[critique] Re: Yonder comes a Filker: The whips, The hot coal s.

["Maya Corbin" <kyttn@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Sean Cleary <SCleary@delmarmedical.com>
To: <critique@filknet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2001 12:54 PM
Subject: [critique] Re: Yonder comes a Filker: The whips, The hot coal s.


>
> Ok, I was challenged to do specifics. And I am not good enough
> to do a song on my own. So I do generalitys, knowing that the only way
> to escape them is to destroy the song and rebuild it. Thus the whips and
> hot coals. And I really need to be told the goal of the song. (Celebrate
> parody? Complain about parody? Be ambivalent about parody? Say that a
> song that complains about parody is funny because it is a parody? I took
> the song on its own merrits, as I did not know the original. And that
> may have been my problem. So that was the joke? A parody that complains
> about parodying? Well ok. It will lose those who do not know that it is
> a parody.) Also/and so, because I can not find the goal, I can not make
> concrete suggestions on how to get there.
> Sean

Sean, this is my fourth attempt at a song, and the first one I've had been
truly comfortable about possibly sharing.  It was something  that Greg
McMullan and I came up with while working in the kitchen one afternoon.
There is no deep meaning to it, it is just meant to be fun, meant to bring a
smile hopefully.

The chorus, as you can see, is mainly silly.  The verses are sort of
tributes to pretty well known filkers who have done some songs or parodies
that particularly appeal to my sense of humor.  Have you read the final
verse that was added late?  Anyone who has had their song parodied can
probably say that their first reaction to it happening is "ack!  you wrote
what to my song??" and then immediately, "how cool!  I'm can't believe you
liked it enough to do that!  Thank you!".   Or perhaps they reverse those
two.  Our song is simply an acknowledgement of how strange parodies can be,
how much fun, and what a combined thrill and shock as well.

The reason for choosing "Yonder comes a Sucker" as the tune for this was
simple:  I could not get it out of my brain after hearing it at my Mom's
house.  I like the song and it is easy to sing.  I could actually imagine
singing this at a filk, because  the tune is catchy enough that other people
will be likely to sing along.  The song is truly just meant to be fun, no
commentary or complaint or anything.

Thanks for your input on this, though.  I'm sure there will be other
attempts at song-writing on more serious subjects where looking at things
from this angle will be helpful.

Maya (kyttn)