ASL Music Videos

June 1, 2008 8:03 PM

American Sign Language Music Videos

I'm not entirely sure they're ASL. Maybe they're just SL. Any which way you dice it, though, they're great. If you're entertained, do a search: there are lots more of them on YouTube.

And just for kicks, Natalie Imbruglia's Torn, signed comedically.

posted by five fresh fish (23 comments total)

This is very cool.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:12 PM on June 1, 2008

I guess Daft Hands would be closed captioning?
posted by Clandestine Outlawry at 8:15 PM on June 1, 2008

You forgot the ASL version of Marylin Manson's song This is the New S#*t.
posted by MissNefertiti at 8:18 PM on June 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

The Flaming Lips had someone on stage signing during their Yoshimi tour, at least for the song "Yoshimi" at their Boston stop. I tried to find it on Youtube, but this was the closest I got: three women signing "Do You Realize?" for a school project. Cool post!!
posted by not_on_display at 8:26 PM on June 1, 2008

Ooops.. link for above comment!
posted by not_on_display at 8:26 PM on June 1, 2008

iPod ASL Commercial.
posted by ericb at 8:31 PM on June 1, 2008

Previously
posted by wheelieman at 8:40 PM on June 1, 2008

On Pearl Jam's Touring Band DVD, during "Given to Fly", Eddie Vedder pulls the girl signing in ASL to the audience onstage to perform with them. It's always been one of my favorite live performances. You can watch it here (YouTube).
posted by shannonm at 8:42 PM on June 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

What's the deal with the library paper towel dispenser in the "Too Sexy" video? First they take away the card catalogs, then the microfiche readers, then everyone stops whispering, and now libraries have paper towel dispensers. Am I the only whispering non-library-masturbator left?
posted by Tube at 9:05 PM on June 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

Am I the only whispering non-library-masturbator left?

Huh? Wha.... sorry wasn't... paying attention.
posted by rokusan at 9:36 PM on June 1, 2008

Previously

Well, damn.

You forgot the ASL version of Marylin Manson's song This is the New S#*t.

Durrrr. [slaps head] I can't believe I forgot about that one.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:20 PM on June 1, 2008

RAD
posted by freebird at 10:23 PM on June 1, 2008

What, no Signing with Cindy?
posted by Davenhill at 10:29 PM on June 1, 2008

*raced to post marilyn manson new asl...*
thanks, somehow I was too stupid to look for more good examples -
I went to a Korn concert once in a hockey arena and saw a whole section of seats with their own interpreter.. Korn was bragging about how loud they were.
posted by hypersloth at 2:28 AM on June 2, 2008

I like to imagine that every time Natalia Imbruglia's version of Torn is played, Anne Preven drop-kicks a little terrier dog through a window.
posted by Eideteker at 5:43 AM on June 2, 2008

i, too, could barely contain myself long enough to check the included links to see if b.storm's ASL cover of "this is the new shit" was included.

i personally think that video is one of the most amazing things i've ever seen. i'm glad it's already been linked.
posted by CitizenD at 8:29 AM on June 2, 2008

This reminds me of a girl I went to high school with. She used to consistently win our high school talent show by getting onstage and signing along to some background music, usually about god or patriotism.

I never understood how this was a "talent." If I'd had better spanish language skills, I was always tempted to find out if I could win by getting onstage and speaking spanish for 3 1/2 minutes.

Aside from all that, this was a cool post.
posted by TrinaSelwyn at 9:00 AM on June 2, 2008

here's the website for bstorm, the fellow who did the marilyn manson ASL cover.
posted by CitizenD at 10:24 AM on June 2, 2008

...and a link to bstorm's other wonderful musical ASL interp, gnarles barkley's "crazy."

this guy is awesome. just incredible!!
posted by CitizenD at 10:28 AM on June 2, 2008

These are fun. It's interesting to note the differences between the ones that are basically done by hearing people as class assignments and ones that are done by deaf people. Also, I like to try to see the differences between all the different languages' signs, since they're a little different. Sometimes too you'll see a lot of people in the comments being like "hey your sign for [thisorthat] is off/wrong" or saying things like "good use of facial expressions" which is pretty important in ASL but somethign that comes later in the language-learning process for most. There is a Daft Punk ASL cover.

My faves from my old post are these: Hips Don't Lie (Mexican SL) and Son of a Preacher Man

I have no opinion on library masturbators.
posted by jessamyn at 11:13 AM on June 2, 2008

jessamyn: I have no opinion on library masturbators.


i find that hard to believe. :)
posted by CitizenD at 12:03 PM on June 2, 2008

It's interesting to note the differences between the ones that are basically done by hearing people as class assignments and ones that are done by deaf people.

It's not so much a "who's native" difference as it is a difference in levels of fluency and how seriously production values are taken; b.storm's "This is the New Shit" is far and away the best I've ever seen, and he's an interpreter.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 3:54 PM on June 2, 2008

b.storm is awesome++.
posted by five fresh fish at 4:27 PM on June 2, 2008