Our submitter, a bartender in D.C., might not be the world’s biggest Mariah Carey fan, but when a group of customers put “All I Want for Christmas is You,” on the jukebox last Saturday night, he didn’t complain. But when the same group queued the song up again — three times in a row — he invoked his bartender’s privilege and skipped it. After all, he says, “It was DECEMBER 4th. I gave them their money back, but they still kept calling me ‘Grinch.’”
I have to step in here and note that, yes, that song is like crack — once you’re hooked, one hit is never enough. But that’s when you go home and spend the 99 cents to download it so you can indulge your addiction on endless repeat without coughing up a quarter every time. However, money management not being the forte of most addicts, at the end of the night the holiday-happy patrons left behind this oh-so-classy note in lieu of a tip.
That very same weekend, meanwhile, Amy noticed that the bartender at one of her local haunts in Murrysville, Pennsylvania has taken a proactive approach to this particular problem. “Normally a super friendly place, I was sooo tempted to play ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ just to see what they would do.” (Instead, she held on to that feeling — privately — and took a picture.)
related: “You Can Call Me Arse”: A review of last night’s performance
extra credit: Jukebox Etiquette 101
82 responses so far ↓
#1
berge
I’m sympathetic to the bartenders for having to put up with such horrible music, but why do they have those songs as selections to begin with?!
Dec 6, 2010 at 4:46 pm rating: 28
#2
sunshyne84
bah humbug!
Dec 6, 2010 at 5:04 pm rating: 4
#3
CakeasaurusRex
Hahaha, I dont think anyone can fully appreciate Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” until you hear a group full of your male friends belting it at 2am! Amazingly epic song.
Dec 6, 2010 at 5:08 pm rating: 10
#4
Jeanine
Anyone who plays one song repeatedly on a juke box should be automatically ejected from the establishment.
Dec 6, 2010 at 5:09 pm rating: 80
#5
MisterDNA
I’m firmly Team Bartender on this one.
If the customers managed to play the same crappy song four times and only spend 24 bucks, they can not legally claim to have been “partying”.
Dec 6, 2010 at 5:13 pm rating: 110
#6
clever name
Why not ditch the jukebox and get a proper line up? Nobody likes them anyways…
Dec 6, 2010 at 5:16 pm rating: 0
#7
pony girl
I would never work at a bar that had any Mariah Carey songs on the jukebox.
I refuse to work for people who support Satan!
Oh, no wait, that’s Celine Dion. I guess Mariah is just a demon, one of Satan’s minions.
Dec 6, 2010 at 5:19 pm rating: 15
#8
KelBel
They would have been entitled to withhold their tips if he refused to play it at all, but refusing to play it 4 times in a row is completely reasonable. There are very few valid reasons not to tip your bartender/waitress/delivery person.
Dec 6, 2010 at 6:21 pm rating: 9
#9
Zach
WHERE IN MURRYSVILLE?! I grew up there and it’s not a big town, so I’m really excited to see we finally made it on the Passive Aggressive Notes map.
Dec 6, 2010 at 6:48 pm rating: 1
#10
Gabe Athouse
I pissed off a bartender by playing “The Final Countdown” 6 times in a row. I stayed around for the first 2. It is the worst song to put on repeat ever.
Dec 6, 2010 at 6:51 pm rating: 7
#11
Woman on the Verge
After reading that last note, I’ve Stopped Believin’.
Dec 6, 2010 at 6:58 pm rating: 16
#12
notolaf
Re: Jukebox Etiquette 101 – Somebody’s to cranky too be allowed out in public.
Dec 6, 2010 at 7:42 pm rating: 1
#13
Dave
Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” would have been a better choice for your male friends, especially if they were drunk!
Dec 6, 2010 at 7:52 pm rating: 3
#14
molly moon
How is not leaving someone a tip ever going to improv anything but lack of liquor in your drinks! It’s bad booze karma!
Dec 6, 2010 at 8:17 pm rating: 21
#15
April
Why don’t they just take “Don’t stop believin” out of the jukebox then if they won’t let you play it?
I get that hearing songs over and over or hearing annoying songs can be well annoying, but well get another damn profession! If you work around drunk people expect drunken behavior which falls into both of these categories. Either take the song out of the jukebox. Take out the jukebox or at the very least expect no tip.
I would not have played the song over and over again. I hate Mariah Carey especially, but I would have not tipped either regardless. I am the customer and if you are going to give me attitude you are not getting tipped.
Dec 6, 2010 at 9:19 pm rating: 5
#16
MN Kirsten
Drunk 20-somethings are like toddlers. Let them have their tantrums and they will eventually tire themselves out. So *what* if these gals wanted “All I Want for Christmas”. It’s not like they’ll come in tomorrow and do the same. ONE night…just ONE night! Take a deep breath and ignore it.
Dec 6, 2010 at 10:37 pm rating: 3
#17
areihl
As a bartender who has been subjected to an entire live John Mayer album, the entire barenaked ladies album, and that stupid Kid Rock/Sheryl Crow song over and over, I can say that the bartender in question has the right, but hasn’t heard the worst of it yet.
Dec 6, 2010 at 10:58 pm rating: 11
#18
Canthz_B
If bartenders are too busy to notice customers staring at them to get their attention, you’d think they’d be too focused on their jobs to even notice what song is on the jukebox. Let alone count how many times it has played.
Dec 6, 2010 at 11:52 pm rating: 7
#19
Canthz_B
Rumor has it that our bartender friend in Murrysville, Pennsylvania was relieved of his duties as a result of his note.
Forced to take work at a karaoke bar, well…if you’d like to pay your respects, services will be held Thursday at St. Luke’s.
He cannot, however, be buried in consecrated ground, as the Church does not condone suicide.
Dec 7, 2010 at 12:01 am rating: 3
#20
Michelle
“Sorry we enjoy Christmas”? Yes, because nothing encompasses the Christmas spirit like stiffing a hardworking bartender out of a tip as some kind of infantile revenge tactic.
Dec 7, 2010 at 12:07 am rating: 48
#21
Sarah
Madam, I am fairly certain that you are rarely if ever a friendly place.
Dec 7, 2010 at 1:14 am rating: 0
#22
bored@work
Do you know what I hate about that Mariah song? It goes on, and on and on, and on….
No, wait. That’s “Don’t stop believin”.
Dec 7, 2010 at 8:03 am rating: 1
#23
sleeps
When I tended bar, the ‘skip’ button was discretely located under the bar. In such an emergency as a 4th repeat of Mariah, I could discretely nudge the button, and then shrug bewilderedly when the song got skipped. Granted, this usually worked best on a busy night when it was loud, and most folks couldn’t hear the first few bars of the song start before I skipped it. I’m pretty sure I only used it when asshats decided it would be funny to play something on repeat over and over again; after all, anybody can listen to any song at least once without too much ill effect. But clearly if you’re acting like a spoiled child trying to see just how far you can push Mom before she snaps, don’t be surprised when you get put in jukebox timeout.
Dec 7, 2010 at 9:00 am rating: 14
#24
North
I worked in Niagara Falls, in a currency booth below a patio karaoke bar. If you’ve never heard drunk Japanese tourists singing Elvis interspersed with the loudspeakers from the Ripley’s Believe or Not Museum ( a man has four eyes.. Believe or not!!!..) repeating over and over while insane collectors camped out for the debut of the newest Beanie Baby and the police were occupied with trying to keep tourists from climbing over the fence and killing themselves so they could get a good photo of Niagara Falls instead of spending 25 cents on a postcard and a giant Frankenstein was walking up and down scaring people into his museum while an extremely drunk man became very worried that the statue of Blondin (the guy who used to tightrope across the Falls and was honoured by having a statue of him strung over the street as if he was crossing the street on a tightrope) was real and tried to talk it down while another drunk guy tried to rob my bullet / fire proof currency booth with a butter knife while tourists took photos of him, and the store clerks was staring at a woman who freaked and started knocking displys over because she couldn’t find a pen she liked to write a cheque with and all this while lights and neon’s are flashing and music is blaring then you have not truly experienced the idiocy of retail. This bartender is an amateur, four plays in a row irritated him? He wouldn’t last a day in the Falls.
Dec 7, 2010 at 9:11 am rating: 15
#25
divaandwriter
Bartenders are human beings, too.
If I had been that bartender, I would have turned the damned song off, too.
And if I had been one of the other customers in that bar, I would have given the bartender an extra large tip for his service to humanity.
Dec 7, 2010 at 10:08 am rating: 8
#26
KJ
John Mulaney describes the best meal he’s ever
had. Totally hysterical.
(search on YouTube for “John Mulaney chicago diner Tom Jones”)
Although I hope they left a nice, fat tip.
Dec 7, 2010 at 10:57 am rating: 1
#27
MaroonMD
LOL I’m sorry they enjoy Christmas, too.
