lot of people sound when they don't breathe properly before they hit a high note.

[sutonia]

Her laughing makes me cry)))))))))))

[Babszyoti]

HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[phildread]

just found out on Q.I that she was a he. :-D

[jefequeso]

wow... that was bad.

[Madamina1000]

Okay, is this supposed to be a horrible joke?! This is the worst thing I've ever heard! I sing better than that with a cold! Yeah, I think she would be a good anti-terrorist weapon. LOL This is awful! ! ! ! ! !

[MonkiiGirl]

oh how funny -ARF ARF ARF! - you amuse me - ARF ARF ARF...

[ryanlock2u]

@MonkiiGirl I seriously did not even realize she was singing in English until I read that...

[hypnoxxcat]

This is easily my favorite of her recordings, because she delivers the greatest finale to the song EVER. (start around 3:07 to the end... The way she builds up to the ending is amazing.)

[fans1234567890]

Although I can't help laughing every time when listen to her recording, still i would say i respect her as a great fan

[kanwo16bian]

Well... it sounds kinda sweet somehow.. like a grandmother singing or something...

[flowersings]

This an insult to this ara!!! Is this really her singing this?

[ipmoic]

The pianist's name was Cosme McMoon--not Cosmo--even worse.

I truly believe he purposely played in keys higher than Ms.Jenkins could ever hope to reach. Naturally this made it even funnier--but cruelly so.

[ybravura]

I notice that this video has had about ten times as many views as the other renditions of this tune. Obviously, people still recognize greatness when they hear it.

[drmerkwurdigeliebe1]

what a beautiful voice! You don't hear this kind of quality nowadays!

[wilsoncormack]

The song was intended to be funny and make the audience laugh. And that she did... Now if only I can stop.

Oh and she's probably the william hung of her time

[toddydelahov]

3:39

A íRA DE DEUS SOBRE MIM TB!!!!

[TheTheater4life]

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS??!!

[Fozzymaple]

Poor Strauss, and she's not even trying to perform it in German (I have my doubts as to whether she was actually singing in English(

[nadlerskid]

very funny

[bamf27]

best ending ever...

[uscanabasu]

sos "want to be" jerks1

[powellpicc1985]

The inspiration behind Mirandasings08, perhaps?

Love this. I looked it up after reading about her in Oliver Sacks' book.

[bag3lmonst3r]

holy fuck. my ears bled at 3:37.

[LeCoconut]

bahahaha im gonna pop a lung

i never get tired of her, she's that joke that'll always be funny!!!

[Miliusmedici]

Hsienshien, thank you so much for uploading this piece of true passion! In a showbiz-world of perfect smiles, this is a sigh of relief. My whole family has gotten to know Mrs. Jenkins by now and we are all in debt for the great joy she provided.

[reelMn]

@Miliusmedici Aaahh, this reminds me of the days before AutoTune turned all our pop singers into perfect-pitched electrons...

Painful, but hilarious.

[EmmaRoseRoberts1]

MIS OIDOOOOOOS!!!

[EmmaRoseRoberts1]

HORRIBLEEEEE!!!

[MissMusicienne]

'The Laughing Song' indeed! My mum suggested I look this up - I'd never heard of her - because I'm such a bad music fan.

[modprod]

Her recordings of the period (early 1940s) are still sold today! Florence Foster Jenkins. Has a very interesting life story being portrayed by Neva Rae Powers in " Souvenir" now playing in Skokie, IL Tremendous show! Worth seeing! No Joke!!!

[shaytertot]

I can't decide if this is better or worse than Charlotte Church's attempt at the aria. At least this has the saving (?) grace (???) of being painfully hilarious.

[beteltree]

I have now listened to this clip -- esp. those magical 3-5 seconds of gargled clucking -- several hundred times since yesterday. This is really a gift that keeps on giving. Everyone in my household, including the cat, has run away.

[pianomags]

@beteltree "a gift that keeps on giving" bit had me laughing more than the bloody video. I feel sorry for the old gal, plus a bit of dreadful empathy. Shoot me before I get this bad or start going to garden centres.

[beteltree]

@pianomags Keep in mind though that dear Flo's problem was that she did not keep to the garden centres... Carnegie Hall was a fatal mistake. Literally.

I don't know your work but I am quite confident that you do not share Florence's "unique gift." Gotta say I admire her self-esteem. Keep on singing!

[TheQueenOfMediocrity]

@beteltree I wouldn't say Carnegie Hall was a terrible mistake, considering she sold out, with people scalping tickets outside, to hear her hilarious and entertaining singing fail. Besides, she was living her dream, with absolutely no regard as to what other people thought of her... that is to be admired.

