Saturday 31 October 2015

Hallowe'en Biology: Zombie Cockroach

POST #103
PARODY-LYRICS
ORIGINAL SONG "Boney Fingers" 1974, Hoyt Axton. 
PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, October, 2015.

KEYWORDS: goldenoldy, environment, math-and-science, medical

BIOLOGICAL BACKGROUND: The emerald cockroach wasp, or jewel wasp, Ampulex compressa is a fascinating creature, recently investigated with respect to its unusual reproductive behavior. Incredible details of the strange, even nightmarish habits of this predatory insect are shown by this video.   
Emerald Cockroach Wasp



ZOMBIE COCKROACH 

(to the tune of "Boney Fingers")

I’m an emerald-wasp Mom, and I’m doin’ my duty
Looking for daycare, and I’ve found me a doozy
Larvae can snarf, then get their beauty-sleep as pupae
They need a peaceful place where they’ll get protein while they’re growing,
Need a quiet place where they’ll get protein. 

Know where to hunt to find “la cucaracha”
Filled my stinger with a toxin called GABA *

Direct first sting to prothoracic ganglia
Likely that his limbs are weakened for two minutes.
Likely that ‘ll make his big arms weaker.

Inject toxins in his chest - whadda ya get?
(Weak limbs!) Woossie cockroach – woossie cockroach.

Oh! the second sting goes to the base of his brain:
Hit the right target and he's feeling no pain;
Lead him like a leash-dog, then one egg I’ll be layin’
Stuff them in a tunnel, the egg hatches in the mornin'

That is when my larva starts to eat him.

Hungry larva needs to grow - what does it eat?
(Whoo whoo!) Cockroach protein – cockroach protein.


For baby wasps, it’s a huge refrigerator
Inside and out, treats that Mother Nature catered

Five days of eating, then protected place for sleeping
In two weeks adult emerges ripe for breeding
Dressed to kill and carry on life-cycle.


Pretty pupa needs to sleep - where does it rest?
(Whoo whoo!) Zombie cockroach – zombie cockroach.

Wasps' lives are scripted, and they don’t need coaches.
Each gal makes toast of several dozen roaches
Mating takes a minute, they won’t need no urgin’
Every mom will be a horror-movie neurosurgeon
Every gal will be a neurosurgeon.

Inject toxins in his brain - whadda ya get?
(Whoo whoo!) Zombie cockroach – zombie cockroach.

Now, there's.......
Other bio-systems with bizarre behavior
Parasite controls and make the host enslav-ier
There are crazy notions, and this one's no crazier  -   
Maybe further research will have human implications
Maybe we'll make mental illness better.

Best test-model that we've got? What would ya guess?
(Whoo whoo!) Zombie cockroach! Zombie cockroach!

* GABA (pronounced by biologists as " gabba' ") = gamma-aminobutyric acid, a neuro-transmitter substance.























 Performing Notes


Intro:  |: A  |   | D  |    |E7  |    |    | A  | E7| A  |   :|  x2 

|:A  |   |   |   :| x2

I’m an [A] emerald-wasp Mom, and I’m doin’ my duty
[D] Looking for Daycare, and I’ve found me a doozy
[E7] Larvae can snarf, then get their beauty-sleep as pupae
They [E7] need a quiet place where they’ll get [A] protein as they’re growing,
They [E7] need a quiet place where they’ll get [A] protein. 

Inject [E7] toxins in his brain - whadda ya [D]! get?  >
(Whoo whoo) [E7] Zombie [A] cockroach – [E7] zombie [A] cockroach.





Wednesday 28 October 2015

Hallowe'en Lullaby from Guest-Parodist Al Silver: "ZOMBIES"

POST #102 
PARODY-LYRICS: GUEST-ARTIST
ORIGINAL SONG"People" 1964, Styne and Merrill for the 1964 musical "Funny Girl"; Barbra Streisand's signature song. 
PARODY-LYRICS COMPOSED: Al Silver, 2014, copied here with permission. Al has been a frequent contributor to the AmIRight song-parody website.
You can view Al's delightful lyrics along with some commentary (without images or chords)  displayed on that website at AmIRight.com Post "Zombies"


Check out post #25, Feb 2014  and post #100 for other great parody-lyrics by Al Silver.

