Mysha, I like what you've done here--I think this is a nice interpretation. What you don't have is the scansion, the rhythmic pattern of my verse, which was created to fit a particular tune (and which also fits a very different tune--but fits them both because the accents fall in the right places. Here's how it fits Arlo's interpretation of Tom's tune: Since our FIRST ancestor SLITHered from the OOZE We've been ITCHing to try ON our dancing SHOES From our FIRST step through the TWO-step And the LOCK-step and the GOOSE-step We've been WORKing out the STEPS to dance the BLUES For the Limerick reading it fits as iambic with the first foot foot of each line anapest: Since our FIRST anCEStor SLITHered FROM the OOZE We've been ITCHing TO try ON our DANCing SHOES From our FIRST step THROUGH the TWO-step Through the LOCK-step AND the GOOSE-step We've been WORKing OUT the STEPS to DANCE the BLUES (that's forcing the scansion a bit in the limerick version--the third and fourth lines of a classic limerick are usually anapest dimeter: duh duh DAH duh duh DAH-- and the other lines often have a strong anapestic feeling, as well. But anyway, if you try accenting them as I indicated, over a guitar rhythm, I think you'll come closer to the melodies. Charles
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