Besides, she's funny as hell. :)

[beteltree]

@TheQueenOfMediocrity all too true. Florence's moxy was really why I fell in love with her in the first place. Not a "terrible" mistake but a fatal move...Jenkins had no idea she was so bad till the Carnegie Hall reviews. Died of a broken heart from those reviews. So they said.

[jewelmarkess]

@beteltree I read it was just a coincidence, she wasn't exactly young then. People had told her she was bad before, I'd imagine her parents did as well as her husband. As to Carnegie Hall, I read an article that said some of the reviews were quite tame, they used words like "inimitable" or "unique rendition". She discounted negative ones as envy. The audience applauded her, they'd burst into thunderous applause in the most excruciating moments to cover up laughter.

[Adventurejimbob]

@beteltree I think we ought to have the army blast this song out of their trucks until the terrorists give up. Probably wouldn't take too long.

[beteltree]

@Adventurejimbob LOL. I can see it now. Florence Jenkins hoists the banner of Western self-indulgence and cultural corruption. Terrorists flee in terror.

[beteltree]

@0:08 - 0:11 An amazing effect...like a gargled clucking. How is that even possible to produce? Madame's many contributions to the vocal arts continue to astound and delight this opera geek. I'd like to sample those 3 seconds for something. Don't know if I can afford the copyright though.

[finylvinyl66]

Florence's is the definitive version of this song, as it caused more laughing than any other rendition.

[toddc123]

Naughty!!

[fustigamatti]

where's Tryphosa Bates-Batcheller?

[4piglite]

My dog ran out of the room at 3:38-- seriously. LAMO!!

[jccw227]

Smart dog.

[mariacostas]

alguien sabe cómo descargar el audio?

cómo puedo conseguirlo, por favor?????

[wrgst]

she had enough money.she paid herself for concert halls, recordings, pianists etc. her husband left her because of singing but finnally when she was about 70 (I think...) she booked the carnegie hall (!) and it was sold out - people took her like an comedien. she died shortly after this, it was lilte bit too much for her... but she seemd to bee happy.....

[strauss12345]

Laughable.

[strauss12345]

This is supposed to be in German, I can't even tell if it is in English.

[DelmirAgustini]

She sings in English.

It's perfectly distinguishable.

(This is not a joke.)

[NJazzT]

Ne'er has there been such a glorious ending to music as this.

[Kreismanis]

a classic WIN at FAIL!!!!

[OrganCat]

Don't shoot the piano player- he prefers to shoot himself !

[JRZGRL55]

I'm feeling good about what I can do after 7 years of singing lessons. VERY good.

[shamandiay004]

oh my.. she's terrible.. hahaha..

[bbradfordp]

3:26 is my favorite part

[Bonjour1O]

hahahahahahahah love her

[BrendanKennedy96]

The only "Laughing song" i know is the laughing policeman.

[myyamisamasochist]

i laughed so much that i gotta fav it evn tho its so bad X'D

[divalicious002]

Oh Dear...*sigh* lol

[PaGoldFlute]

E' una cosa inenarrabile...orrenda... io non sono un cantante, ma questo non penso sia proprio definibile "canto"... mi ha solo fatto ridere sinceramente...

[luigipava]

leggiti quello che dice wikipedia'' fa ridere di piu'' w florence ahahahahha

[danieldeborah]

Love is one thing, respect is clearly another.

[cherrythechair]

Excruciating..........ly  awful. My parents played this at a dinner party in Paris in the 1950s (pretending to take it seriously), their guests fell of their chairs with laughter. Poor Florence - her best friend didn't tell her!

[petegib7]

Now we know why this was called "The

Laughing Song."

[saradeluna]

hahahahahaha!!!

[BudekCongenMeler]

for a moment there i thought this is a record of a singing bird....... damn was i wrong... but nice though.... the piano i mean....

[Taioo]

jjajajajajaaja por dios!

[Sparklydiva210]

I could not help laughing myself while listening to this. The best part is the album cover:"The Glory of the Human Voice"... as imitated by Polly Parrot.

[CosmosPhile]

P.S. AMAZING accompanist, who makes her sound in rhythm...

[CosmosPhile]

I can't believe I found this on youtube! i agree with bizou that her voice favors that of a parrott... but she had the guts to learn and perform (and heavens, even record!) the song.... she had spunk...

[nathanfornash]

What a load of crap!

[krakerlak]

y todavia la cabrona creia que si cantaba bien, como hay imbeciles que pasan por este mundo, me imagino que seria como el regeton de nuestros tiempos jejeje

[Gabriel13187]

Something´s wrong with this poor woman... please call a doctor... jajajjajajajaj

[bizou99]

It really does sound like a hoarse parrot.

[inhighspeed]

All I can say is bless her heart. Bless her heart.

[athapris]

Words are poor when we listen to this divine voice!

[pziglioli]

I was going to say it sounded less bad than other stuff she recorded, but the final screams terrified me. :)

[babsalaba]

Can't breathe for laughing. I just heard her rendition of Der Hölle Rache.

It MUST be a parody.

Please, weeping Jesus, let it be so.

[MisterEKOownz]

Florence Foster Jenkins (July 19, 1868 November 26, 1944) was an American soprano who became famous for her complete lack of rhythm, pitch, tone, and overall singing ability.

Quoting wikipedia lolll.

[Jonnybrams]

This is the real world, man. You just have to watch the auditions for American Idol to find the answer to your request.

[finwenluin]

pobre pianista, al tipo le deben de haber pagado muchisimo dinero...

[BillClausen]

She could make a dear person scream.

Ella puede hacer un sordo gritar.

[almex99]

Das Geschrei ist so furchtbar, dass es schon fast wieder schön ist!

[thomastmwc]

If I were the pianist, I couldnt hlp laughin my arse off. Bravo !

[ftumschk]

The pianist's name, by the way, was "Cosmo McMoon". Crazy name, crazy guy :)

[heesookay]

There was a rumor going around that Cosme McMoon was indeed just the nom de plume for Edwin McArthur, the famous accompanist. I'm not quite sure whether or not it's true, however...

[oboedad55]

What's truly amazing is how well the pianist manages to follow her!

[babsalaba]

Never underestimate a skilled accompanist! :)

[johnvr99]

I'm starting to join the elaborate joke theory bandwagon. FFJ's singing is terribly inaccurate, but far from tone-deaf. If she could hear well enough to sing like this, then she could certainly hear the screech in her fortissimi, and I conclude that she put it there on purpose.

[roastutube]

The Gory of Music. I think she was reincarnated as Madonna, but hey, Flo loved her music and that is really all that matters in the end. Now if only Madonna could sing this well....

[kntayal]

Grande Florence!!!!!!!

nos subes el ánimo a todos los cantantes XD

[000nour000]

HAHAHA!! please tell me you're kidding?!!

[AkiraChan24]

This woman was actually famous. Only because she was rotten XD

[000nour000]

LOL well said!!

[har2shar2]

any one auditioned to play her?  How did you prepare???

[tossJ]

I absolutely love her flawless performance(s).

[dopepenguin]

yeah, my pants are flawless to lol

[anchorbear]

I just saw a wonderful play about Florence Jenkins called "Souvenir." It was fun to hear the "real" Florence after viewing the play. And although Ms. Jenkins may not have been a skilled singer, she pursued her dream with all her heart, and in the end, that's pretty admirable.

[afemalefan]

I'm going to see the play in San Francisco tonight. I've been a fan of Florence Foster Jenkins' for years and am really looking forward to it. Going with several other singers so it will be a blast!

[anchorbear]

Enjoy the performance! I hope the actors you see are as good as the ones in the Minneapolis production. The play was both hilarious and moving, and the two actors were top-notch.

[afemalefan]

It was good - both in the cast were very good.

My parents grew up in NY in the 20's and 30's and were well aquainted w/Ms. Foster Jenkins. They were both excellent singers themselves, but my mother and I always sang together in the"Foster Jenkins" style. The play gave me a bit more compassion for her, poor dear.

[FelipeSopranista]

I love!!! Very good!!! [Muahahahahahahahahahahahahaha­ha]

[trombo8]

she is magnificent or at last her self-confidence :)!!!!!!!!

[Duleiana]

Kncoked me out...

[Duleiana]

Sorry, KNOCKED

[reallyharried]

No, no, no, no... it's high, high, high camp!

[HappyBeeingMe]

We listened to this in my vocal pedagogy class yesterday and I just about died! This is absolutely incredible, and I guess you gotta admire her confidence...but I wouldn't want to be her teacher!

[RosesLavender]

Gosh, I think Ms. Jenkins could fit right in on "American Idol," without a doubt. She'd probably WIN, too! :D

[reallyharried]

Paula would say she's a bit pitchy.

[myxklptk]

What is sad about this is that Miss Jenkins meant it to be taken seriously. In her mind, she thought she was GOOD, and that is the saddest thing about it all.

[nonrandomusername]

She's immensely better than that anonymous male voice who desecrates "Oh Holy Night."

