Filk!

[Moxie]

Filk: what results when one writes for an existing commonly-known song a new set of lyrics based on a) the point of view of a character from a story one enjoys or b) one's own point of view regarding the fan experience. (Not to be confused with songfic, which is what results when one writes a story for existing characters based on the lyrics of a commonly known song. Most songfics aren't very good :p in fact, the proportion of song lyrics to original story can often be used to gauge the degree of lousiness of a songfic. The worst of the lot usually have the entire song's lyrics and very little original story.)

Here is a filk I wrote to a song I actually quite dislike ("Tomorrow", from the musical Annie) about our collective anticipation of OotP (and our unpromising local weather forecast). Please refrain from hurling rotten tomatoes and Bubotubers until the end of the performance... and anyone else who writes filk, please feel free to post yours in this thread :)

Book 5'll be out
Tomorrow
Though the weather forecast says
Tomorrow
Won't be sun
I'll stand in the rain
Tomorrow
While my cloak gets soaking wet
Tomorrow
I'll have fun...

Tomorrow, tomorrow
The line forms tomorrow
Book 5's just a day away.
Whatever the weather
We'll all wait together
It's only a day away!

[Colli]

Moxie, that rocks. :D

Alas, I have no filk for you right now. Am too excited to actually think.

[StarGazr]

Ohhh That is awesome!!! LOL I love it! I'm gonna post it somewhere... and shout... look how COOL Moxie is!! LOL Great song!

[Marchwarden]

To the tune of Hall & Oates' 'Maneater':

DEATH EATER

She follows Lord Voldemort
She Cruciates for sport
Nothing's too cruel for her, she's made of stone
Watching and waiting
She listens to Lucius but her mind's her own
So many have met their fate
When rescue comes, it's always too late
The woman is wild, a tigress tamed by the hiss of a viper
Blood is what matters
If you’re in it for love you ain’t gonna get too far

Oh here she comes
Watch out boy she’ll chew you up
Oh here she comes
She’s a Death Eater
Oh here she comes
Watch out boy she’ll chew you up
Oh here she comes
She’s a Death Eater

I wouldn’t if I were you
I know what she can do
She’s deadly man, and she could really rip your world apart
Prophecies shatter
The beauty is there but a beast is in the heart

Oh here she comes
Watch out boy she’ll chew you up
Oh here she comes
She’s a Death Eater




And, to the tune of "Hakuna Matata' from The Lion King:

AVADA KEDAVRA

[LUCIUS]
AVADA KEDAVRA!
What a wonderful spell

[BELLA]
AVADA KEDAVRA!
Always serves you well

[LUCIUS]
'Cause there's no problem you can't easily quell

[LUCIUS AND BELLA]
With our true-and-tried means of homicide
AVADA KEDAVRA!

[LUCIUS]
AVADA KEDAVRA!

[YOUNG DRACO]
[spoken] AVADA KEDAVRA?

[BELLA]
[spoken] Yeah. It's our motto!

[YOUNG DRACO]
[spoken] What's a motto?

[LUCIUS]
[spoken] Nothin'! What's-a-motto with you?!

[BELLA]
[spoken] Those two words will solve all your problems.

[LUCIUS]
[spoken] That's right. Take Bella here
[sung] Why...when she was a young Dark Witch

[BELLA]
When I was a young DARK WIIIITTTCH...
[LUCIUS]
[spoken] Very nice

[BELLA]
[spoken] Thanks.

[LUCIUS]
She found no approval for her version of fun
And the law took exception to the torture she'd done

[BELLA]
I'm a sensitive soul though I seem perverse
And it hurt that our Lord had gone from bad to worse

[BELLA]
And, oh, that day
[LUCIUS]
Rue the day!
[BELLA]
When they locked me away!
[LUCIUS]
A will and a way?
[BELLA]
Prison life was a drag
[LUCIUS]
Such a terrible drag...
[BELLA]
With no Lucius to sh --

[LUCIUS]
[spoken] Hey, Bella! That's only in the fanfic!

[BELLA]
[spoken] Oh, sorry.

[LUCIUS AND BELLA]
AVADA KEDAVRA!
What a wonderful spell
AVADA KEDAVRA!
Always serves you well

[YOUNG DRACO]
'Cause there's no problem you can't easily quell

[ALL]
With our true-and-tried means of homicide
AVADA KEDAVRA!
AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA!
AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA!
AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA!
AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA --

[(OLDER) DRACO]
'Cause there's no problem you can't easily quell

[ALL]
With our true-and-tried means of homicide
AVADA KEDAVRA! [repeat]

[BELLA]
I say "AVADA"

[LUCIUS]
I say "KEDAVRA"

[Kristin]

[LUCIUS]
[spoken] Hey, Bella! That's only in the fanfic!

:rotfl: *dies laughing* That line is so funny!

I like both the songs. Very good. :D

[lizz]

Great song. :clap: :notworthy:

I´ll never be able to listen Hakuna Matata again withoout thinking of Bella and Luicius :D

[lithorose]

I think I'm traumatized. But then we all knew Lucius was a bad egg, so I really should've expected it.:p

Just letting you guys know we have a similar thread already called Filk! (http://www.muggleinformer.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3393), though I, not being versed in the nuances of this aspect of Fandom, can't tell if they're different. I'll merge or leave separate as you all see fit.:)

Good work though! I should try one sometime but I'm lousy at it...gets an idea and runs off...:devil:

[Moxie]

Originally posted by lithorose
...we have a similar thread already called Filk! (http://www.muggleinformer.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3393), though I, not being versed in the nuances of this aspect of Fandom, can't tell if they're different. I'll merge or leave separate as you all see fit.:)

Yup, filks are song parodies and the threads could therefore be merged. I really do intend to write some more Potterverse filks eventually, but the giant alien robots keep distracting me from doing so ;) and this weekend I'll have my sister visiting :hug: so I'll likely be too busy to read the 'net boards, let alone write filk for any fandom. Ah well, I'm sure I'll wring a tune or two out of certain Hogwarts faculty members eventually... :devil: (Yes, I've got certain songs and characters in mind - you can probably guess at least one character, but my choice of songs tends to be... eccentric. ;)) lithorose, the way to learn to write filk/parodies is to do it, so don't be afraid to try - I just really started getting into it this year; the first one was the hardest to write and submit (for a contest, no less :eek: I beat the deadline by about ten minutes, I think, and while I didn't come close to winning, the contest did provide the kick in the pants I needed to get the lyric-twisting parts of my brain in gear.)

[lithorose]

Okay, threads merged!

Thanks Moxie, I just need to find a song now that I think will be common enough knowledge for people to enjoy. I went through my CD collection last night and realized how few of my albums fit into that category!:eek:

That, or I may just do the song I had in mind and you all can pretend you know it, k?:D

[Moxie]

Originally posted by lithorose
I just need to find a song now that I think will be common enough knowledge for people to enjoy... or I may just do the song I had in mind and you all can pretend you know it, k?:D

There are lots of song lyric sites online, so you can probably easily find lyrics to most songs you think of if you don't have the original words already. (I do like to have a copy of the original words and write my filk alongside it, to make sure the rhythm of my words matches up properly - I've only written a few without having a copy of the original handy, and those were all songs I knew well enough to be sure of the words.) Anyway, the best-received filks tend to use songs everyone knows - but IMO "American Pie" and anything by the Beatles probably ought to be retired at this point :rolleyes: as so many people have used them. Song choice is an important part of filkwriting - you probably want a song that either matches the emotion of the scene or character you're portraying, or is amusingly opposite (like Minerva McTabby's use of ABBA's "Waterloo" for her "Crucio!" filk depicting the graveyard confrontation from GoF). Good luck!

[Marchwarden]

All right, no Beatles. How 'bout the Stones?

SYMPATHY FOR THE DARK LORD
(Original tune: 'Sympathy for the Devil' by The Rolling Stones)

