Write It to the Tune of ... Poetry Contest

[Hawkman]

Good man, Pen!

Keep 'em comin' guys!

[AuntShecky]

Keep 'em comin' guys!

and gals?

Songs from the Sixties, aye? Of course, that was way before my time. (Ahem.) Not only that, the Hawkman’s calling for “protest songs.” Uh-oh. WARNING: The following material contains POLITICAL CONTENT. Reader discretion is advised.

Fast forward a couple decades to a New York production of Waiting For Godot. Despite the fact that Beckett’s play was pretty damn funny on its own, the director, Mike Nichols, was nevertheless compelled to update the script with topical material, circa 1988.

One of Nichols's added lines reflected the fact that during the reign of George (Bush) the First, the word “liberal” -- as noun as well as an adjective to describe a person of a leftward political bent -- had become the “supreme insult.”


Hit the FF button one more time to today. Along with the “ic” commonly dropped from the word “Democratic,” the term “liberal” has acquired such a bad rep that even liberals are reluctant to call themselves that. So why is the word nearly universally verboten? Simply because liberals – then and now – want to be liked.

Hence, this parody based on “Love Me, I’m a Liberal,” the sardonic 1960s protest song by the late, great Phil Ochs.

The L-Word

I protest all kinds of injustice.
I’m at the front of each picket line.
Wanna fling open the doors of our borders,
and feel same-sex weddings are fine.
At the mention of The Poor and The Homeless
that’s when my heart really bleeds–-
but please please please please
don’t say I’m a liberal.

I’m all for women in power
(though Hillary’s too far to the right.)
All I know about guns, cops, and fracking
came from MSNBC last night.
On climate change and voter ID
I think Fox News is all wet –
but please please please please
don’t say I’m a liberal.

Guess you could peg me “Progressive.”
“Moving forward” is my favorite phrase,
which would paint me as slightly pinko
back in John Birch Society days.
Well, I don’t believe in labels
(except on genetically-modified food)--
so please please please please
don’t call me a liberal.


http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1988/dec/08/play-it-again-sam/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLqKXrlD1TU

[Hawkman]

Keep 'em com in' guys

and gals?

Sorry Auntie, I was merely pandering to that brand of political correctness that prompts thespians who so hate the idea of a feminine gender that they insist on applying masculine nouns to females of the profession! (Take note, Emma Thompson: can it be, that you are so revolted by your sex, you hate the very idea of being female?)

Nice! Thanks for playing, chere tante

keep at it litnet, I want more

[YesNo]

This one is based on Pete Seeger's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1tqtvxG8O4 Joe Hickerson added parts the the version I am most familiar with according to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_H...lowers_Gone%3F

I'm not sure what my version is protesting except for the rushing part in the middle.

Till Darkness Comes

What delights the angels more
While we’re waiting?
What delights the angels more
When we’re alone?
What delights the angels more?
Darkness enters through the door.
Will we have time enough?
Will we have time enough?

Morning light is fresh and new.
Watch the sunrise.
Morning light is fresh and new.
Tell everyone.
Morning light is fresh and new
Plenty here for me and you.
Will we have time enough?
Will we have time enough?

Noontime rushes everyone.
Catch the rainbow.
Noontime rushes everyone.
Keep moving on.
Noontime rushes everyone
Rushing till we’re sure we’re done.
Will we have time enough?
Will we have time enough?

Evening brings a slower pace.
Watch the children.
Evening brings a slower pace.
They’re fresh and new.
Evening brings a slower pace.
Twilight comes. It’s not a race.
Will we have time enough?
Will we have time enough?

What delights the angels more
While we’re waiting?
What delights the angels more
When we’re alone?
What delights the angels more?
Darkness sparkles through the door.
We will have time enough.
We will have time enough.

[Hawkman]

Only two days left, LitNet... Last call for entries in this fabulous competition! Any more protest songs? Come on, folks. You know you want to

[Hawkman]

OK, thank you Pen Auntie and Y/N for playing along. This round has been a really difficult to judge as all the entries have been so good. But judge I must - so here goes:

Pen: an excellent effort, and even though you didn't post me a link, I recognised the song You certainly protested! The only thing wrong was that some of the lines didn't quite fit the song. a minor quibble, but I had to come up with some kind of rationale for picking a winner!

Y/N: again, instantly recognisable and very singable. In fact its rather beautiful, but, by your own admission, it wasn't really protesting anything.

Which means the winner is - Auntie: double marks for coming up with a good protest together with a more unfamiliar artist and song which fitted the music to a tee, even if it was considerably shorter than the original

Congrats and take it away, Aunt Shecky....

[AuntShecky]

it was considerably shorter than the original

and mercifully so!

Next up, how about another kind of protest, a "take this job and shove it" kind of vent, but that's not the song. Take any profession -- please! -- and Write a parody of Jim Croce's immortal "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues." Here's the link. It can be any kind of job at all, except "Workin in a Coal Mine," as that's already been done.

Keep the entries comin' until November 30, after which will emerge the next victim. That is, if "Pong 3.0" (this PC) holds up -- as well as yours fooly!






