Great Parodies

15 Jan 10 - 03:54 PM (#2812967)
Subject: Great Parodies
From: GUEST,bernieandred

In the non musical threads there's something about fish & chip shops being 150 years old, & someone reminiscing about Hollands meat pies.
Probaby the best parody that I ever heard was Les Barker's ode to Hollands meat pies, to the tune of the Everly Bros "Ebony Eyes".
This has everything that the perfect parody needs, in my humble opinion.
It sticks very closely to the original rhymes, then makes humour out of the over the top sentimentality of the original, & the recitation in a fake American accent, by Les is the icing on the cake.
Any body like to nominate their "Best" parody??
Max Boyce did a great job with Johnny Mathis's "12th of Never" & also "Deck of Cards". Any others?

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15 Jan 10 - 05:09 PM (#2813038)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Steve Gardham

Anything by Sid Kipper, probably the Whistling Monologue if that can be called a parody, Wild Mounting Time?
Selby folksinger Mike Soar wrote a brilliant parody of Banks of the Sweet Primroses about going for a vasectomy. Wish I had got the words off him before he passed away.

BTW 'Deck of Cards' IS a parody of a parody of a parody......

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15 Jan 10 - 05:56 PM (#2813094)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: dick greenhaus

Two of the very best came from Bob Blue: Eeensie Weensie Spider and Their Way.

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15 Jan 10 - 06:28 PM (#2813129)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Leadfingers

The late (And STILL sadly missed) Dave Houlden of Maidenhead was THE man for parodies ! Was known , on more than one occasion , to hear a song early in the evening and concoct a parody and sing it later the same evening !

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15 Jan 10 - 06:50 PM (#2813151)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego

If not parodies, then odd lines thrown in on the spur of the moment. Years ago, after the 1,342nd repitition of "Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore," we threw in: River Jordan is deep and wide, Halelujia,
                      Clean rest rooms on the other side, .....

We also cobbled together a parody of Scotch & Soda specifically because one of our dates - a traditional singer - hated the song so and made such a public issue of it that we dedicated it to her. She loved it!

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15 Jan 10 - 07:29 PM (#2813182)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Acorn4

Les Barker has a host of them, all brilliant, but one of my favourites of his is a less well known ones:-

No one sings a shanty like Sinatra sings a shanty - Haul away!

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15 Jan 10 - 10:25 PM (#2813314)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Genie

I like the parody of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing On My Mind" that was written for his 60th birthday:   "I Don't Know What Was The Last Thing On My Mind."

Then we must not forget the takeoff on "Dona Nobis Pacem" that goes
"Don't I
Know this
Possum, possum?
Don't I
Know this
Po-o-o-os-sum?

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15 Jan 10 - 11:03 PM (#2813346)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Surreysinger

"Then we must not forget the takeoff on "Dona Nobis Pacem" that goes
"Don't I
Know this
Possum, possum?
Don't I
Know this
Po-o-o-os-sum? "

Eminently forgettable, I would have said!

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15 Jan 10 - 11:12 PM (#2813349)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Genie

I've forgotten many a parody, but not that one. LOL

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15 Jan 10 - 11:18 PM (#2813351)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Smokey.

Mrs. Ackroyd's "Quasi B. Goode" - "He could ring them bells like playin' a guitar".

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16 Jan 10 - 02:51 AM (#2813409)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Dave Hanson

Les Barkers ' Roseville Fair ' is brilliant.

Dave H

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16 Jan 10 - 04:46 AM (#2813437)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: GRex

I love Shep Woolley's "Bicycle Pump".


             GRex

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16 Jan 10 - 08:40 AM (#2813529)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: beeliner

IMHO, Lewis Carroll was one of the the greatest parodists of all time, at least in the English language.

According to Carroll annotater Martin Gardner, the two Alice books contain ten poems that are definitely parodies and four more that bear the earmarks of parodies with the originals apparently lost.

Of course, most modern children - and adults, especially in the USA, have never heard the originals and are thus unaware that the poems are parodies.

Nearly all have been set to music at one time or another.

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16 Jan 10 - 09:16 AM (#2813553)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: John MacKenzie

Let us not forget, that parody writers are putting their flesh, on someone else's skeleton.
When you bear this in mind, there are a lot of really crap parodies around.
Some of the ones mentioned are excellent, but it's not as easy to do as some people seem to think it is.

