SURVEY: Nearly 4 in 5 Americans cluelessly mumble through second chorus line of 'Feliz Navidad'
Originally published December 23, 2021.
By an overwhelming margin, Americans admit they mumble cluelessly through the second chorus line of the song, "Feliz Navidad," according to a new survey by Karaoke Monthly magazine.
The easily recognizable and upbeat 1970 Christmas song, released by Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Jose Feliciano, elicits great energy and enthusiasm from Americans attempting to sing along. And most rattle off the lyrics flawlessly, especially through the three iterations of “Feliz Navidad.”
However, the survey found, when it comes time to sing the second line of Spanish verse, a whopping 77 percent of Americans clumsily mumbled, or even merely hummed, eager for the song to return to the part they actually understood.
The main verse of the song goes as follows (the bold text marks the precise spot where most Americans become confused):
Feliz Navidad…Feliz Navidad…Feliz Navidad
Prospero ano y felicidad
Translated to English, the chorus reads: ‘Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas; A prosperous New Year and happiness.’
“That’s how that part goes?” asked Jesse Taylor of Pine Grove, Oregon, requesting the reporter repeat the phrase, only more slowly this time. “I’ll be goshdarned. I’ve been singing along to that song since I was a kid—well, most of the song, anyway—but I had no idea how that line went.”
Perhaps most alarming is that the survey was conducted by Karaoke Monthly magazine, which covers an activity in which the words appear on a screen directly in front of the singer. This means that four in five Americans don’t know the words to the song even when they are practically hitting them in the face.
“This is not a great look for Americans,” said Marianne Garcia, a professor of Classic Hispanic Christmas Music at Northern Arizona University. “It’s not like people have to memorize Don Quixote or anything. It’s a pretty simple phrase. And yet most Americans obviously do not feel compelled to even try to remember it. Typical.”
As opposed to mumbling or humming through the unknown part, some survey respondents indicated they resort to less obvious scapegoats, especially when riding in a car with others. These include sipping on a soft drink, clearing one’s throat or excitedly pointing out the window while saying, “Take a look at that,” despite pointing at nothing in particular.
“When I’m driving my kids around and this song comes on, my go-to is to subtly change the station using the button on the steering wheel,” said Maria Grant of Mayflower, Arkansas. Then I say ‘Oops!’ to make it look like an accident. But now that I think about it, I probably shouldn’t even bother. My kids never notice what is on the radio because their heads are always buried in that damn iPad.”
For those committed to clearing this hurdle and memorizing the entire song once and for all, the most effective method remains writing the correct words on a post-it note and sticking it directly on the windshield.