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zomwyZEYZNE

[Pendragon]

Can't Work Blues

Oh, I just got out of the funny farm, brother
Having all my medication rearranged
I was looking for some job to keep me busy
So I wouldn't have to go back for a change
It's hard to be a misunderstood genius
With bi-polar always hanging over you
So I got steady depression, it never really lessens
Stay at home, can't work blues

Well I got the sort of skills that are high in demand
But they never see past my issues
I can slam out spreadsheets, or work on a lot of programs
But they always make up some excuse--
Couldn't even find a job digging ditches
They're all afraid of folks with a couple screws loose
So I got steady depression, it never really lessens
Stay at home, can't work blues

You know that a man with my skill set
Should be setting in front of a computer all day
But they just don't listen to a man in my condition
Though I could work from home every day--

Well all I can do is work on my computer blog
Picked up a lot of followers there
And authors are after me to review their stories
But pay is an out of question affair

So you can look for me at ravendarkendale.com
And find my reviews over at amazon
But don't expect to find working at any paying job
It's enough to make a good man sob--
So I got steady depression, it never really lessens
Stay at home, can't work blues
Don't expect to find me working at any paying job
This world some times is so cruel
So I got steady depression, it never really lessens
Stay at home, can't work blues
Damn this steady depression, it never really lessens
Stay at home, can't work blues...

Pendragon
11/4/2014

[AuntShecky]

Wow! That's the idea!

Thank you, Pendragon, for leading the parade! A tough act to follow, but let's see if we can get some more disgruntled
underemployed folks to join the fray.

[Hawkman]

Academic Disillusionment Blues

Well I just got out from university
Doin’ time at academic research;
But gainful employment is eluding me
Despite the distinctions on my certs
They just don’t want to employ me, ‘cause to human resources
A brain is somethin’ they can’t use,
So now I got those utterly infuriatin’
Totally demoralizin’
Part-time, minimum-wage blues.

Well, I should be out there, re-educating people,
Or runnin’ the country from a throne
Tellin’ politicians about their mistakes
Then sacking them and sending them home.
Instead I gotta stand behind a counter taking only small change
And abuse from the likes of youse
So now I got those utterly infuriatin’
Totally demoralizin’
Part-time, minimum-wage blues.

You know a man like me with a PhD he should be dinin’ on caviar
A chap with a masters should be getting on faster
Than a gofer wearin’ worn out shoes

Well all I can do is to buy me a gun
You might not believe that it’s true
But the man that you’re facin is highly motivated
And workin’ out ways to kill you.
So baby you can expect to see me With a Browning or an Uzi
on the evenin’ prime-time news,
‘Cause I got those utterly infuriatin’
Totally demoralizin’
Part-time, minimum-wage blues.

[AuntShecky]

I hear you, Hawk.
Now let's see if we can get a few more underappreciated wage slaves to vent their frustrations. Don't be shy -- we won't tell the boss!
Come on, NitLetters, let it out. This round will be open for another ten days or so.

[AuntShecky]

LAST CHANCE
to vent your spleen by participating in our gripe-fest:

Next up, how about another kind of protest, a "take this job and shove it" kind of vent, but that's not the song. Take any profession -- please! -- and Write a parody of Jim Croce's immortal "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues." Here's the link. It can be any kind of job at all, except "Workin in a Coal Mine," as that's already been done.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zomwyZEYZNE

If "Pong 3.0" (this ol' PC) holds up, I plan on visiting the NitLet sometime between the middle and end of this week. Any and all entries submitted by the time I log on will allow their authors to be eligible to be chosen as the next victim.

[YesNo]

I couldn't think of anything to protest, but here goes:

Protest Lovin' Blues

My baby needed bailin’
From the county jail
For raisin’ a fuss at da bar.
I didn’t have no cash
But I knew in a flash
She be kickin’ ma poor butt far.
So you have to realize
It comes as no surprise
I’m happy just ta hear da news.

I got dem protest lovin’
Mind over matter shovin’
Wond’rin’ why I got da blues.

She toll me to ma face
If she get out uh dis place
I’m gonna wish I never was born.
She might be right,
But it won’t be tonight.
I can wait a week or two for her scorn.
I know she unnerstan’
She can ask her other man,
Cuz, baby, dere’s others to use.

I got dem protest lovin’,
Mind over matter shovin’,
Wond’rin’ why I got da blues.

[AuntShecky]

First a quick personal note. I have to stop including references to celebrities, because it's the kiss of death for them. And I've done it more than once. Inadvertently, of course.Back when I posted my entry in the last contest(#107),the great comedian/actor/director Mike Nichols was still wtih us. And now he's not. My apologies and condolences. I'll remember and miss him.

Now to the business at hand:

Well, it must be that our fellow NitLetters are all as happy as lott'ry winners with their jobs -- or that the ominous notice atop the YouTube page about downloading some updated server daunted them. Whatever the case, this round generated only a trio entries. Aw well, this time the level of quality more than made up for lack of quantity.

I wish I could declare all three of you winners. As far as form is concerned, each entry pretty much followed Jim Croce's model, so nobody lost points on that score.


Pendragon, good for you for thinking outside of the (insert your choice of container here) for bemoaning the one thing worse than having a crappy job, which is no job at all! Certainly appropriate for those of us in the bottom 99%, still trying to hang on. I liked all of your lyrics, especially the opening lines.

Hawkman showed the rest of us semi-literates the dubious world of Academe. Ivory towers, ivy-covered buildings, my um, donkey! Sharp satiric observations and lines like this one:

You know a man like me with a PhD he should be dinin’ on caviar

But then it turns violent, suggesting a little of the age-old Town/Gown mayhem. Still funny, though.

Yes/No, thanks very much for contributing, and that goes double for the fact that you didn't have much notice or time. Despite the fact that the lousy job connection wasn't too evident in your lyrics, it still had a good beat and you could dance to it (or I could, if I were still able-bodied and had a sense of rhythm.) This is enjoyable. You can never go wrong with the blues.

It was hard to pick a winner. If I had a three-sided coin, I'd flip it. On the other hand, I don't even have a two-sided coin. Or folding $ for that matter! So closing my eyes and pointing I made a selection.

So, take it away ----- Pendragon!

[Pendragon]

Thanks, Auntie.

The next song is "If I Could Save Time In a Bottle" by Jim Croce: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyTfbtZeGeU