ttto "Do It Yourself" by Bill Sutton
Jointly developed in rec.music.filk,
1997, from an idea by David G. Bell & Bill Sutton
Verse 1 and chorus by W. Scott Snyder; last line of "melody" verse swiped
from "The Key of R" by William Day
Remainder by Mark A. Mandel
[The occasional backtick (`) precedes the first beat of the line. Sometimes I put it in, sometimes I don't. Consistency? We don't need no steenkin' consistency!]
The fundamental question is What makes filking work?
The quantum-mechanical particle of filking is a "quirk".
It comes in six great flavors, and it covers quite a range
Charming, sharp, flat, drunk, and ose, and very often strange.
(NO CHORUS)
I went to buy some filksongs; they told me "Sixteen bucks
For a `brand-new Tom Smith compact disc" -- now, that price really sucks!
So I `hung around at Boskone and I chose to write my own,
For you can write a filksong from the things you find at home!
CHORUS:
Oh, the Gamers and the Trekkies, and those who Masquerade,
The Media Fen, the Furries, and the folks who speculate,
They take their fandom seriously, and they never want it known
That you can write a filksong from the things you find at home.
Now, a `filksong needs a topic for the song to be about;
If it `doesn't have a topic, then the song just dribbles out.
So I `took my favorite TV show, and I knew I couldn't lose
By adding in two long-time favorites: namely, sex and booze!
CHORUS
I had to have a melody, or my song was just a rhyme,
And it's `always safe to steal one that has stood the test of time.
But I `chose instead to write some brand-new music for my song...
And remember that "the notes we sing are never, ever wrong!"
CHORUS
Now there are those who say a filksong has to have a plot,
But "Real Old-Time Religion" and "Young Man Mulligan" do not.
If your `topic lets you string together gags and episodes
You can `ramble on forever till your audience explodes!
CHORUS
Then you `want a catchy title, with a phrase or proper name,
So folks won't think the different songs you write are all the same.
Some take a name from history or their favorite hero-elf
But I just used the label from a box upon my shelf.
CHORUS
At last the job was finished, and I sang and taped my song.
I thought that was the end of it, but was I ever wrong!
[Slowly] I just can't understand it: for a while it was the rage,
[Resume tempo] But now mention "Banned From Argo" and they'll throw you off the stage!
CHORUS
last modified a1317