Season #502 - Look What They've Done To My Song Ma!

[wee_ginga_yin]

It is interesting how music travels from one country to another and morphs on the way. Many times it is a parody of the original but suitably modified for local tastes.

Many people think that this is a Merikin folk song, but it has its origins in the bars of Glasgow Scotland. The original song was called Slasher Brown and Wee Bigsby, and the murder weapon was a golf club (possibly stolen from Saint Andrews) instead of a colt 44.

This song was taken to Merika by sailors who travelled to New Orleans and was adopted as a barrelhouse blues.

 

[wee_ginga_yin]

i resemble that room! we're back in the ol' Birralee farm days circa 2012-13. nice one mate

That is why i am laughing at the beginning. itwas my first attempts at green screen.

 

[LimousinLil]

Hello, Jim, and thank you for the week ... parodies are fun! This Scottish folk song has been given a modern twist - the woman in question, far from missing her loved one, across the seas, is only too delighted to see the back of him ... he was a disaster! (The way that the video turned out, I have a suspicion that he never actually made it across the ocean ... she might have inadvertently drowned him.)

 

[UkeFoote]

Here's my version of "I'm an Old Cowhand (from the Rio Grande)" by Johnny Mercer. Played on tenor ukulele with whistling and singing, and an overdub of Ashbory Ubass. I've penned new lyrics to update the song a bit : )

thanks for hosting, Jim!

 

[Desert Pavement]

Thanks for stepping up Jim. I have taken upon myself to bring about a collaboration between Dr Seuss and Leonard Cohen. Music LC's Suzanne. Lyrics 80% Dr Seuss , 10% Leonard Cohen, 10% Me.

LOL, this is great John. It reminds me of a web-only EP from the mid-aughts where someone put Dr. Seuss to Bob Dylan tunes. It claimed to be a long lost recording (the creator even added a record hiss effect) and included The Cat in the Hat, McElligott's Pool a few others. I think it only lasted a few weeks before they got a take down notice.

Edited - I got curious... If you're curious someone put it on Last.fm Amazing parody of Dylan at his nasal-iest mid 60's drawl.
https://www.last.fm/music/Kevin+Ryan/Dylan+Hears+A+Who

 

[bobjking]

Hey, Jim!

Thanks for stepping up to the plate. This looks like it'll be a fun theme!
Here's the very first song that sprang to mind so I thought I'd best bang it out quick before Edwin pipped me to it...
Half Man Half Biscuit's reworking of a Bob Dylan classic that explores the experience of being a goth from a small village in Wales...

Enjoy your season!

 

[haberkow]

I sang "Me and Bobby McGee" for Season 501 (hosted by the estimable Bob J. King) yesterday, and noticed that Season 502 asks us to take well known songs and write new messages to the tunes. Though I suppose it was kinda obvious, I humbly offer this paean to the Seasons of the Ukulele and to everyone who participates. Apologies to those that I couldn't fit within the lyrics, but you're all awesome!

 

[DelGriff]

Thanks for hosting, Jim!
This one was a big hit for the Wurzels in the UK back in the 70s, and is a parody of the Melanie song ‘Brand New Key’. The Wurzels were an English band from Somerset, and were all about fun and cider (scrumpy). I did my very best to mimic their very strong west country ‘yokel’ accents! 😆

 

[lizbrinker]

Hi Jim! Thanks so much for this week's theme. It should be a great week! Here is one from Weird Al Yankovic. He's sending up the Pharrell Williams song, "Happy", with his version, "Tacky". Tacky is a word I had a hard time explaining to my boys when they were little, I have to admit. Which means I must have used it often...I'm embarrassed to say. Here is my rendition, but, do yourself a favor and look up Weird Al's. It's fabulously tacky, with many celebrity appearances.

Tacky
Weird Al Yankovic
2014

Parody of
Happy
Pharrell Williams
2013

 

[Jim Yates]

13 wonderful contributions on our first day. (Since my contribution came in early, it doesn't count, but I put it on the playlist anyway.) It's Midnight here in southern Ontario and if I were a suspicious man, I'd stay up until someone else made a contribution, but since I'm not, I'll look again tomorrow.

 

[YorkSteve]

I have had the good fortune to see The Bar Steward Sons of Val Doonican a few times at festivals, and they always go down a storm. A comedy trio from South Yorkshire, they do mostly parodies of songs. Here is their opinion on eyebrows.

 

[LimousinLil]

Apologies in advance for this, Jim - especially as you don't like this sort of gratuitous posting - but I just came upon this for the first time, whilst looking at parodies and it is SO funny (AND it's one of my favourite songs ever!) ...

 

[Jim Yates]

Wow Val! That must have taken someone hours (days, weeks?) to put together.
Not gratuitous. It won't go on the playlist of course, but it's in the spirit of the Season.

 

[bobjking]

We interrupt Season 502 with a service announcement from Season 501...

The wrap video is now up and the winner is announced! It could be you!

Thank you!

 

[CeeJay]

This is from one of the master parody songwriters and best ever stand up comedians and owner of Fyfes Wellies Mr Billy Connolly. I apologise in advance to any who live North of the Border(or who may have originated there) but try as I might I cannot help lapsing into a vague parody of a sort of Scots accent, I mean,cuuuuum onnnn weeell ,it's Billy Connolly from his album Get Right Intae Him

 

[jtsteam]

I enjoyed CeeJay's Billy Connolly song, so here's another one. I'm afraid I can't get anywhere near the accent, so my delivery is somewhat different than the Big Yin's. This is the Welly Song. It should be Scotland's national anthem. They should sing it before rugby matches.

Some of you might recognise the original - if not, it's "The Work Of The Weavers", or it could be spelled "The Wark Of The Weavers". It seems to have been written in the 19th century by Donald Shaw, a weaver from Forfar (which, as fans of lower league Scottish football will know, is short for Forfar 4 East Fife 5).

This is on a concert ukulele, with overdubs of a baritone.

 

[pabrizzer]

it's a parody of the pretty famous yellow one

 

[Desert Pavement]

The story of a young Darth Vader, from a certain point of view...

Please don't balk too much at the quoted length. The non-musical intro is ~1:30 long.

Pretty famously "Weird Al" (if you follow him at all) wrote the lyrics almost completely based on internet spoilers. Even after paying big bucks to attend a charity pre-screening of the movie he apparently only had to change a couple of minor details. This song was on 1999's Running With Scissors album. The source tune should be instantly recognizable.

 

[TheOnlyUkeThatMatters]

502 Seasons and I'm not sure I've ever played a Weird Al version of anything...

 

[Jim Yates]

Am I allowed to submit a song when I'm the host? It won't be eligible for a prize, but here goes.
MY BRAIN by Mose Allison
This is Mose's parody of either This Train or My Babe

Well it looks like Weird Al is our most popular parody writer. Liz did Tacky, then Andy did The Saga Begins and then we heard She Drives Like Crazy from Ralf.
Second place is Billy Connolly with Jarvo's version of D.I.V.O.R.C.E. and Edwin's take on The Welly Song.

It's midnight here in Port Hope, so I bid you good night.