Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Week 45 - "Star Wars Episode VII - I Have a Bad Feeling About This"


This is song is in response to Disney acquiring Lucasfilm today and announcing that they are planning to release Star Wars Episode VII in 2015.  Let's hope they don't blow it, but until then . . . "I Have a Bad Feeling About This!"


Lyrics:
Princess Leia: I have a bad feeling about this.
("It's a Small World After All")
Ben Kenobi: I have a bad feeling about this.
("Under the Sea")
Han Solo: I got a bad feeling about this.
("Zip-a-dee-doo-dah")
Luke Skywalker: I have a very bad feeling about this.
("Hakuna Matata")
C3PO: R2, I have a bad feeling about this.
("Heigh Ho")

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Week 44 - "Horses and Bayonets"

Because of Barrack Obama, I am again ahead of the game for week 44.  Here is the song "Horses and Bayonets," the main zinger from the 10/22/2012 Presidential Debate.




Lyrics:
Horses and Bayonets, Horses and Bayonets
What this country needs now is Horses and Bayonets

Back in 1917, the greatest year our country's seen.
The army was a fearsome threat with horses and bayonets.

Heavens knows the cavalry, just ain't what it used to be,
Used to make the bad guys sweat, with horses and bayonets.

Nothing else is such a bore, as the scene of modern war.
Battle used to be such fun, and this is how we got it done…
With...

The atom bomb is not my friend, it could mean our untimely end.
But as sure as might is right, I’ll always kiss my horse at night.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

View Count Chart for "That Is How You Get to Sesame Street"


This is the daily view count chart from YouTube for "That Is How You Get to Sesame Street."  The first day had 32 views because that is when it was posted on YouTube and consequently on my Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus accounts.  After that, it got 3-6 views for six days.  Then the morning after the first presidential debate, when Romney made the infamous "Bid Bird" comment, the video saw a significant increase in daily view count, peaking at 135 views on 10/6.  In the four days after that it declined back to the baseline of 3-6 views.

Week 43 - "Binders Full of Women"

Okay, so this one's a little early.  After the significant bump in views on my Sesame Street parody after Romney's "Big Bird" comment in the first debate, I decided to jump on whatever major meme came out of this debate.  Romney's "Binder's Full of Women Comment," ruled the day, so here is the song!


Lyrics:

Oo, oo, I’ve got binders full of women.
I’ve got binders full of women.
I’ve got binders full of women,yeah yeah.

Oo, oo, I’ve got binders full of women.
I’ve got binders full of women.
I’ve got binders full of women,yeah yeah.

Oo, oo, I’m looking for a special lady.
And I’m gonna search the whole world over ‘til I find her.
Oo, oo, and when I find this special lady.
Well you know she’s gonna be the front page in my binder.

In this three ring circus kind of world.
You’re a three ring binder kind of girl.

Oo, oo, I’ve got binders full of women.
I’ve got binders full of women.
I’ve got binders full of women,yeah yeah.

Oo, oo, I’ve got binders full of women.
I’ve got binders full of women.
I’ve got binders full of women,yeah yeah.

Oo, oo, I’m looking for a special lady.
And I know no other woman can outshine her.
Oo, oo, and when I find this special lady.
Well you know I hope she’ll want to be in my binder.

In this three ring circus kind of world.
You’re a three ring binder kind of girl.

Oo, oo, I’ve got binders full of women.
I’ve got binders full of women.
I’ve got binders full of women,yeah yeah.

Oo, oo, don’t you want to be in my binder?
Don’t you want to be in my binder?
Don’t you want to be in my binder, yeah yeah.

-----
UPDATE: This song has now been played on four programs - The Dr. Demento Show, Ben's Wacky Radio, A-Log on the Airwaves, and I Still Get Demented.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Week 42 - "There's a Tap Dancing Cow Upstairs"

I had intended to write at least one children's song for the Year of Song project, but I hadn't been inspired with any ideas in that direction.  Then the other night, when there was a commotion coming from the floor above, my wife asked, "Is there a tap dancing cow upstairs?"  And that is the inspiration for this song.


Lyrics

When I moved in, it caught me unawares.
I did not know there’s a tap dancing cow upstairs!
I cannot sleep at all while he’s up there.
I did not know there’s a tap dancing cow upstairs!
He’s not that good, but that’s alright except that
It drives me nuts the way he practices all night.
He wants to be a four-hoofed Fred Astaire
Who wears a bell.  He’s the tap dancing cow upstairs.
                                                                
(Dance Break)

Oh what to do?  My life seems so unfair!
Not a moment’s peace, with a tap dancing cow upstairs.
I’ll have to move.  It’s more than I can bear.
I just can’t stay with a tap dancing cow upstairs.
He’s not that good, but that’s alright except that
It drives me nuts the way he practices all night.
He wants to be a four-hoofed Fred Astaire
Who wears a bell.  He’s the tap dancing cow upstairs.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Week 41 - "The Teletubbies"


My friend Stewart McKee enthusiastically suggested that I should include a Teletubbies song in my Year of Song project.  Although I was familiar with them (and some of the controversies that surrounded them), I had to admit to never having seen an episode.  Fortunately, the internet has allowed my mind to be enriched with information and streaming videos of the Teletubbies, so here is the musical result!

I used my Roland XV-5080 to created the musical accompaniment.  I have composed a few other songs this year trying to create an entirely synthesized environment, but they have still been General MIDI sounds.  I decided to explore several other preset patches on the XV-5080 for this song.


Lyrics:
The Teletubbies.
I hear them speaking to me through my TV.
They bring a message meant specifically for me.
With answers to this life and all its mystery.
The Teletubbies.

They come in colors.
I see them purple, green, and yellow, and red.
I see the rainbow form inside of my head.
Now I know what it must be like to be dead.
They come in colors.

I hear them speaking in my mind.
The words are soothing, they are kind.
It's time to turn on my TV,
Lay back on my couch and unwind.

Their time is coming.
When the world will follow everything they say.
When their shining colors come to rule the day.
The Teletubbies will come forth to lead the way.
Their time is coming.

A time for Teleteubbies.
Telly bye bye.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Week 40 - "Tailgating Trash"

Tailgaiting in and of itself is not a terrible thing.  It can be a lot of fun if everyone does it respectfully, but this song is dedicated to the jerks that park on sidewalks and handicap spaces, leave mounds of trash for someone else to clean up, and act like they own the campus because they're season ticket holders (or even worse when they act this way and don't even have tickets to the game).

I created this song using the Roland XV-5080 sound module.  There is a thick wash of sound provided by the sounds of piano, bass guitar, drumset (especially with the prominent cymbal crashes), clavinova, electric guitar, marimba, chimes, and warm pad.  I also sang two vocal parts and played the synthesizer solo (and the synthesizer part in the final refrain) on my RD-600 keyboard.


Lyrics:

Tailgating trash. Tailgating trash.
I wish you'd get lost all you tailgating trash.
Tailgating trash. Tailgating trash.
I wish you would leave all you tailgating trash.

You're loud and you're obnoxious and you do not even care
About the way you're treating all the people living there.
You throw your trash out in the street here in my neighborhood.
I wish you all would go away and disappear for good.

I'm tired of all the childishness and flat stupidity.
I'm sick of all the poorly managed drunken revelry.
You're so fat you couldn't throw a football if you try,
and if you tried to run a lap, I'm sure that you would die.