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16 Jan 10 - 01:22 PM (#2813716)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Acorn4

There are two kinds of parodies - one where it's actually taking the mickey out of the song - the Billy Connolly D.I.V.O.R.C.E being a classic example, the other when you are just using the song, because people are familiar with it, and you are turning it to parody something else, not making any kind of comment on the song that is being used. The Les Barker "Nolans and Elton John" being an example of this.

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16 Jan 10 - 01:33 PM (#2813724)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Murray MacLeod

"The Lily of the Net" by Holly Tannen is without question the funniest and most skilfully written parody I have ever heard.

(Parody of "Lily of the West", for those unfamiliar with it )

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16 Jan 10 - 02:00 PM (#2813746)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Ron Davies

I really like "Sloop John A".   Is that one of Les Barker's?

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16 Jan 10 - 02:07 PM (#2813753)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: jacqui.c

Les Barker's 'Custard Creams' - based on 'John O' Dreams.

The Cady's 'Mama Fried' (Mama Tried) and 'Shorts and a Gun' (Fox On The Run).

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16 Jan 10 - 02:49 PM (#2813803)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Steve Gardham

OOps! How could I forget Les's wonderful parodies? Got all the books but far better to hear him perform them.
Earwig-O, Earwig-O, Earwig-O........

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16 Jan 10 - 06:51 PM (#2813955)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Susanne (skw)

Another inspired Les Barker product: Hard Cheese of Old England

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16 Jan 10 - 11:14 PM (#2814044)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Clontarf83

Tommy Makem's evisceration of Galway Bay was worth the final verse

On her front she has tatooed a map of Ireland
And when she takes her bath on Saturday
She scrubs the Sunlight soap around by Claddagh
Just to watch the suds go down on Galway Bay

Mudcat song library had some classics such as "walking round in womens underwear" (winter wonderland)

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17 Jan 10 - 04:18 AM (#2814079)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Genie

"Women's Underwear" is one of the best parodies ever.

So is "You Can't Keep Me From Singing."   (I also love Betsy Wellings's "How Can I Keep From Purring.")

Then there's the Christmas classic "Chipmunks Roasting On An Open Fire." And in the same vein, "All God's Critters Got A Place In The Fire."

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17 Jan 10 - 04:44 AM (#2814085)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Acorn4

Another LB favourite of mine is the one about waiting for the AA :- "Stand by your Van".

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17 Jan 10 - 05:39 AM (#2814098)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Micca

Worthy of a mention are the wonderful parodies of Malcolm Austin(Mudcats own Trayton) For songs like

" Oh No Not the Fields of Athenry
If I hear it once again I think I'll cry
It just goes on and on
How I hate that bloody song
I'm so fed up with the fields of Athenry"

and

" In the West-end of Hayes lived a working man
He said I can't fly but my Moggie can
and when my cat gets fre, He comes flying back to me
Lifted up on next doors toe!

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17 Jan 10 - 06:04 AM (#2814107)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Leadfingers

I spun a coin re Trayton and Dave H and decided on Dave
Malc is indeed an excellent parodist

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17 Jan 10 - 06:21 AM (#2814114)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Genie

If you do a forum search for "parod" you'll get a list that will probably jog your memory (and maybe introduce you to some new gems).   I wouldn't say they're all true "parodies." Some are just funny songs set to familiar tunes, others have pretty much entirely new lyrics but with a few puns on the original lyrics thrown in, and still others really do parody both the lyrics and the concept of the parodied song.

Anyway, among the ones I think are the real treasures are:

"Would You Like To Play The Guitar" - Pat Donohue's parody of "Swingin' On A Star"

"The Eensy Weensy Spider" - a true parody of "The Mary Ellen Carter"

"The Murderous Toy" - takeoff on Paxton's "Marvelous Toy," of course.

and an oldie but goodie from the 1920s (I'm told):

"Georgie On The IRT" - parody of "Engine 143"

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17 Jan 10 - 09:07 AM (#2814182)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: jacqui.c

'When Some Men Sing' - Malcolm Austin.

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17 Jan 10 - 09:18 AM (#2814191)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: kendall

The Folkie (The Boxer) has always been my favorite.
Mama fried is a close second.

Have you seen the parody on Skye boat song in the DT?

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17 Jan 10 - 04:56 PM (#2814466)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Bill Hahn//\\

Then there is the wonderful take-off on Chattanooga Choo Choo ---Pullman Porter holds a wild cat and says to the passenger (who, in the song, had left his shoes out to shined and they were ruined by said cat)"...pardon me but isn't this the cat that chewed your new shoes".

