mudcat.org: Who Writes Parodies?

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Who Writes Parodies?

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Flash Company	02 Oct 05 - 05:20 AM
GUEST, Mikefule	02 Oct 05 - 05:44 AM
Don(Wyziwyg)T	02 Oct 05 - 05:49 AM
GUEST, Mikefule	03 Oct 05 - 04:33 PM
Snuffy	03 Oct 05 - 07:42 PM
Bev and Jerry	03 Oct 05 - 09:34 PM
LadyJean	04 Oct 05 - 12:08 AM
mousethief	04 Oct 05 - 12:34 AM
JennyO	04 Oct 05 - 12:44 AM
Flash Company	04 Oct 05 - 06:25 AM
Don(Wyziwyg)T	04 Oct 05 - 08:19 AM
JennyO	04 Oct 05 - 08:35 AM
GUEST, Mikefule	04 Oct 05 - 05:25 PM

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Subject: RE: Who Writes Parodies?
From: Flash Company
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 05:20 AM

Don T... Like it!

FC

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Subject: RE: Who Writes Parodies?
From: GUEST, Mikefule
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 05:44 AM

I write a lot of parodies. I found it to be an easy way into songwriting and singing. If the singing isn't up to scratch, at least I can hide behind the humour. I do two parodies of "Wild Rover", two parodies of "Farmer's Boy", one of "Who'll Be a Soldier?", and one called "Three Leaf Clover" which is a parody of, er...

Some of the parodies have been "one offs" never to be sung again. others have been accepted and repeatedly requested. Others have done more harm than good, with the parody's words "contaminating the original song when it is performed by someone else.

How many people can now sing "Dido, Bendigo" now without thinking of "Dido, Fido, Bonzo and Rex"? (The Kippers' version.)

There is a place for parody, but in mocking a perfectly good and serious song, it can spoil it for everyone.

Three Leaf Clover:
I`m looking over a three leaf clover
That I used to think had four.
One leaf is missing - the glue came unstuck;
I bought it from a Gipsy as a charm for good luck.
There`s no use complaining that there`s only three remaining,
'Cause I got no guarantee.
I`m looking over a four leaf clover, that turned out to just have three.

Red Leicester Cheese:
I went on a picnic with a sweetheart of mine
We had red Leicester cheese and some sparkling wine.
(Sparkling wine.....)

A bird that laid eggs that were twice normal size
Would have red puffed out cheeks and a startling cry.

Now Tony Blair wakes up each morning at five,
He goes for a leak and then starts telling lies

To serve after hours is not such a crime
So let`s hope the Landlord won`t start calling, "Time".

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Subject: RE: Who Writes Parodies?
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 05:49 AM

Thanks Flash.

In answer to all you guests out there, I am a singer/songwriter whose act is mainly humour based. A number of my songs are parodies, and I make no apoology for that. I am never disrespectful to the writers of the original songs, and make a point of crediting them.

Having said that, the vast majority of my repertoire is original, and if you ask anyone who knows me, I don't think they would describe me as lazy or uncreative.

I might be unimpressed with whatever it is that you do, but I would not be so ignorant and rude as to attack you personally. You don't like parodies? Fine..... Don't listen to them. Simple.

Don T.

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Subject: RE: Who Writes Parodies?
From: GUEST, Mikefule
Date: 03 Oct 05 - 04:33 PM

<>

As a parodist myself, I think that's a little harsh. If you go to enough sessions, you'll hear parodies, like it or not. You don't know when they are going to be sung, and it would be a bit "precious" to get up and walk out, even if it were practicable to do so.

I think there is a case for being a bit sensitive about what you parody, and how. For example, would you write a parody of Willie McBride (I think it's proper title is Greenfields of France" or something) or The Band Played Waltzing Matilda? Some songs mean so much to so many people it would be a pity to spoil that for an easy laugh. The words of parodies have a way of sticking in the mind, even when you are listening to the original, months or years later.

Other songs are more "communal property" (e.g. The Wild Rover) and are fair game.

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Subject: RE: Who Writes Parodies?
From: Snuffy
Date: 03 Oct 05 - 07:42 PM

I love parodies, and sing loads of them - if they have a genuine point to put across in a humorous way.

But what I thoroughly despise and will not touch with a barge-pole are knocking songs - parodies whose only point is "the original song is crap", or "the original song is sung far too often and too badly".

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Subject: RE: Who Writes Parodies?
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 03 Oct 05 - 09:34 PM

Even Pete Seeger has been known to sing parodies.