KEYWORDS: guestartist, goldenoldy, showtune 




from "The Cafepress Blog"



















ZOMBIES

(to the tune of "People")

People
Rotting, undead people
Are the hungriest people one can meet,
Expression, lacking all expression

As their stiff and lumbering stride
Hide all feelings inside,
Leaving blank expressions
On Haitians.


“Zombies” are what we call these people,
They’re the hungriest people
One can meet.
The right zombie,
That one “Mr. Right” zombie
Bites deeply into your brain
What once was whole,
Now is twain.
No more affect for you
You’re expressionless, too
You’re a zombie –
Stupid, stinking zombie
You’re the silliest zombie
One can meet!

When Possession
Becomes a world obsession
Zombie Apocalypse comes
Once we were good,
Now we’re bums.
And the virus will spread
Till the whole world’s undead,
Filled with zombies –
Suppurating zombies
Are the peskiest zombies
One can meet!

Wednesday 21 October 2015

Bob Dylan Sings Cole Porter.

POST #101
PASTICHE with parody-lyrics: parodysitism?
RECIPIENT SONG (music)"Let's Do It" 1928, Cole Porter 
INVADING SONG  (lyrics):  "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"1967, Bob Dylan.
PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, October, 2015.

KEYWORDS: goldenoldy, classicsong, showtune, mishmash, palindromes


BOB DYLAN SINGS "Let's Do It"

(to the tune of "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love")

Close your eyes, close the door,
You don't have to worry anymore;
I'll be your baby tonight.
Well now, let's shut the light, shut the shade
You really don't have to be afraid
I'll be your baby tonight.

That mockingbird's gonna sail away
And that big fat old moon
It won't be pale, it's gonna 
Shine just like a spoon.
So no regrets, we'll forget our fear
Fling your shoes and bring that bottle over here.
I'll be your baby tonight. 






Performing Notes

F6 = 2213; Gm7 = Bb6 = 0211; C+5 = 1003; Bbm6 = 0111; A7+5 = 0110;
Am7 = 0000; Eb7 = 3334; Ab = 5343; F7 = 2310 or 5556; Bb* = 7565 

INTRO: 

[F6] Close [F] your eyes, [Gm7] close [C7] the door;
[F]    You don't [F7] have to worry [Bb6] a[Bbm6]nymore;
[F6] I'll [F] be your [Gm7] ba[C7]by to[F]night. [Dm] [Gm7] 

Well [C+5] now let's [F6] shut [F] the light, [Gm7] shut [C7] the shade;
[F]    You really [F7] don't have to be [Bb6] be [Bbm6] afraid;
[F6] I'll [F] be your [Gm7] ba[C7]by to[F]night. [Gm7] [F] 

[A7+5] That mocking [Dm] bird's gonna [Bb6] sail away 
[Am7]   And that big fat old  [Cm7] moon [F7]
[Bb*] It won't be [Eb7] pale, it's gonna
[Ab] Shine just like a [Gm7] spoon. 


[C+5] So no re[F6]grets [F] we'll for[Gm7]get [C7] our fear;
[F] Fling your shoes and [F7] bring that bottle [Bb6] o[Bbm6]ver  here;
[F6] I'll [F] be your [Gm7] ba[C7]by to[F]night. [Gm7] [F] 



Romantic and Sensuous Palindromes

- see our sister blog, "Giorgio's Weekly Wordplay" 





Friday 16 October 2015

Guest Parody-Artist Al Silver: LET'S DO IT (after Cole Porter)

Cole Porter, composer
POST #100 

PARODY-LYRICS: GUEST-ARTIST
ORIGINAL SONG: "Let's Do It" 1928, Cole Porter 
PARODY-LYRICS COMPOSED: Al Silver, 2013, with permission. Al has been a frequent contributor to the AmIRight song-parody website.
You can view Al's delightful lyrics along with some commentary (without images or chords)  displayed on that website at AmIRight.com Post "Let's Do IT"


KEYWORDS: guestartist, classicsong, musicaltheatre

Check out post #25 , Feb 2014 for another great parody by Al Silver.
Irene Bordoni,
 French chanteuse
star of Porter's musical

 "Paris", 1929


LET'S DO IT 

(to the tune of "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love")

Birds do it, bees do it; White House interns on their knees do it;
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
On grocery shelves Keebler elves do it; clergy praying by themselves do it;
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Insects in flight late at night do it, but they raise such a din.
Leno can't quite do it, 'cause he uses his chin.
Siegfried and Roy, boy on boy, do it; Quakers, with a minimum of joy, do it; 
Let's do it, let's fall in love. 

