Karaoke for the Deaf

Here's a very, very funny and creative clip by a British comedian David Armand who plays out a "mime-like" rendition of a song called "Torn" by an Australian singer Natalia Imbruglia. The comedy act is not in a very "ASL"-like repertoire performance. But nonetheless his performance is absolutely priceless. He doesn't perform the full lyrics but use about 1/2 of it for his performance. The lyrics are in blue while in parentheses I try include description of the signs to help you follow the lyrics and the music with his "mime-like" performance.

I thought I saw a man (man = shows a long weiner)

brought (both hands cupped comes up)

to life (makes a circle)

*

He was warm (fans himself)

He came around (cowboy lasso)

And he was dignified (imitates wearing a monacle - "sophisticated")

*

He showed me what it was to cry (he cries)

*

Well you couldn't be that man I adored (pumps heart)

*

You don't seem to know

Or seem to care

What your heart is for

*

I don't know him (him = weiner)

anymore

*

I don't care

I have no luck (checks pocket for cash)

I don't miss it all that much (bow and arrow -miss)

There's just so many things (points finger all over the place)

that I can't touch (touches his palm)

I'm torn (rips a paper)

*

I'm all out of faith (points finger down to hell)

This is how I feel (feels body)

I'm cold (shivers)

and

I am shamed (covers mouth)

Lying naked on the floor (covers anatomy, imitates with arms of legs spread on floor)

*

Illusion never changed (imitates a magician)

Into something real (reels in a fish)

I'm wide awake (imitates fish "awake")

and I can see the perfect sky (he see and makes a circle)

is torn (tears an invisible paper)

*

You're a little late (fake scolding talk, points to watch)

I'm already torn

*

(He ad libs from here on out)

For those of you who are frowning about this clip, lighten up! For those who are wearing cochlear implants, this is a good time to improve your hearing by watching this clip to try and listen and follow the lyrics. You'll really enjoy this comedy routine. I promise you that. For those who wears a hearing aid, it's funny and try and follow the lyrics as you watch. Now, for those who are Deaf/deaf it's still funny if you watch the performance since it follows the stanza ("breaks") in the lyrics.

Guess what the sign is for "man" ?

It's a comedy fer Pete's sake! Lighten up, dudes.

This guy a genius. He's going to go places and people love his performance "Torn." Already this is being circulated all over the internet passing around this very funny clip.

Enjoy.