Also---not a parody but a brilliant work---Carmen Jones following the music and plot line of Carmen about a soldier, a girl, and a boxer. Lyrics by Hammerstein.

Bill Hahn

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17 Jan 10 - 06:22 PM (#2814529)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Paul Reade

Someone I heard recently sang:-

"All around my hat I will wear the green willow
All around my hat for a twelvemonth and a day
And if anyone should ask me the reason why I'm wearing it
They can mind their own f***ing business, 'cos it's my f***ing hat"

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17 Jan 10 - 06:56 PM (#2814558)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Acorn4

the "All Around my Hat" was Ade Edmondson and the Bad Shepherds.

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17 Jan 10 - 07:18 PM (#2814573)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Herga Kitty

Ron Davies - yes, Sloop John A was Les Barker, and I've heard Hilary Spencer sing it. She sang it at a party for a significant birthday of the Admiral, and I have to say that Maidenhead folk club has enjoyed many wonderful parodies from Dave Houlden and Malcolm Austen. Including Oh no, not the fields of Athenrye, and What shall we do with the octopus's leg(s).

Kitty

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17 Jan 10 - 07:31 PM (#2814581)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: mousethief

Don't know if any of these count as great but I'd like to think one or two are okay. parodies by moi.

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18 Jan 10 - 03:33 PM (#2815169)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Sarah the flute

My favourite is

The trains of Waterloo

(parody of the Plains of Waterloo )

Sarah

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18 Jan 10 - 05:25 PM (#2815285)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Genie

Alex! Where the heck have you been for so long??!

Yes, you do write marvelous parodies.

And if anyone checks Aine's old "Song Challenge!"s they'll probably find many wonderul parodic gems there.
Not all SongChallenge! entries are parodies but many are.

(I did some of my best work for Aine's SongChallenge!s too.   Probably because Aine gave us such great springboards with those wacky news stories. LOL)

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18 Jan 10 - 05:35 PM (#2815295)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Bert

Wow Mouse, I loved "Don't think Once" It really should make this list of greats.

Don't forget Seamus Kennedy and McDonald's Deformed Farm.

And Don't Know What was the Last thing on my mind is by Hot Soup.

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19 Jan 10 - 01:23 AM (#2815556)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: mousethief

Thanks Bert, Genie! Happy to be here! :)

O..O
=o=

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19 Jan 10 - 02:04 AM (#2815567)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Genie

Welcome, Mr. MThief, and welcome back!!

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19 Jan 10 - 02:52 AM (#2815577)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Dave Hanson

The ' All Around My Hat ' parody was around years before Ade and the Bad Shepherds.

Dave H

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19 Jan 10 - 06:14 AM (#2815691)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Acorn4

Just finished this one so thought I'd post it up as the thread is running:-

It goes to the tune of "Wild Mountain Thyme"

1. Oh, those teenage years are coming
And my jeans they are descending,
And that wild waist band
Is towards my ankles heading
Cool dude, yo! Cool dude, yo!

Chorus:-

And we'll all look pratts together
Like we've crapped ourselves big time
And it don't look none too clever
Jeans slung lo, jeans slung lo!

2. With the crotch around my knees
On a downward journey going
What happens if I sneeze?
And my underpants are showing
Cool dude ,yo, cool dude, yo!

Chorus:-

And we'll all look pratts together

3. With one arm around my lassie,
And the other to my kecks a clinging
Oh, cruel will be my fate
If my mobile phone starts ringing
Cool dude, yo! Cool dude, yo!

Chorus:-

And we'll all look pratts together

4. With my sideways baseball cap,
I will surely wind up my mother
"You can't go out dressed like that!"
But I'll just say "Am I bovvered?"
Cool dude yo, cool dude, yo!

Chorus:-

And we'll all look pratts together

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19 Jan 10 - 07:11 AM (#2815721)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Mr Happy

One've my all time favourites is the Bohemian Rhapsody parody oft performed by Muppett at folkie gatherings all over northern England.

Dunno who wrote it but its brill!

Naan-aa, just killed a man
Poppadom against his head
Had lime pickle, now he's dead.
Naan-aa, dinner just begun
But now I'm going to crap it all away.
Naan-aa, ooh-ooh
Didn't mean to make you cry,
Seen nothin' yet just see the loo tomorrow,
Curry on,
Curry on,
'Cause nothing really madras.

