Friday 25 September 2015

Taking Care of Reminiscence:YOGI BERRA's WISDOM

Yogi Berra, 1953.
POST #99 
PARODY-LYRICS
ORIGINAL SONG"Takin' Care of Business" 1973, Bachman-Turner Overdrive. 
PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, September 2015.

KEYWORDS: tribute, language, goldenoldy, sports, palindromes




YOGI BERRA'S WISDOM
(Takin' Care of Reminiscence)

(to the tune of "Takin' Care of Business")

A native of St Louie
Where they don’t put up with hooey,
'cause Missouri’s motto is “Show me.”
Signed with Yankees in his teens
Power hitter, eighteen seasons
They retired his Number Eight jersey.
Lots of Series as a coach,
So reporters would approach
To find out what this winning mave
n say
He became our ‘Wisest Fool’    * 
But did only eight in school
Known for witticisms quite pithy.
And it’s...

Not over ‘til it’s over (in this game)
If the road forks, take it (just the same)
Asking what the time is - do you mean now?
You observe a lot just by watching, anyhow.
Work out.

If it were déjà vu again,

We might get him to explain
If the people won’t come out, who’ll stop ‘em.
So don’t make wrong mistakes
Go to other peoples’ wakes,



Otherwise they won’t show when it’s your turn. 
Overwhelming underdogs
Take it with a grin of salt
He didn’t really say what he said.
And if you walk or drive
You’ll be lost when you arrive
If you don’t know where you are headed.
And we’ll use

Yogi Berra’s wisdom (every day)
Yogi Berra’s wisdom (every way)
That record stands ‘til broken, every time
Future’s not like once was; no nickel’s worth a dime.

They wouldn’t have won if we’d beat ‘em.
We have deep depth. Pair up in threes.


Out here it gets late early
Thanks for making necessary
That night when he’s inducted, Hall of Fame
It’s ninety percent mental,
And the other half’s physical
Don’t know nothing, baseball’s that kind of game.
No one goes there ’cause it's crowded
And though fan mail makes you proud
Don’t respond to anonymous letters
And when your batting slumps
With your average in the dumps
It’s blaming the bat that is better.
And we’ll be

Using Yogi’s wisdom (every day)
Yogi Berra's wisdom (every way)
If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.
He said, "It's not the heat, it's the humility."


 *  based on his speaking style, in 2005 The Economist named Yogi Berra 'Wisest Fool of the Past 50 Years'.


























Related Palindromes


Leg-nets? Yes. Act now! Won't Casey Stengel?

Seek nay, Mets. Stem Yankees.


Performing Notes:

F9 = 0010;  other chords are simple and repetitive 

INTRO:  |:C| Bb| F9 | C:| x2

A [C] native of St Louie  
Where they [Bb] don’t put up with hooey
'cause [F9] Missouri’s motto is [C] “Show me.”
Signed with Yankees in his teens
Power [Bb] hitter, eighteen seasons
They re[F9]tired his number eight [C] jersey.
Lots of Series as a coach,
So re[Bb]porters would approach
To [F9] find out what this winning maven [C] say
He became our ‘Wisest Fool’ * 

But did [Bb] only eight in school

Known for [F9] witticisms quite [C] pithy.
And it’s

Not [C] over ‘til it’s over [Bb] (in this game)
[F9] If the road forks, take it [C] (just the same)
Asking what the time is -  do [Bb] you mean now?
You [F9] observe a lot by just watching, [C] anyhow.
Work out.


| C | Bb | F9 | C | x2


Saturday 19 September 2015

The Budapest Banana-Boat Song


POST #98
PASTICHE with parody-lyrics: parodysitism?
RECIPIENT SONG (music): "Budapest", 2013, George Ezra.
INVADING SONG (lyrics): "The Banana Boat Song (Day -O)" The Tarriers, Harry Belafonte, 1955 (adapted from earlier recordings from 1952).   
PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, September, 2015.

