To a greater or lesser extent, many of us write song parodies. Or at least I think it is safe to say that at one time or another most of us are going to mess with the words to a song. There are plenty of song parodies around, especially in this era of youtube and social media, but not many
good song parodies. Many of them are pretty awful. This month I wanted to pontificate ... err ... talk a bit about the craft of song parody writing.
If you really want to skip the discussion and go right to the song parody, scroll down past the dotted lines. Do not neglect the "NOTICE" after the first dotted line!
One of my first dilemmas in writing this was whether to call parody writing an “art” or a “craft”. After some thought I chose the term “craft” since the parody writer doesn't create the song, he takes an existing piece and messes with it. Come to think of it the difference between writing original songs and writing parodies is kinda like the difference between being a parent and a child molester.
Parodies range greatly in scope and fame. Some pieces gain almost household-name status, like some of Weird Al Yankovich's pieces or the classics that have been replayed on the Doctor Demento radio show for decades. At opposite end of the fame spectrum, often a parody will only be relevant to a limited regional or demographic group because of the material or references involved - "inside jokes". For example if you were a US serviceman stationed in Korea, you probably heard and/or sang “You Picked a Fine Time to Burn Me, Miss Lee”, but if you never wore the Uniform and went to Korea you've probably never even heard it. (If it isn't obvious, "Miss Lee" is a parody of the Kenny Rogers hit "Lucille" from the 1970s.)
Regardless of whether the song parody you write becomes timeless or is only ever known by the members of your poker club or boy scout troop, the rules for quality parody construction are pretty much the same.
I would like to make one point adamantly - anyone can just write words about sex. That doesn't show much originality or even thought. I'm not opposed to a smutty joke or song but that's not the only kind of humor that exists! Similarly, just because words are about sex doesn't automatically make them funny. There are a lot of synonyms for "penis" and someone can make one of them go in any song anywhere. Beavis and Butthead would be amused but I am a tad more difficult to please. Yes, sex is awesome but
day-um, people ... there
are other things to joke about ... really. Let us be a little further evolved than rabbits, shall we?
Essentially the closer a parody is to the original - the more it could deceive someone who isn't really paying attention - the more well-constructed I consider it to be. If I can play a song parody and slip it past the drinkers, yakkers, and half-listeners out there because they don't even realize it isn't the "serious" version (or maybe they realize it halfway through) then I think that is a nice "tight" - song parody. I love it when someone in the crowd does a double take in the middle of a song, their head snaps around and their facial expression says "Wait .... whaaaat?"
Careful parody crafting is so much more than just conforming to a rhyme scheme. The writer should work to retain as many of the stressed letter sounds, hard-edged consonant sounds, and long vowels from the original as possible. Special attention should be paid to the sounds that fall on strong beats, climactic points in the melody, or long held notes. All those elements are the most noticeable and so have greater preservation value in a tight parody.
Given: the line "... the only place I know" - 6 syllables. The careless and amateurish writer may just pen a line with 6 syllables that can be sung it to the existing melody and consider it done. I consider it done very poorly at that level. At a minimum, it isn't hard to compose a 6-syllable line starting with "The" and ending with a long "o" sound. The long "o" in the word "only" and the "a" in "place" are particularly noteworthy. Following are 3 theoretical substitutes for the line "the only place I know" ordered form worst to best:
#1 "... I found an old hobo" This line has but a single connection to the original -the final vowel sound. - Barely respectable.
#2 "... the girl I used to know" - better. This one shares 2 complete words.
#3 The line ".. the only way to go" is a much tighter match than either of the above. the first 2 words are preserved and then "a" and final "o" strong vowel sounds are also retained from the original.
I'm not suggesting that you'd be able to choose any of the above examples interchangeably in the same song. Of course, much will be determined by the story line. I'm only trying to give examples in a sorta good-better-betterer format. Often as the verses progress the writer's options will continue to narrow, as the "plot" of the lyrics becomes more defined.
In short, to make a clever, "tight" parody study the original lyrics and then change as little as possible. It may be surprising how replacing only small bits of a lyric here and there can completely alter the meaning. I will give you one verse of which I am particularly fond as an example from my own work. The original verse is given first for comparison.
When this old world starts to getting me down
and people are just too much for me to face
I climb way up to the top of the stairs
and all my cares just drift out into space.
- From “Up on the Roof” © 1961 Carole King & Jerry Goffin
In 1994 my twisted mind decided to parody this song. Here is verse 1:
When this old world starts to getting me down
and people are just too much for me to face
I climb way up to the top of the stairs
and throw my sorry ass out into space.
- From “Jump Off the Roof” © 1995 Ray Blowers
Only one-half of a line has been changed but the entire meaning is subverted. It is even more helpful that the twist arrives at the end because the listener has come to expect the original, familiar words.
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NOTICE: I'm about to share the rest of the lyrics to "Jump Off The Roof". The lyrics are overtly about suicide. It is intended to be lighthearted and in good fun, and often drew laughs and applause at my performances. It is not gory or explicit and the lyrical material isn't all dark, Emo. and depressing. If you find that subject matter unacceptable as a basis for humor you may wish stop here and move on to something else. Thanks for visiting!
Verse-by-verse, "Up On The Roof" is on the left and "Jump Off The Roof" is right-justified immediately below.
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When this old world starts to getting me down
and people are just too much for me to face
I climb way up to the top of the stairs
and all my cares just drift out into space.
When this old world starts to getting me down
and people are just too much for me to face
I climb way up to the top of the stairs
and throw my sorry ass out into space.
When I come home feelin' tired and beat
I go up where the air is fresh and sweet
I get away from the hustling crowd
And all that rat-race noise down in the street
When I come home feelin' tired and beat
I'll go up where the air is fresh and sweet
I'll plunge right down into the hustling crowd
And make a splat-face noise down in the street
On the roof, the only place I know
Where you just have to wish to make it so
Let's go up on the roof
Off the roof, the only way to go
its more fun if you yell “Look out below!”
Don’t ya know? Jump off the roof!
At night the stars put on a show for free
And, darling, you can share it all with me
I keep a-tellin' you
Off the roof I’ll sail like a frisbee
And then the world below will notice me!
I keep a-tellin' you
Right smack dab in the middle of town
I've found a paradise that's trouble proof
And if this world starts getting you down
There's room enough for two
Up on the roof
Right **SMACK** dab in the middle of town
I’ll find a great escape that's trouble proof
and if you see me a-sailin’ on down
then there’s room enough for you
to
Jump off the roof.
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Wasn't that lyric "smack dab" in the last verse of the original just perfect? :) It sat there for over thirty years waiting for me. I'd bet money a lot of you knew the instant you saw it that I would leave it there.
I hope to share more song parodies with you in the future, but I promise from now on it'll be more song, less lecture. :)
For those of you still here:
© 2013 Raymond Blowers
Bacon came my way Sunday