Bums do it, champs do it; in a circuit volts and amps do it;
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Saddam Hussein, giving pain, did it; Mister Clinton down the drain did it;
Let's do it, let's fall in love. 
Old Errol Flynn, Rin Tin Tin do it, though they're both six feet deep. 
Shepherds give in to it with a sensuous sheep. 
It feels so fine, folks online do it. Missionaries, only when supine, do it;
Let's do it, let's fall in love.

Hindus, reborn, do it; Gunga, clutching at a horn, blew it. 
Let's do it, let's fall in love. 
By golly, Bengalis all do it; tourists in the Taj Mahal do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
When time allows, sacred cows do it with a rapturous moo;
Jungle boys now do it, thanks to Mister Sabu.
While in Bombay, by the way, do it; if it's not untouchable, you may screw it 
Let's do it, let's fall in love. 


Cobras, with charm, do it; beggars laying down their alms do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
The holy caste, while they fast, do it; Gandhi to the last did eschew it.
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
Nehru (he's dead), it is said, did it, but here's something of note:
He'd go to bed fitted in eponymous coat.
And just for kicks turbaned Sikhs do it; population experts all say nix to it.
Let's do it, let's fall in love.



Performing Notes

F6 = 2213; Gm7 = Bb6 = 0211; C+5 = 1003; Bbm6 = 0111; A7+5 = 0110 
Am7 = 0000; Eb7 = 3334; Ab = 5343; F7 = 2310 or 5556; Bb* = 7565 

INTRO: 

[F6] Birds [F] do it, [Gm7] bees [C7] do it;
[F] White House [F7] interns on their [Bb6] knees [Bbm6] do it;
[F6] Let's [F] do it, [Gm7] let's [C7] fall in [F] love. [Dm] [Gm7] 

On [C+5] grocery [F6] shelves [F] Keebler [Gm7] elves [C7] do it;
[F] Clergy [F7] praying by them[Bb6]selves [Bbm6] do it;
[F6] Let's [F] do it, [Gm7] let's [C7] fall in [F] love. [Gm7] [F]

[A7+5] Insects in [Dm] flight  late at [Bb6] night do it, [Am7]
But they raise such a [Cm] din. [F7]
[Bb*] Leno can't [Eb7] quite do it,
[Ab] 'Cause he uses his [Gm7] chin.  


[C+5] Seigfried and [F6] Roy [F] boy on [Gm7] boy [C7] do it;
[F] Quakers with a [F7] minimum of [Bb6] joy [Bbm6] do it;
[F6] Let's [F] do it, [Gm7] let's [C7] fall in [F] love. [Gm7] [F]

Compare this with the original......

[F6] Birds [F] do it, [Gm7] bees [C7] do it;
[F] Even [F7] educated  [Bb6] flees  [Bbm6] do it; 
[F6] Let's [F] do it, [Gm7] let's [C7] fall in [F] love. [Dm] [Gm7] 

In [C+5] Spain the [F6] best [F] upper [Gm7] sets [C7] do it; 
[F] Lithu[F7]anians and [Bb6] Letts [Bbm6] do it; 
[F6] Let's [F] do it, [Gm7] let's [C7] fall in [F] love. [Gm7] [F]

The Dutch in [Dm] old Amster[Bb6]dam do it, [Am7]
Not to mention the [Cm] Finns. [F7]
[Bb*] Folks in Si[Eb7]am do it,
[Ab] Think of Siamese [Gm7] twins. 

 [C+5] Some [F6] Argen[F]tines without [Gm7] means [C7] do it;
[F] People say in [F7] Boston even [Bb6] beans [Bbm6] do it;  
[F6] Let's [F] do it, [Gm7] let's [C7] fall in [F] love. [Gm7] [F]