Deaf comedian John Smith: Why I’m ‘coming out’ as a music lover

By Rebecca-Anne Withey.

John Smith has been entertaining deaf audiences globally for fifteen years now with his stand up comedy routines.

Armed with a water pistol, he has become renowned for his strong Deaf identity, use of BSL/International sign (without voice over interpreters) and his blunt, no-apologies-made style of comedy.

His jokes, occasionally deemed as controversial, often feature visual comparisons of the deaf world vs the hearing world. He also works a BSL tutor delivering courses and Deaf Awareness workshops too. It would therefore be too easy to assume that John has absolutely no interest in music.

So when John announced earlier this month that he was releasing a sign song video via his popular facebook page, I was more than intrigued.

The video, which racked up over 165 thousand views has shocked and surprised his followers. In it he signs an original song of his own, depicting the anguish he felt as a deaf child in a hearing world, being ‘forced’ to speak.

The song is performed in silence, with John beating a rhythm throughout on his chest. With this visual beat the lyrics are performed uncannily in time and melodic sequence.

So is there more to John than what his current followers know? Has he been hiding a penchant for sign song all this time? I chatted to John to find out more about the significance of this sign song release and what his motivations were behind it.

Hi John, most people know your work as a BSL tutor/stand up comedian and my guess is they’ll be genuinely surprised by this sign song. What made you do it?

I know, many people are surprised by this about me. But to tell the truth, I have always been a music lover. Growing up I used to buy Smash Hits magazine. I loved reading the lyrics pages and finding out the words to the latest hit songs.

I also recorded Top of the Pops every week and loved watching it, even without subtitles. It didn’t matter that I was deaf. I just loved music. So I found a way. If you love music it doesn’t matter if you’re deaf you will find a way. I have music in my heart, its as simple as that.

The song you wrote was quite a sad one. Did you think it was important to show your followers another side of you?

Lots of people thought I was going to release a comedy video and they were shocked when they saw it was serious. It was a really important message for me. It describes how let down I feel by my education. How frustrated I was at school.

At my school growing up I was never encouraged to sign, and I felt lost. I found my deaf identity really late. I grew up asking who am I? My school fooled me into thinking I spoke really well but it was only when I left school and I struggled that I realised I couldn’t. They gave me false hope. So yes, the video is a serious one but I felt I had to speak out.

You probably know all about the sign song debate – can sign song truly be part of deaf culture? Can BSL and sign song merge and work? What’s your view?

Funnily enough, I haven’t had any negative comments about my video regarding SSE and music. Maybe people just accept my work for what it is, they know I wont bother arguing with them, I just do what I like and if you don’t like it – bye bye!

In my opinion, BSL is a language but in its purity it doesn’t work with signsong. It doesn’t make sense. I don’t enjoy watching BSL signers do signsong, I don’t understand them! There’s no musicality, no rhythm, it becomes like a poem and there’s no lip pattern to follow.

When I watch a sign singer I want them to sign “I love you” not “you – I – love.’ Music is a part of me and who said I can’t be part of deaf culture, I just am.

My video shows a lot of lip pattern and English grammar but its me and people seem to understand it – that’s what is most important. I’m not interested in debates. I know what I like to sing.

Admittedly I am heavily influenced by music culture because I was brought up in a hearing world by hearing parents. I had music and lyrics all around me.

Your song was performed in silence – what was the reason for this?

It’s funny actually as a few people asked me if the sound was working or if I needed to turn up the volume, haha! I didn’t want to have to worry about ‘matching’ the music, plus I didn’t feel there was a need to have a song to hear.

I’ve always enjoyed music in silence – I just feel it. Rhythm is a visual thing for me. I’ve never heard it but I feel it and I know it, its in my blood.

At home, when I’m playing songs by other artists, I use a speaker which vibrates really powerfully! I can feel the music this way. With my song, I wanted the rhythm to come from me alone and people can see that.

I even filmed the song in one go, with no rehearsal. It was supposed to be a tester video but when I looked back at it I realised it was raw, it was real and it worked. So I left it as it was.

Which signsongs do you like watching?

When I watch songs online if its by a hearing artist, I like the karaoke style lyric videos that show me the rhythm of the words.

If it’s a deaf sign singer, I like Winter Wonderland that you did for See Hear (I didn’t pay John to say that, honest!) because you had the rhythm in your head and your feet, you swayed and lip synced all the lyrics – I love being able to see the rhythm visually. Plus I want to see the English lyrics in their rhythm.

Who are your favourite artists then?

I’ve been mad about playing Tears for Fears for a long time. Another favourite of mine which I often play on my speaker is George Michael’s Careless Whisper.

What’s next for you signsong wise, can we expect any further releases?

I’m not sure. I was nervous enough putting this one out. I have plenty of more songs, but I’m not sure when I will share them. I feel very exposed with my own songs, but who knows – we will see. It’s funny how I feel I’ve ‘come out’ as a music lover.

So the feedback you’ve had on the whole has been really positive?

Oh yes. I was in Reims recently for the Clin d’oeil festival and I had people there saying how they’d watched the signsong video several times on repeat and some had even sent it to schools to discuss oppressive education.

What’s the main message you hope people receive from this video?

I’m not against oral education, absolutely not. But I’ve always felt like my school made me feel I needed ‘repairing.’ I feel oral education should be viewed as equal to teaching in BSL and not superior. Because my school focused only on oral education it meant I grew up painfully shy and confused. It wasn’t until I found BSL that I finally realised who I was.

John has a new signsong video out this week. To follow John and his work log onto www.beautifulbsl.co.uk or check out The John Smith Show on Facebook.