Jeremy Irons - Why can't the English learn to speak?

[@LittleWhiteLy]

I only recently realised his mistake at 1.33 , where he hesitates slightly. You can tell by his face that he has temporarily forgotten his lyrics and quickly replaced them with a line from later in the song. "Use proper English, you're regarded as a freak" ought to have been "One common language I'm afraid we'll never get" which would have rhymed with 'set'. This only increases my admiration for mr. Irons. It proves how he is also very capable of coming up with quick solutions. Very admirable.

[@r.c.auclair2042]

I noticed that, too, but only because I just finished listening to the original Rex Harrison.

[@LC-fq4cv]

He's so completely gorgeous! Plus the Scar voice!! And the accent. So so sexy!! I know it's crazy but I'm starting to have a huge crush on him even though I'm 17. Wish I was born during his early times.

[@arletteperez5060]

I feel ya... XD

[@HTMashups]

May Villaflores I have your exact problem :/

[@ZekeTheDCCat]

+May Villaflores I was thinking the EXACT same thing!

[@lispy-c4s]

+May Villaflores Same here! But maybe it's because he's a man and not a boy and that makes him more sexy. If only I had a time machine!

[@ceciliaa9721]

same!! he's so sexy

[@ManiKais]

This is what Professor Higgins should have looked like in My Fair Lady. It might explain why Eliza returned to him despite his awful personality.

[@naly202]

What do you mean? I love Rex Harrison

[@sandee3073]

@@naly202 I love Rex Harrison too. But Jeremy Irons: he is something else all together. At any age, at any time-he is just delicious. And that voice!

[@58joana]

I much lrefer Rex Harrison. The typical distracted professor😊

[@musicalmeg19]

His voice is so wickedly divine!!!

[@TheLegendaryDoc]

Great song and great performance! Jeremy Irons is unique!

[@Ali74]

The cut glass English accent is perfection. Irons is fantastic.

[@MrSOJY]

I'm equally surprised and delighted not to be bombarded by anti-English hatred when scrolling down these comments, all I see are those who cannot help but express their love for a beautiful language sung by a man with a beautiful voice. You make my heart sing!

[@Rikard_A]

But american must learn english.

[@r.c.auclair2042]

@@Rikard_A , American English is pretty much the same as it was when we left the British Empire in the 18th century. It's British English that's changed because of its contact with neighboring countries that are nowhere near us.

[@pushigamala]

I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE his voice, he's like Britishness on two feet, totally awesome man!!

[@LC-fq4cv]

All I can hear is Scar.

[@mzytryck]

I love this song; on the one hand he's really insightful and reflective about language's social power, but still manages to come to an equally snobbish conclusion; he correctly says that she's trapped in a lower social class than Pickering because of the way they speak rather than because of some sort of innate superiority in his blood, recognises that social standing is all a matter of perception in which language plays a large part, and describes the hierarchy of accents as outdated. However, his solution is to lament that everyone doesn't speak the "proper" way, instead of lamenting how stupid it is that people make such enormously prejudiced assumptions about others purely because of their accent. OK, analysis over, I love this version. Jeremy Irons is awesome!

[@paulsullivan6946]

Arguably Higgins is twice the snob of even the snobs he claims to despise, as he things himself innately superior to those uptight upper-crust members of Victorian society.

[@abnerdupuis7110]

I would question Prof. Higgins actual knowledge. The man thought that English was the language of the Bible

[@DavidMyrmidon]

@@paulsullivan6946 @mzytryck Hear hear.

[@songsmith31a]

A multi-talent so rare in British entertainment. I have the two Columbia recordings with Harrison as Higgins and the later Irons recording. Such pleasures - thank heavens for CDs!

[@Fab4Sunrises]

I think that all just went right over my head. Cause he's GORGEOUS

[@TheLegendaryDoc]

Great performance, Jeremy Irons is a universal genius. I love him!

[@satanswife2546]

Indeed he is, too bad some of his films get bad reviews, don't you people just see how difficult it was already for him to play those roles yet he still delivers a perfect performance!