[kenbass]

This is great music at its best. You have to open your ears everybody. Enjoy

Kenbass

[stamfordrider87]

i forgot... the glory of the voice??? of which planet? saturn??

[stamfordrider87]

omfg!!!! what is that? its so amazing, she imatates a true opera singer, see you later im gonna vomit to my bathroom.

[vettae]

She has the merit of having been the first to come up with the idea of making fun of classical music...my voice sounds quite similar but I'd never have dared to exhibit it on a stage :-)))

[ugluspegill]

At 3:39 I really thought the wrath of God was upon me.

[nauort23]

What's so odd about this? Is this not the way the rich do everything in this world?

[brokr123]

scares me to death...

[God6Killing6Virus6]

Oh my LOOOL! xDDD

[TrevsMum]

OMG I'm sure she sang a right note there!!

Are you SURE this is FFJ???

[zappa2496]

She accidentally got some words that sounded like they were in English in there. Luckily, she made up for it with the big ending.

[9sibra]

she's a genius! she uses microtones so naturally! and her dynamic potentiality equals blue whale!

[librariansith]

I'm going to have nightmares about this, I swear! This is just frightening!

[twilightdrmz]

3:39 scared the crap outta me

[nzdesignagirl]

haha me too!

[paminaase]

=) If I'm not accepted to a music school I think I will share the same fate =)I'll rob a bank and make records like this =D

She was also too in loved with music =)

[adaswet]

This is the most in tune recording of her...

[9sibra]

you're right! 8o

[itsRACHELjoyce]

I think this was rightly titled The Laughing Song.

[cardfanyak]

I think I just threw up in my mouth!

[TackyRackyComix]

That tone-deaf guy from the movie "Music and Lyrics" could probably do better than this...

Waitasec!!! Maybe she was tone deaf!! That's gotta be it. How else would she think so highly of herself? (And yes, she really thought she was a good singer.)

But anyway, this is like listening to William Hung if he was an aristocratic fat lady who sang bad opera. (Okay, not really, but you get my implication, right?)

[ftintin]

die Fledermaus die. I think FFJ killed it.

[goberserck]

Sista Jenkins shows no merci....

truly cruel

[rpcnaEthan]

If the hair on the back of your neck does not stand at attention at 3:40,,,then I don't know what else will help you.

[summerrose34]

it did!  it did!

[itsRACHELjoyce]

She sounds like a puppy being hit by a truck!

[DivaDeb1234]

The cadenza at the end was

totally amazing! She poured

her soul into it!

[ABong13]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha--haaaaaaaaaaa

[danskheste]

from Wikipedia: 'This posthumously released album, The Glory of the Human Voice, is a collector's item. Its liner notes recount the history of Florence Foster Jenkins, "the first lady of the sliding scale." The socialite appears on the cover in one of her many recital costumes, "Angel of Inspiration." ' IOW yer supposed to laugH! :D Thanks for posting this!

[be3eu]

Natalia de Andrade is the master of Portugueses music, she has such an emotion in her voice

[yennybarnes]

welcome all to my family Christmas Day

yenny b

[IlVenturetto]

I think it's not English nor German.

It's Chinese

[victor63]

I took a screwdriver to my eardrum...I didn't think it was that bad( relative to her Der Holle Rache and The Bell Song) until the very end . That was just a hot mess !!!!

[actorboy2]

you are my hero! I took your advice with the screwdriver... it really helped! I just loath the day she records The Doll Song o_O

[chem100]

I played this. My dog couldn't take it. First her ears bent back 180 degrees and then she left the room. Then she came back to listen to more. What a musical treat! I love Miss Jenkins.

[lochness11]

cthepowersthatb------methinks you have a wicked sense of humour!

"We shall never hear the likes of her again".

[cthepowersthatb]

Early punk

[amarantapulchra]

Esto es mejor que 10000 chistes juntos!!

[ndarcy]

Natália de Andrade is a lot 'better' than FFJ.

[lochness11]

Madam Florence Foster Jenkins welcome back.You have been digitalised beyond your widest dreams,and now give pleasure to millions worldwide.

Fame at last.

[annana53]

Je regretterai toute ma vie que Tex Avery n'ait pas exploité cela...

[rubbj]

Of course it's English! You expect her too sing this well and then in German too?

[EndlessCompassion]

I checked her wikipedia article. Goddamn. And there are so many mediocre - good sopranos out there who are starving.

[NVanWendy]

Yes, but the price FFJ paid was that she was considered a laughingstock. Not many of those sopranos would buy fame that way.