Bev and Jerry

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Subject: RE: Who Writes Parodies?
From: LadyJean
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 12:08 AM

In the circles I travel in, it's called filking. One of my fellow filkers wrote a brilliant parody, which, alas, I can't remember to "Ghost Riders In the Sky" about an encounter between a spaceship and a dragon. It ends with the spaceship about to lay an egg.
"Ghost Riders" is one of those songs that begs to be filked.
I wouldn't parody "Green Fields of France". But Poul Anderson filked "Waltzing Matilda" in a song about the food at a Westercon called Bouncing Potatoes. "Was that a musketball that was fired at Lexington? No said the waitress that is a pea."
Parodying has a long and honorable history. Lots of old songs have half a dozen sets of lyrics addressing various issues of the day.
Dutch farm boys once sang a song that went "Yanke diddle dudel down". About the pay they got. When it came to this country it turned first into a funny song about colonial yokels in the army then a patriotic song about Washington's brave volunteers. Which didn't stop tories from singing a song about Benedict Arnold to the same tune. Parodying is a legitimate part of the folk tradition. It's also a hobby of mine.
So:
There is a mess in New Orleans
How did it come to pass?
'cause Dubya's man in FEMA, my friend
Was a big fat horse's.............feedbag.

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Subject: RE: Who Writes Parodies?
From: mousethief
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 12:34 AM

Drivin' from the City of New Orleans
Hurricane's comin', Monday without fail
Three hundred thousand cars with restless drivers
Drivin' northward, pretty much tuckin' tail

All along the northbound odyssey
The middle class were seen to flee
While the poor are left behind to fill the Dome
Passing inns that have no room
Wondering if we'll be home soon
While Katrina makes an island of our home...

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Subject: RE: Who Writes Parodies?
From: JennyO
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 12:44 AM

For example, would you write a parody of Willie McBride.......?

I hate to tell you this Mikefule, but that's already been done, with WILLIE MCBRIDE'S REPLY, NOBODY'S MOGGY'S LAND (No Moggy's Land) and probably others. There's a song here in Oz by Enda Kenny called "Mrs O'Brien" to that tune - very funny, and includes "chook sounds" towards the end. Even though it's totally irreverent, it works because it's so funny. Unfortunately I don't have the words - any Ozcatters out there with the words?

Jenny

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Subject: RE: Who Writes Parodies?
From: Flash Company
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 06:25 AM

JennyO, Knowing Eric from his first club appearances in the UK, I can imagine him singing either of those songs himself.
I might have used the 'Moggy' one in my singing days, but I suspect that the 'Reply' would have brought me to tears as surely as 'No Man's Land' always did!

FC

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Subject: RE: Who Writes Parodies?
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 08:19 AM

I agree that there are songs that one would not want to parody, and I am not suggesting that everything is fair game; far from it.

My point was in answer to the lazy, disrespectful, and uncreative comment from GuestJ, whose sense of humour bypass op has obviously worked all too well.

Parody, as an art form, has existed for hundreds of years (maybe thousands), and generally is a compliment to the original composer, as a song must be very widely known for a parody to be successful.

As co-producer of the Guide Cats for the Blind project, I have become aware of the genuine enthusiasm for being parodied of many professional artists. Tom Paxton loved Les Barker's parody "Will the Turtle be Unbroken" so much that he returned his recording of it to us within a fortnight of being asked to do it.

I don't think HE thought it disrespectful, or uncreative.

Steve Tilston jumped at the chance to record "Dipstcks and Seals" for us, and did a wonderful job.

If you want to know how many other pros got involved you'll have to buy the CDs.

Don T.

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Subject: RE: Who Writes Parodies?
From: JennyO
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 08:35 AM

Parody .......... generally is a compliment to the original composer, as a song must be very widely known for a parody to be successful.

You're absolutely right, Don. As a songwriter, John has always said that as far as he's concerned, a parody of your song is the ultimate compliment, because it means you've "arrived".

Only a few days ago, Micca wrote a parody of "Anderson's Coast" on my birthday thread, here: Why I am not at JennieO's Birthday bash(with profound apologies to John Warner!) and not only did I and everybody else at the session enjoy it, but John was tickled pink!

Jenny

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Subject: RE: Who Writes Parodies?
From: GUEST, Mikefule
Date: 04 Oct 05 - 05:25 PM

That's not a parody, it's a serious song that relies on the listener's knowledge of the original. It's more by way of a sequel than a parody.

Someone mentioned guide cats for the blind. I'm reminded of the Duke of Edinburgh's comment, "I hear they're doing eating dogs for the anorexic, now."

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