[@LC-fq4cv]

I love his voice!

[@JeddtheJedi]

I have very fond memories of this concert, having watched the LD (remember those?) day and night as a toddler and conducting along to Kire te Kanawa and Jeremy Irons.

[@Pitmanmeetandgreet]

the beauty of live theater! Jeremy Irons did a fantastic job, I bet no one noticed he messed up a lyric!

[@maroru7973]

Sencillamente magnífico que voz tan hermosa Jeremy Irons I love him

[@Kaletiel]

A sung version! Gorgeous!

[@zachariahpictures]

I know! I've been looking for one everywhere! Everyone just talks to rhythm

[@GeorgeHPeters]

Britain and the USA are divided by a common language.

[@thephemalephantom]

Ahhhhh this makes me so happy! Jeremy Irons is incredible.

[@AbsolutMusical13]

Love this man, love his voice -3

[@bibleanddisneyfan]

He is a great singer! The amazing thing is that he can sing very softly and sweet too! LOL

[@Mithcoriel]

Dude, what a catchy song! And sexy voice of course.

[@LadyLeeya]

Gosh...Jeremy Irons looks so young in this...and incredibly handsome. :)

[@IVY26Dantes]

I love the line 'in America, they haven't used it for years!' 🤣

[@FullPlateJacket]

Jeremy Irons is so amazingly cool.

[@paolapizzonia1216]

What elegance, what class, what supreme beauty, what perfection!

[@GrantFitch]

@jonberger - Actually, having played the part myself, I can tell you that much of the music is deliberately written to straddle that line between singing and speaking. Irons chooses to sing a little more often than Harrison did - but it's still near-impossible to actually "sing" more than 60 or 70 percent of any of the Higgins songs, because of the way they're written. I think it has to do with the character being an orator, a speech-ifier, so he gets "patter" songs.

[@Seastorm13]

Love him in every role! As Higgins he is amazing! He is the 2nd Rex Harrison.

[@Kimberleg]

Fabulous - I love it! Jeremy Irons is amazing, so talented. Thanks for the vid!

[@scottthomas7916]

Great version

[@makinglifebetter4u]

Not sure if anyone has noticed this, but Jeremy Irons sang the wrong line (starting at 1:35). He sang "Speak proper English, you're regarded as a freak"; he repeated this line again at the end (starting 2:19). In the movie, Rex Harrison sang the first line as "One common language I'm afraid you'll never get".

[@coolcat20million]

Jeremy Irons is GREAT on stage though. I saw him in 1984 with Glenn Close in "The Real Thing." He blew me away.

[@Baby_dollyn]

OMG LUCKY😭it must have been a great moment, I love Jeremy and I think seeing him on stage would be the best, my most sincere envy for having seen him

[@amesloberg]

It is an awesome treat, this video. Mr. Irons is on the West end right now, doing Never So Good.

[@gier]

"...he still sounds like Scar." I don't know how to tell you this, but...

[@FalconX2000]

He gets better and better as the song goes on.

[@BigTonyPhoenix]

Honestly, I prefer this version of Harrison's. Every production will be different, some will sing like here, or do it the way Harrison did it which was basically talk in pitch.

[@Etrigan2112]

Did he flub a line? I thought the lyric goes, "...he makes some other Englishmen despise him, 'one common language I'm afraid we'll never get'...why can't the English learn to...set a good example.

[@bsnghtwsh]

OMFG!!! he´s so handsome!!!

[@legomaniac101scarandfilthy9]

I am picturing Scar singing this.

[@gabeking9444]

I mean the beginning is off but here kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKPXl4x-oLx8gtk

[@LuvWebber]

Gosh I love him.

[@adrianalucia1577]

No saben cuanto lo amo Me enamoré perdidamente de él

[@hannahosullivan5450]

God I have a huge crush on young Jeremy irons

[@winterhorse1012]

me too. I can listin to him forever. He means a lot me. If he died my heart would be shattered into pieces and then my heart would never be fixed.

[@redpillrat163]

Me too, there is no one else like him, he's untouchable!

[@bethanydelossantos4716]

I agree 😩

[@fionamorel]

Rex will always be my hero, but you did well here, Jeremy. I think the speaking is much better for this song!

[@KurouRufu]

Rex Harrison and Jeremy Irons both do an amazing job at this role!

[@mrvishal1000]

Alan rickman and Jeremy irons the most mightiest male voices

[@Serendipity-Infinite]

HAHA!!! I love the way he says, "Auu." XD

[@GrantFitch]

Though I'll agree, too, that the Rex Harrison style is so ingrained in our minds for this part, I'm not sure an audience would like someone trying to be too different. Much like in any amateur stage production of Wizard of Oz or It's a Wonderful Life, audiences tend to WANT to performers sing and speak at least somewhat like Judy Garland and Jimmy Stewart ...

[@lavernedavis4416]

Awesome 👍

[@--Skip--]

A better performance than Rex Harrison! Brilliant, Mr. Irons!!!

[@LittleWhiteLy]

@GrayJayJumba This is an exellent example of RP indeed. Jeremy Irons has a very clean way of speaking, avoiding most regional accents. The English accents you might have previously heard will have been subject to vowel changes. That is why this particular example is much unlike the more regional English you might have heard before.

[@ivysayongan9853]

i'm inlove with the 40 year old version of Jeremy Irons. awww

[@satanswife2546]

I'm in love with any years of age version of Jeremy Irons

[@crystal.sielou]

I'll take any version, please and thank you

[@elizabethmeyer7709]

Respect

[@TheLegendaryDoc]

The weird thing is, I am from Germany and still I find this video extremely funny!

[@xXeMokiDXxMCRXx]

God I love this man :D

[@PassionPossum]

Jeremy Irons. . . The sexiest man alive. . .

[@megrat06]

awe! i

[@TheActingJern]

This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. EVER.

[@HectorJW2007]

Cool! Scar singing My Fair Lady

[@danelicker317]

I love his voice, so smooth yet menacing.

[@Nearyn]

@RosesNightengales Reminding you that the most melodious parts of Scar's song was in fact sung by Jim Cummings, not Irons ;)

[@xAmbroseKurosaki]

gosh, he is so handsome. this older man drive me crazy.

[@Wesker10000]

Gotta love Irons!

[@Heavensburden]

@friendofthejawas Don't know what year it is. But He did a decent job. The song is from "My Fair Lady" Watch the movie. It's amazing, though there is no Jeremy in it.

[@--Skip--]

If you look at a video of Rex Harrison performing this same piece (a little theatre history), you will see that Mr. Harrison speaks the lyrics for he tried & tried to sing to no avail during many rehearsals for the theatre role -- his co-star was none other than Julie Andrews. I don't think I would have the nerve to sing with her as my co-star. Audrey Hepburn starred in the movie role due to contract obligations which prevented her from the movie role.

[@Gideon235]

This was at the Royal Albert Hall, Songs From My Fair Lady, An Evening with Kiri Ti Kanawa

[@JavertRA]

The album is a lot different to the original production because Irons sings more than Rex Harrison, who famously speak-sings.

[@Davehoekst]

Love his version! In my mind, the other two could use a bit of work.

[@redetrigan]

This is really lovely, thanks!

[@palugditzi]

@friendofthejawas This is a song from "My Fair Lady" a musical composed by Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner, with Mr. Irons performing the part of "Professor Henry Higgins". This was recorded at Henry Wood Hall, London, February & May, 1987 and was evidently a stage production in London through 1991. The ASIN number to obtain the complete recording session would be B000OT8XQA. Hope this helps.

[@TheDavelogan]

When Jeremy Irons talks its like a dog barking, brilliant.

[@nathanielsese6682]

Its alfred from batman vs superman

[@Jared7873]

First time I've heard the music with the lyrics instead of just speak/singing it like Rex Harrison.

[@escritoragaviota]

Te amo 🙏💙💜🥳💞🔥😍😛🙃💚🍰🍰🤩😘🍩🤪😀🌻🥰❤️💋☕🔐🔐🍾🥂🎈🙈💰🍕

[@MouYijian]

@Bastarden I myself am a non-native speaker of British English, but I find that, actually, spoken British English is, in average, less easy to understand than American English. And CONTEMPORARY British English -oh God- is really challenging, with all its clippings and omitted sounds. Take "laboratory": the americans would say LAB-UR-UH-TAW-REE; but the British usually slur it into something like LAB-TREE.

[@RRydnew]

Yes we do when we ask a question. Check your hearing, visit the USA and then make more informed commentary.

[@SensationalBanana]

In America, they haven't used it for years. I laughed so hard.

[@barbaramatthews4735]

I'm an American and laughed at that one too.

[@Iaminlovewithmusic42]

@korkiwi I was obsessed with it when I was two and had no clue who Jeremy Irons was... haven't seen it since and don't remember a thing :)

[@oceandawn26]

*sigh* Oh, Mr. Irons, you have that whole 'being perfect' thing down pat. ;) I didn't know he sang on top of everything else!

[@DisturbedAidan2]

Lack of inflection? Most americans tend to have an upward inflection towards the end of their words.

[@dnromeoalphayankee13]

Not a remote patch on Rex...

[@planetX15]

Rex?

[@Genesis1x3]

Ï absolutely agree with you. Harrison has got much more intensity

[@ianmacnormandy]

@LittleWhiteLy RP is not regional, it's rooted in class in the English Public school system.

[@brastaseptim]

As an american, I have to say I prefer British English. Why? Because in America it's just so hard to figure out what other people are saying; between American street slang, ebonics, and the dozens of accents just where I live, I can barely find myself able to make out American English. (FYI, I live in SE Louisiana, right next to Missisipi))

[@Serendipity-Infinite]

Nooo, don't stop, Jeremy!!!! :D

[@mlnreplyer]

@luciphier I believe you mean Mr. Lerner, the lyricist of the song.

[@ambarrose]

a pearl...

[@vHumboldt77]

I like Jeremy Irons a lot, but in this role, Harrison is unparalelled!

[@monicaferreira1712]

The best

[@MrPAPAGAYO46]

Jeremy Irons hace el papel del Profesos Higgins en la reposición de "My Fair Lady". Aunque trata de infundirle carácter a su voz, no iguala para nada la magnífica interpretación de Rex Harrison. Aunque sería tonto pretender que pronuncie igual a él, pero sí le faltó un poco de picardía y malicia para cantar.

[@MrSOJY]

elocution lessons, I am thinking of enrolling myself. No harm In polishing ones command and delivery of such an expansive language.

[@Sthemingway]

I love Jeremy Irons, but I'm not keen on his performance. Rex Harrison's sing-talk delivery was more talk and less sing. Jeremy is more sing than talk (which just sounds odd to me). Probably b/c I'm so used to the Harrison version.

[@hugh0221]

Before there was Scar, there was Henry Higgins! oㅈ+ (ㅈ = nose and lips / + = right eye with a vertical scar)

[@DisturbedAidan2]

LOL what an obscure comment. I am basing this on american accents I've heard, I suppose mainly from TV but also in person. I've been to the USA three times. three times to Florida, and once in Nevada, and California. Perhaps your accent to you seems to have no inflection. However I would say that compared to UK accents, American ones are generally higher in tone though perhaps north-eastern ones are more similar to UK ones.

[@RosesNightengales]

@Iaminlovewithmusic42 He is Scar in the Lion King ^^

[@madamen13]

It sounds like he's saying meow her xD

[@hughjackmannut]

dose anyone know when he did this

[@Iaminlovewithmusic42]

I didn't know jeremy irons sang!

[@sandrarnungskjnhaug8262]

Your eyes is spesial 💚 That is real 🎶🌟

[@541967]

He's a fine actor and I would have preferred that he was chosen for the role of Alfred Pennyworth in the recent "Batman" interpretations.