KEYWORDS:  modernsong, mishmash

George Ezra presumably wrote the original song before ever visiting the city of Budapest. No one seems to understand the “Castillo” reference; the word means castle in Spanish, but capitalized as in his lyrics it seems to be a proper name, possibly a brand-name. Others have been less ready than George to give up home and possessions, as in this calypso song harking back to the 50s.  

BUDAPEST BANANA-BOAT SONG

(to the tune of "Budapest")



Come mister tally-man come, come tally me banana
  Golden eight-foot bunches, ripe beautiful Chiquitas
Daylight come, me wan’ go home.

Me load banana boat de whole night long
Work 'til de morning on just one drink of rum
Me say day-oh! day-oh, me wan’ go home
Me say day-oh! day-oh! Me wan’ go home.

Give me one good reason why we
Should not get higher pay -
Deadly black tarantula -
One bite and you might slip away.

De work conditions here
No one would like.
We should get unionized and stage a strike
Daylight come, oh! me wan’ go home
Me say day-oh! day-oh! Me wan’ go home

Give me one good reason why we 
Should not get higher pay -
Deadly black tarantula -
One bite and you might slip away.

If I could get some money, I’d quit and go to sea,
For now I stack banana, ripe beautiful Chiquita
Daylight come, oh! me wan’ go home
Me say day-oh! day-oh! Me wan’ go home.

Give me one good reason why we 
Should not get higher pay -
Deadly black tarantula -
One bite and you might slip away.


Come mister tally-man come, come tally me banana
  Golden eight-foot bunches, ripe beautiful Chiquitas
Day-oh! day-oh, me wan’ go home
Me say day-oh! day-oh! Me wan’ go home.


Performing Notes

Best solo play technique involves a reggae beat with striking the soundbox on beats 1 and 3, strumming on beats 2 and 4.
If you have a 2nd player, incorporate the riffs in the chorus, and in all the verses except the first and last.

INTRO:  | F |x4

[F] Come mister tally-man come, come tally me banana
  Golden eight-foot bunches, ripe beautiful Chiquitas
[Bb] Daylight come, me wan’ go [F] home.

[F] Me load banana boat de whole night long
Work 'til de morning on just one drink of rum
Me say [Bb] day-oh! day-oh, me wan’ go [F] home
Me say [Bb] day-oh! day-oh! Me wan’ go [F] home.
Riff on F:      F, G, F, C, F
Riff on Bb:    F, G, F, D, F 

[C] Give me one good reason why
We should not get higher [F] pay -
[C] Deadly black tarantula
- One [Bb] bite, and you might slip a[F]way.
Riff starting at end of 2nd line:  C,C,C, Bb, A
....

Final verse: No riffs: sparse playing, mostly a cappella
[F]! Come mister tally-man come, come tally me banana
  Golden eight-foot bunches, ripe beautiful Chiquitas
 [Bb]! Day-oh! day-oh, me wan’ go [F]! home
Me say [Bb]! day-oh! day-oh! Me wan’ go [F]! home.


Monday 14 September 2015

A Children's Song: Dietary Notes


POST #97
PARODY-LYRICS
ORIGINAL SONG"Mairzy Doats", Drake, Hoffman, Livingston 1943, initially recorded by Al Trace, covered by Andrews Sisters, Sharon, Lois and Bram, and many others. 
PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, September 2015.
RETROSPECTIVE: Check back to post#17 (Jan 25,2014) for another song and more palindromes on the same theme. 

KEYWORDS: dietclassicsong, environment, language, palindromes



















DIETARY NOTES
(to the tune of "Mairzy Doats")

My family thinks I’m nutty as a fruitcake
Have to hunt on menus, find what I can eat.
Some call it crazy
Others think it’s bravery,   
They all should give up meat. Oh! 

Linezy dews and wolvezy dews
And cougarcubz grabb ambies
A kiddley tunterstew, wouldn’t you? Yes.
Linezy dews and wolvezy dews
And cougarcubz grabb ambies
A kiddley tunterstew, wouldn’t you? If the 

Words sound grim, go gripe to Uncle Jim, 
He’ll dress you in your camo
Cause lions eat ewes, but you can choose
A rifle and some ammo. Oh!

