Breaking up is Hard #2: I'm Gonna Survive

POST #108

ALTERED SONG-LYRICS: parodysitism (see explanatory note below). 
RECIPIENT SONG (music): "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)", The Proclaimers, 1988.

INVADING SONG (lyrics): "I Will Survive", Gloria Gaynor 1978
PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, November 2015.

KEYWORDS: goldenoldy, mishmash, pairody

A major way to have fun with songs is to insert lyrics from one into the musical backdrop of another. As discussed in the previous post, a good analogy is that the lyrics and theme act as an invader or parasite, taking over the music and pre-empting the message of the “recipient” or “host” song. PARODYSITISM is a neologism mixing the concepts as well as the sounds of parasitism and parody. Examples under the heading "Breaking Up Is Hard" demonstrate how songs about the ardent phase of love/relationships can give way to a more difficult phase in their life-cycle. 

Other examples of PARODYSITISM  (search this site by "mishmash") include... 
Ochi Chornye (brown-eyed girl), Saturday Night as Sung by Beatles, Carolina: A Redawning, Starry Notions, Those Were Our Trains, Budapest Is So Fine, The Budapest Banana-Boat Song, Nifty Ways to Leave Your Mukluks, Bob Dylan Sings Cole Porter, and The Burning Grapevine 

I'M GONNA SURVIVE

(lyrics of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” -with modification, to the tune of The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be - 500 Miles”)

I

I was fearful, at first I was petrified,

Thought I’m never gonna manage without you.

I kept thinkin', that without you by my side,

Never gonna  learn to be somebody new.

Many nights spent, thinking how you did me wrong,

Feeling sorry for myself because of you.

I’d been chained up, didn’t know I could be strong    

Just a little person still in love with you.

I should have changed the front door lock

Or made you leave your stupid key

I’d have never guessed -  it’s quite a shock! that you’d,

Be back to bother me.

Here I find you - you’ve come back from outer space

But there’s gonna be no welcome here for you

You just dropped in, with that sad look on your face

Hoping I’d lay down and crumble just for you.

I tried hard to, mend the pieces of my heart

And now you just expect me to be free

All my strength used, to avoid falling apart,

Now I’ll save my love for one who’s loving me.

Now you should go, walk out the door 

You’d tried to hurt me with goodbye

I’ve got all my life to live and love to give,

I’ll hold my head up high.

Fa-da–la-dah (fa-da–la-dah); fa-da–la-dah (fa-da–la-dah)

I know I’ll stay alive, I will survive.

Lay down and die? (lay down and die); oh no, not I (oh no, not I)

I know I’ll stay alive, I will survive.

(Repeat 2^nd verse)

Go on now, walk five hundred k
And then walk several thousand more.
Just leave me your key, walk far away
And never drop in at my door.

Fa-da–la-dah (fa-da–la-dah); fa-da–la-dah (fa-da–la-dah)

I know I’ll stay alive, I will survive.

Lay down and die? (lay down and die); oh no, not I (oh no, not I)

I've got all my love to give, I will survive. 


Performing Notes

 G5= 0235; C = 5543; D = 7765

I was [G5] fearful, at first I was petrified,

Thought I’m [C] never gonna [D] manage without [G5] you.

I kept thinkin',  that without you by my side,

Never [C] gonna learn to [D] be somebody [G5] new.

Many nights spent, thinking how you did me wrong,

Feeling [C] sorry for [D] myself because of [G5] you.

I’d been chained up, didn’t know I could be strong    

Just a [C] little person [D] still in love with you.

I [G5] should have changed the front door lock

Or [C] made you leave your [D] stupid key

I’d have [G5] never guessed -  it’s quite a shock! that [C] you’d,

Be back to [D] bother me.

Fa-da–[G5]-la-dah (fa-da–la-dah); fa-da–la-dah (fa-da–la-dah)

I [C] know I’ll stay a[D]live, I will sur[G5]vive.

Lay down and die? (lay down and die); oh no, not I (oh no, not I)

I [C] know I’ll stay a[D]live, I will sur[G5]vive. 

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!

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" 

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.

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.