Too late, my dinner's gone
Sends shivers up my spine
Rectum aching all the time.
Goodbye every bhaji, I've got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and use loo.
Naan-aa, ooh ooh,
This Dopiaza's mild,
I sometimes wish we'd never come here at all...

Dink, dink, dink, dink, dink, dink, dink, dink,

I see a little chicken tikka on the side,
Rogan Josh, Rogan Josh pass the chutney made of mango.
Vindaloo does nicely
Very very spicey ME!
Biryani (Biryani)
Biryani (Biryani)

Biryani and a naan, (A vindaloo loo looo...)
I've eaten balti, somebody help me
She's eaten balti, get her to a lavatory
All stand well back
'Cause this loo is quarantined.
Here it comes,
There it goes,
Technicolour yawn.
I chunder
No!
It's coming up again (There she goes)
I chunder
It's coming up again (There she goes)
It's coming up again, (Up again)
Coming up again (up again)
Here it comes again (No no no no no non o no no No).
On my knees,
I'm on my knees,
I'm on my knees
Oh there she goes
This vindaloo is about to wreck my guts
Poor me... Poor me... Poor me!

(Guitar solo)

So you think you can chunder and still it's alright?
So you want to eat curry and drink beer all night?
Ohh maybe, now you'll puke like a baby,
Just had to come out,
Just had to come right out in here....

(Guitar solo)

Korma, saag or bhuna, Balti, naan, bhaji.
Nothing makes a difference
Nothing makes a difference to me
(Anyway, my wind blows).

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19 Jan 10 - 09:33 AM (#2815831)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Den

Leprosy,
There are pieces falling off of me
I'm not half the man I used to be
Oh I believe in leprosy.

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19 Jan 10 - 09:42 AM (#2815837)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: clueless don

I once was told of Joe Hickerson singing a song that began

Christians roasting on an open fire,
Lions nipping at their toes.

I have never heard the whole thing.

Don

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19 Jan 10 - 11:24 AM (#2815936)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: kendall

How could I forget Seamus' McDonald's deformed farm? It is SICK and very funny too.

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19 Jan 10 - 03:54 PM (#2816187)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Genie

Sunday I was singing on a memory care unit at the Kline-Galland (Nursing) Home in Seattle and when I did one of their favorites, "Anniversary Song," one of the very elderly women residents said she knew another verse. She proceeded to sing:

"Oh, how we danced on the night we were wed!
We danced and we danced, 'cause the room had no bed!"

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19 Jan 10 - 05:14 PM (#2816252)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: GUEST,Bill the sound

Grandfather's Ferret words by Derek Jolly is a classic.

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19 Jan 10 - 05:21 PM (#2816257)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Songbob

I recall that our late friend Mary LaMarca penned a beautiful opus about the Ring Cycle, to the tune of "Barret's Privateers," that was a wonder, plus having all the main plot points from the bloody story!

I did a quick search, and can't find it, alas. It'd be a good addition to the DT, says I. Ditto her contribution to a 2000-election shanty by the Civil Serpents, "AN ELECTION SHANTY," which is in the DT.

And Joe Hickerson's not-quite-complete parody of "The Christmas Song" goes:

Christians roasting on an open fire,
Lions nipping at their toes.
Pagan carols being sung by a choir,
While Romans raffle off their clothes, everybody knows
When Nero played his violin,
Ancient Rome was all a-glow.
One dead Jew, or an Arab or two,
Hari Krishna to you.

As you see, it misses the bridge part of the original.

Bob

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19 Jan 10 - 06:53 PM (#2816331)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Genie

I'm kind of partial to "The Last Of Garnet's Homemade Beer." ("Garnet" in this case being Garnet Rogers, I assume.)

It's the kind of parody that plays on the words of the original (in this case "Barret's Privateers") but is not a parody of the story or concept of the original.

Another good one of that sort is "The Idaho Spud."

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19 Jan 10 - 09:09 PM (#2816410)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: GUEST,JimP

My friend Bob Kanefsky mashed together "Nobody's Moggy" and "No Man's Land" for the following:

Nobody's Moggy Lands

After all, they're on the same album, right?