Linezy dews and wolves eat ewes
And cougar-cubs grab Bambis
A kid’ll eat hunter’s stew, wouldn’t you? Yes.
A kiddley tunterstew, wouldn’t you?
Scene from "The Elephant Show"

Weazly dens and foxy dens
Raccoonzan crosey chickies
A kiddley creecherstoo, wouldn’t you? Oh! 
Weazly dens and foxy dens
And little hoxy chickies
A kiddley creecherstoo, wouldn’t you? Now if the

Words sound grim, go gripe to Uncle Jim,
He’ll say, “Please be more plucky.
Cause weas’l eat hens, and fox eat hens
And we’ll go shoot some duckies.” Oh!

Weazly dens and foxy dens
Raccoons and crows eat chickies
A kid’ll eat creatures too, wouldn’t you? Yuk!
A kiddley creecherstoo, wouldn’t you?

Menny menny damanlam
Why lothers doton tofu
A kiddley mea-freatu, wouldn’t you? Yes.
Menny menny damanlam
Why lothers doton tofu
A kiddley mea-freatu, wouldn’t you? Now

Uncle Jim says, “Queer!” while chugging down a beer,
He’ll never understand it;
Some men snarf beef and ham and lamb
While some respect the planet.  

Many men eat ham and lamb
While others dote on tofu
A kid’ll eat meat-free too, shouldn’t you? Yes, a 
Kiddley mea-freatu, a 
Kiddley mea-freatu, a 
Kiddley mea-freatu, shouldn’t you?  Tofu!





UKULELE-FRIENDLY FORMAT
(Click on any chord-chart slide to move to 'song-presentation mode'; then navigate through thumbnails at bottom of page.)

CM7 = 0002; C6 = Am7 = 0000; C#dim7 = 0101; Gm7 = 0211
Dm7 = F6  = 2213; Em7 = 0101; G7sus4 = 0213
























Related Palindromes (see also post#17)

NEW

A man, a pang; a salad, a lasagna - Panama

A man, a potato - Panama

A tip: "Le Falafel" - pita.

Ate plate late, petal et al. - PETA

Feeble, very. Revel ? Beef.

Plan okra, park on alp.

Sewer of wet stew for ewes.

Park, cap flow; wolf-pack rap.


and "CLASSIC" 

Lisa Bonet ate no basil.

Laminar flow - Wolf R. Animal

May a moody baby doom a yam? 

Wontons - not now.

A nut for a jar of tuna.

UFO tofu.
  
We freed fine venison; no sin, even if deer few.


































Friday 4 September 2015

A Summertime Contrafactum: Budapest is So Fine......


POST #95
PASTICHE with PARODY-LYRICS:  parodysitism?

RECIPIENT SONG (music): "In the Summertime" Mungo Jerry, 1970.   
INVADING SONG (lyrics): "Budapest", 2013, George Ezra.
PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, September, 2015.

KEYWORDS: goldenoldy, modernsong, mishmash

I rather enjoy George Ezra’s recent song “Budapest”. Notes on the web suggest that he wrote this song before he had ever visited the city. It’s a beautifully simple 3-chord song, but somehow it reminds me of some well-known older gems.

BUDAPEST IS SO FINE IN THE SUMMERTIME

(to the tune of "In the Summertime")



Introduction: 
|Chh chh-chh, uh. Chh chh-chh, uh.| x6

Back in Budapest, there’s a grand piano
In my hidden house - it’s a gold Castillo -
I’ve a treasure chest, also hectares of a land that I’ve achieved
It is hard, but believe,
For you, I’d stop all that and leave.

Oh, my daddy's rich, family don’t understand
My friends fear they’d lose if you take my hand,
And my artifacts - of them I’ve got a tonne or twenty-one
And the list goes on
But if you just say the words – I’ll up and run.

They’re not mean people, but they never make a change
We love everybody, but find foreigners quite strange
Give me one reason why I shouldn’t do just as I please
Hold me, baby
And all of this will go away.

