Not just whistling Dixie (Whistling songs that rock)

This morning, I was sitting at my desk, whistling a Dramarama song no one’s ever heard of, when a co-worker said, “Pat, were you just whistling?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah. It just sounded like an old man whistle.”

I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, the comment conjured images of me sitting on a porch whittling a stick while whistling some old Bing Crosby tune. On the other hand, those old guys could whistle pretty well, and I’ve always prided myself on being a superior whistler.

In fact, if there was ever a need for session whistlers in LA, I’d be all over it.

But there’s not. Which is too bad because whistling – in this humble whistler’s opinion – can really add charm to a song.

Do you feel a list coming on?

Here are my top ten songs with whistling in them. Let me know if I forgot any.

10.) Patience, Guns N’ Roses. Okay, I think Axl Rose is a slimy little grease ball. But this isn’t a bad tune. And, for that matter, neither is “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Or “November Rain.” Oh no. Does this mean I like G-N-R? Please say no. Rose won’t win awards for whistling, but he starts the song out with it.

9.) Always Look On the Bright Side of Life, Monty Python cast. I need to try this one on my ukulele. From the ending of Monty Python’s “The Life of Brian,” the whistling just adds to the absurdity of the scene.

8.) Walk Like an Egyptian, The Bangles. I wonder if this was a hit in Egypt. Or were the Egyptians like, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

7.) Games Without Frontiers, Peter Gabriel. You know, Peter Gabriel leaving Genesis was a good move for both Genesis and Peter Gabriel.

6.) What a Day for a Daydream, The Lovin’ Spoonful. Some “American Idol” contestant sang this – WITHOUT THE WHISTLING! Tell me that’s not a major offense.

5.) Don't Worry, Be Happy, Bobby McFerrin. A lot of people knock this song as being overly saccharine. But, come on – give the man his due. And just try to tell me you don’t whistle when you hear this.

4.) Centerfold, J. Geils Band. About a guy who discovers his sweetie has shared herself with the world. Not the greatest whistling, but it adds a nice touch to the end of the song.

3.) Two of Us, the Beatles. I’ll combine this with John Lennon’s Jealous Guy. Simply put, Beatles RULE! They could even whistle better than the rest of us.

2.) The Stranger, Billy Joel. This one gets extra kudos for both starting and ending the song with whistling. Joel’s actually a pretty good whistler.

1.) (Sittin’ on the )Dock of a Bay, Otis Redding. Don’t tell me you didn’t see this coming. This is hands-down the all-time greatest whistling song.


-Pat P.