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20 Jan 10 - 01:06 AM (#2816505)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Stephen L. Rich

Try this one out. It's Sandy Andina's parody of Michael Smith's song "The Dutchman".
It's called "The Conman"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul2DutAljzs

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20 Jan 10 - 09:44 AM (#2816637)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: GUEST,wanderer

Some more of Muppett's stuff include, the Yorkshire version of a John Denver classic, Country Road, called Clogged up Road.

The Song he put together to encourage his grand daughter to eat her tea, Sit down & eat yer tea, to the tune of sit down next to me by James.

Also heard him do Ghost Chickens in the Sky, although not his, he's put his own mark on it.

Then of course there's The Rap version (with all the actions)of Ilka Moor bar tat and the Ragga version (with dance) of The Wild Rover.

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20 Jan 10 - 02:19 PM (#2816869)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: RWJ

Seeing Bill Cadick in Les Barkers set on the Sunday morning after Bills birthay bash performing cusard creams at Redich festival was memoroable !!!

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21 Jan 10 - 06:36 AM (#2817419)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: GUEST,wanderer

Mr. Happy's version of Old Mcdonald's farm

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21 Jan 10 - 07:59 AM (#2817457)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Dave Roberts

wanderer's right about Mr Happy's 'Old MacDonald', as I've mentioned before in other threads.

This has reminded me of a parody of 'Ruby, Don't Take You Love To Town' which I wrote a few years ago and can't find a copy of now.
All I can recall is the beginning:

Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Crewe

You've sanded down your face and stuck your hairpiece on with glue,
Ruby, are you contemplating travelling to Crewe?
And getting pissed on Pernod in the way you always do?
Oh Ruby, don't take your love to Crewe...

I may take that as the starting point and write it again. Often results in a better song, I find.

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21 Jan 10 - 09:13 AM (#2817492)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Mr Happy

...........& there's the hilarious 'D'ye want your old Lavvy washed down!!'

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21 Jan 10 - 07:18 PM (#2818121)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: melodeonboy

"Shelves of Herring" (Shoals of Herring) - Fred Shroers (I think!)

"Why is it always Dairylea?" (Why does it always rain on me?) - Shirehorses

"BSA Bantam 1963" (Vincent Black Lightning 1952) - Dave Taylor

"Oh, No, Not The Fields of Athenry; If I hear it one more time, I think I'll die" - M. Austen

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22 Jan 10 - 12:48 AM (#2818209)
Subject: RE: Great Parodies
From: Stephen L. Rich

Speaking of Old MacDonald, Doug Hamilton once offered up this one.

Old McDonald Had a Form

Old McDonald had a form…E I E I O
And on that form he had some blanks…E I E I O
With a blank blank here and a blank blank there
Here a blank there a blank
Everywhere a blank blank
Old McDonald had a form…E I E I O

Old McDonald had a form…E I E I O
And on that form he had instructions…E I E I O
With a "write this here" and a "write that there"
Don't do this, do do that
Fill it in in triplicate
Blank blank here, blank blank there
Here a blank there a blank, everywhere a blank blank
Old McDonald had a form…E I E I O

Old McDonald had a form…E I E I O
And on that form was legalese…E I E I O
With a whereas here and a wherefore there
Heretofore, notwithstanding
Yadda, yadda, yadda
Write this here, write that there
Don't do this, do do that, fill it in in triplicate
Blank blank here, blank blank there
Here a blank there a blank, everywhere a blank blank
Old McDonald had a form…E I E I O

Old McDonald had a form…E I E I O
And on that form were intrusive questions…E I E I O
With a "Where were you" and a "what did you"
"Who did you do it to, and are they going to sue you?"
Whereas here, wherefore there
Heretofore, notwithstanding
Yadda, yadda, yadda
Write this here, write that there
Don't do this, do do that, fill it in in triplicate
Blank blank here, blank blank there
Here a blank there a blank, everywhere a blank blank
Old McDonald had a form…E I E I O

Old McDonald had a form…E I E I O
And on that form there were disclaimers…E I E I O
With a "we don't know" and a "we can't say"
And if we knew anything, you couldn't sue us anyway
Where were you, what did you
Who did you do it to, and are they going to sue you?
Whereas here, wherefore there
Heretofore, notwithstanding
Yadda, yadda, yadda
Write this here, write that there
Don't do this, do do that, fill it in in triplicate
Blank blank here, blank blank there
Here a blank there a blank, everywhere a blankity blank blank blank
Old McDonald had a form…E I E I O



© 2002 Douglas Hamilton

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