I would lose it all, dah dah, dee dee dee
For you I’d leave it all, and still be happy.
Dah dah dah dah dah, dee dee dee dee,
Dah dah dah dah dah
A gold Steinway piano
For you.., you.. I’d lose it all.

Back in Budapest, there’s a grand piano
In my treasure house - it’s a gold Castillo
Dah dah dah dah dah,
But for you.., you.. I’d leave it all.

(Repeat and fade out)



Performing Notes: 


Introduction: 
lines of Fx2, Bb, F, C/B, F
Chh chh-chh,uh. Chh chh-chh, uh

Back in [F] Budapest, there’s a grand piano
In my hidden house - it’s a gold Castillo -
I’ve a [Bb] treasure chest, also acres of a land that I’ve a[F]chieved
It is [C] hard, but believe,
For [Bb] you, I’d stop all that and [F] leave.


Wednesday 2 September 2015

Re-Posted Environmental Riposte: Kilmer's "Trees" Updated

POST #93
PARODY-LYRICS
G. Coniglio surveying trees 
 N. shore of L. Erie, 2013
ORIGINAL POEM: "Trees" Joyce Kilmer 1914, set to music by O. Rosbach 1922, performed by Nelson Eddy, The Platters, Bob McGrath etc. 
The poem was the subject of a famous 4-line parody by Ogden Nash entitled "Song of the Open Road", 1932; it has been the subject of many other parodies subsequently.
PARODY LYRICS: G. Hurwitz - J Nuclear Cardiology 2000; by permission of the author, 
PARODY COMPOSED: modified lyrics posted with permission by Giorgio Coniglio at AmIRight.com, May 2013.

KEYWORDS: poetry, classicsong, environment




An iconic tree
Fabric Artwork by RCH





"TREES", Updated

(to the tune of "Trees")


1. Singable Introduction

Joyce Kilmer wrote his simple rhyme,

That seems to stand the test of time,

Perhaps assailed by Ogden Nash,

Kilmer family home, Mahwah NJ.
Who lived to see some billboards crash;

For such, trees die in droves we know

On clear-cut slopes in Borneo.

Where Kilmer’s sylvan spirits dwelled

Stretch cattle-fields with dryads felled;

On REDD* we must rely, methinks,

To save our threatened carbon-sinks.

Bless our species, prone to gawk,

While someone clubs the last Great Auk.

*Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, programs of incentives directed at underdeveloped nations under the aegis of the UN and World Bank.



2. Kilmer's Iconic Poem, Updated

I fear that I shall never view

A spoof that gobbles CO2.

Rough drafts - their scribbled nest o’erflows
Ogden Nash, poet and humorist

The Blue-Box prest against my toes.

And spoofs get hungry – ask their sire -

For watts that flow down printer wire.

Both home and office still it seems

Consume their daily MegaReams.
  
Once de-composed, spoofs’ souls will pass

Into the stock of greenhouse gas.

(The ozone loss from page and line

Intimidates the Northern Pine).

God’s Earth will fry ere Hell  may freeze,

Save forests, don’t print parodies. 



PERFORMING NOTES


F#dim7 = 2,3,2,3; G7sus=0,2,1,3
Bb9 = 1,2,1,3
                                             
[C] I fear that I shall never [Dm] view
[Fm] A spoof that gobbles CO[C7]2[C9]
[F] Rough drafts - their [F#dim7]scribbled nest o’er[C]flows
[C7] The Blue-Box prest against my [F] toes.
[Bm7] And spoofs get [C] hungry – ask their [D7] sire -
 [G7] For watts that [G7s] flow down printer [C] wire.
[C] Both home and office still it [Dm] seems 
[Fm] Consume their daily Mega[C7]Reams.[C9]
[F] Once de-com[F#dim7]posed, spoofs’ souls will [C] pass
[C7] Into the stock of greenhouse [F] gas.
[Fm] God’s Earth will [C] fry ere Hell   [F#dim7] may [D7] freeze,
[Bb9]  Save forests, [Dm7] don’t print paro[C]dies.