The tune for my filk song was "At the hop". To quote "The song was released in the fall of 1957, and reached number one on the US charts on January 6, 1958, thus becoming one of the top-selling singles of 1958. "At the Hop" also hit number one on the R&B Best Sellers list.
The song became more prominent after it was performed by rock and roll revival act Sha Na Na at the 1969 Woodstock Festival and featured in the 1973 coming-of-age teen drama American Graffiti.
Ah, well, not much of a market for filk, I see
Cutting a poem down to size is a bit like sawing up a piece of furniture, with the intention of making the bits into different furniture. Shortening a song, though, is just a question of deciding which verses not to sing. I did this one from memory, and only checked against the original "At the hop" (by Danny and the Juniors) after managing the seventy five word limit, only to discover the last line in the chorus had been added in a later version. I think I'll go down to the bouée and perform the complete version; this was intended to be sung not read as a poem.
Here's the straight story I wrote – well, the one that could be cut down, the other I might blog.
"A leaper, definitely carnivorous," said the palaeontology professor, at the holographic scanner screen, "but too much skin for the skeleton. These flaps – almost wings."
"Perhaps it inflated them?" His obligatory beautiful daughter, glancing at his handsome assistant who agreed:- "Yes, many reptiles inflate portions. Greater jumping range, perhaps?"
"Marsh gas or hydrogen- lighter than air."
"I suppose it burnt it to come down. That would explain the artefact."
A partially melted shield, embossed "Georgius fecit".
The song became more prominent after it was performed by rock and roll revival act Sha Na Na at the 1969 Woodstock Festival and featured in the 1973 coming-of-age teen drama American Graffiti.
Ah, well, not much of a market for filk, I see
Cutting a poem down to size is a bit like sawing up a piece of furniture, with the intention of making the bits into different furniture. Shortening a song, though, is just a question of deciding which verses not to sing. I did this one from memory, and only checked against the original "At the hop" (by Danny and the Juniors) after managing the seventy five word limit, only to discover the last line in the chorus had been added in a later version. I think I'll go down to the bouée and perform the complete version; this was intended to be sung not read as a poem.
Here's the straight story I wrote – well, the one that could be cut down, the other I might blog.
"A leaper, definitely carnivorous," said the palaeontology professor, at the holographic scanner screen, "but too much skin for the skeleton. These flaps – almost wings."
"Perhaps it inflated them?" His obligatory beautiful daughter, glancing at his handsome assistant who agreed:- "Yes, many reptiles inflate portions. Greater jumping range, perhaps?"
"Marsh gas or hydrogen- lighter than air."
"I suppose it burnt it to come down. That would explain the artefact."
A partially melted shield, embossed "Georgius fecit".