Dec 7, 2010 at 11:26 am rating: 9
#28
smo
i’d like to represent the mariah fans who understand that not everyone shares our musical taste, and one play on the jukebox is enough. i’d be excited to even see a mariah song in a jukebox, but i wouldn’t torture everyone else there by making them listen repeatedly. i can sing along as loud as i want in my car, and for other occasions, god created headphones.
Dec 7, 2010 at 11:33 am rating: 6
#29
John Juan
I want to fly to Murrysville, Pennsylvania and find whoever is responsible for the second note and KISS THEM ON THE MOUTH. Kudos to taking the night back. If I never hear “Don’t Stop Believin’” (or Journey in general) and/or 35 frat boys singing along ever again, my life would be complete.
Dec 7, 2010 at 11:47 am rating: 3
#30
bored@work
Did anyone else notice the Mariah + Nick and a signature that looks like Nick C—-? I think someone is trying to drum up business for the wifey-poo.
Dec 7, 2010 at 12:31 pm rating: 0
#31
oi
Ok I confess I am guilty of putting Justin timberlake’s ‘Rock your body” on a repeat loop at my friend’s house. In my defense we were doing math homework and I did not even know that there was music playing. Suddenly my friend snatched my notebook from my lap and dramatically stopped the music. I am like what is your problem? This seemingly sent him into hysterics. I remember thinking, he is going to smash my computer on floor or break into sobs. He is like MY PROBLEM? MY PROBLEM? You are the one who is playing Justin Timberlake’s song for 100th time! I am like alright, alright I am sorry! Calm down and please return my notebook unharmed. I won’t ever listen to Justin Timberlake please. I promise.
Don’t get me wrong, I still do this but in privacy of my home. Where no one would judge me, even if I listen to Kayne West on repeat.
Look, sometimes I hate myself too ok?
Dec 7, 2010 at 1:13 pm rating: 9
#32
QBALL
Perhaps they should put Gayla Peavey’s “I Wanna Hippopotamus for Christmas” and play it every time someone ques a Christmas Song, or for that matter any song that is particularly annoying (the latter included)
Dec 7, 2010 at 3:16 pm rating: 1
#33
heidistitches
While I’m with “Team Bartender” I can’t wait to go into a bar now and pay to play the same annoying song about five times in a row and sit back and watch what happens…(insert evil laugh)!
Dec 7, 2010 at 3:48 pm rating: 0
#34
butt
I actually like Journey a lot but Don’t Stop Believin’ is probably my least favorite of their hits, so of course it’s the most overplayed (particularly by people calling it “Small Town Girl” or something).
Team Bartender. I had a college friend who would choose 15-minute progressive rock songs on the jukebox just to piss people off. It worked.
Dec 7, 2010 at 9:36 pm rating: 0
#35
Odious
This doesn’t make any sense. How can people sing along to a song that was skipped? If it’s not skipped, and they do sing along, why would they ask for a refund? Can anyone else makes heads or tails of the 2nd sign?
Dec 7, 2010 at 10:32 pm rating: 1
#36
Madrias
I’m sorry, endlessly-repeating Christmas music drives me mental, and makes me want to blow up the jukebox. One of these days, I’ll have to rig up a jukebox to explode as soon as a christmas song is called up. One of these days…
Dec 10, 2010 at 12:07 am rating: 0
#37
Sonya
OK. I have been reading this site for a really long time. this is the 1st one I MUST respond to.
I am a karaoke hostess. There are just certain songs that people (non regulars) misinterpret as a fresh blast from the past. Journey and All I Want for Christmas ( sung in December), will never be a unique choice. ever.
Dec 10, 2010 at 12:59 am rating: 1
#38
Daniel
New Life Goal: go to Murrysville and play “Don’t Stop Believing” in every bar jukebox I can find.
Dec 10, 2010 at 11:52 pm rating: 2
#39
Lurpy
I’m absolutely Team Bartender/Team Everyone Else in the Bar on this. I tend to frequent a small Irish pub. Their jukebox consists mostly of punk rock, traditional Irish songs, and some classic rock/older country (Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, etc.) They also have one Police album in the jukebox. One night, someone decided to play the ENTIRE ALBUM all the fucking way through. Hearing that many songs by the same shitty artist all in a row was bad enough. I can’t imagine how terrible it would have been had they just played “Roxanne” over and over.
Dec 12, 2010 at 4:49 pm rating: 0
#40
wyhalo
A bar here in Laramie has a note on the internet jukebox saying that those who abuse their Gaga privileges will see them revoked. It’s totally fair for employees to tamp down on obnoxious customers, for the sakes of everybody else around.
Dec 14, 2010 at 10:03 pm rating: 3
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