Please allow me to introduce myself
I’m a man of spells and snakes
I’ve been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man’s soul and faith
And I was ’round when Sirius Black
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Wormtail
Spilled his guts and sealed his fate
Pleased to meet you
Don't you speak my name
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game
I stuck around Albania
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the witch from the Ministry
Bertha Jorkins screamed in vain
I soon returned
And Harry's scar burned
When we fought our duel
And my wrath he earned
Pleased to meet you
Don't you speak my name, oh yeah
Ah, what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah
I watched with glee
While your Ministry
Fought to cover up
The mistakes they made
I shouted out,
"Who killed the Potters?"
When after all
It was only me
Let me please introduce myself
I’m a man of spells and snakes
And I laid traps for Gryffindors
Who get killed when lured out of safety
Pleased to meet you
Don't you speak my name, oh yeah
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah, get down, baby
Pleased to meet you
Don't you speak my name, oh yeah
But what’s confusing you
Is just the nature of my game
Just as every Auror's a Death Eater
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
I am Lord Voldemort
And I’m in need of some restraint
So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
Use all your well-learned groveling
Or I’ll lay your soul to waste, um yeah
Pleased to meet you
Don't you speak my name, um yeah
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, um mean it, get down
Woo, who
Oh yeah, get on down
Oh yeah
Oh yeah!
Tell you baby, that’s my name
Tell you honey, don't you say my name
Tell you baby, that’s my name
I tell you one time, you’re to blame
Ooo, who
Ooo, who
Ooo, who
You-Know-Who
You-Know-Who
You-Know-Who
You-Know-Who
Oh, yeah
That’s my name
Tell you, baby, that’s my name
Tell you, sweetie, that’s my name
You-Know-Who
You-Know-Who
You-Know-Who
You-Know-Who
You-Know-Who
You-Know-Who
You-Know-Who
Oh, yeah

[Bellatrix_Lestrange]

Originally posted by Marchwarden
Please allow me to introduce myself
I’m a man of spells and snakes

OMG I have to use that line in a humor fic.

You go, Marchwarden.

[Moxie]

Wow, had to dig into the void for this one... funny to see that the thread started with something I wrote about looking forward to the release of Book 5, because I've been at it again. This time the filk's significantly longer... and contains a "hidden" reference to the Muggle Informer, as well as mentions of several Potter-related news articles I've read in the last few weeks.

------

ONE DAY

Music: "One Week" (c)1998 by the Barenaked Ladies

It's just one day 'til that book comes out
Potter fans have been speculating about
Who lives and who's gonna die, and is
the ending gonna make the little kids cry?
Can't wait 'til it's party time
Who cares if we spend half the night all standing in line
Waiting to get our copies of
The Half-Blood Prince - we don't mind 'cause we're wild about Harry.

We've been waiting since the last one
And it's been real fun
Sharing in the anticipation
With the whole horde on the board - the Muggle fans are well informed
They got a ticker counting down to jubilation
Everyone there dissecting rumors
Looking for clues for
What's going to happen to him this year
The Dark Mark's over Hogwarts?
Though it's a real fort
U.S. back cover causes new fear
Who let those guys in? It's quite a sin
This is a war no one can win
With so much carnage all around now
Gotta take a look and read the book
So many kids and grown-ups hooked
It's so addictive that it makes us act like clowns now

Everyone loves to read the funny bits among the sad
Rowling makes us all smile when we feel bad
We're all getting ready for an online funeral
Though we don't know who it's for, well, we soon will
I have a tendency to read these books really fast
I have a history of writing silly songs

And it's one day 'til that book comes out
Potter fans have been speculating about
Who lives and who's gonna die, and is
the ending gonna make the little kids cry?
Can't wait 'til it's party time
Who cares if we spend half the night all standing in line
Waiting to get our copies of
The Half-Blood Prince - we don't mind 'cause we're wild about Harry.

Dumb-el-y-dore, watch his odds go dropping
The bettors all think that his heart's soon stopping
Reading all night, keep the lights on
Until the book's done
I hope that Snape survives through this one
The fangirls and boys are getting frantic
Check out their antics
As midnight approaches at the bookstore
But book number six won't be the end here
Just wait a few more years
And we'll all be clamoring for one more
Those fifteen Canucks have got the luck
Some early copies found and plucked up off the shelves
And well, they'll get 'em back with Rowling's autograph soon
Oh, but we can wait until our date to stay out late
The party starts this Friday night out beneath the shining half moon

Everyone loves to read the funny bits among the sad
Rowling makes us all smile when we feel bad
We're all getting ready for an online funeral
Though we don't know who it's for, we soon will
I have a tendency to read these books really fast
And if you're reading this I hope you'll sing along

'Cause it's one day 'til that book comes out
Potter fans have been speculating about
Who lives and who's gonna die, and is
the ending gonna make the little kids cry?
Can't wait 'til it's party time
Who cares if we spend half the night all standing in line
Waiting to get our copies of
The Half-Blood Prince - we don't mind 'cause we're wild about Harry.

Oh no, we don't mind 'cause we're wild about Harry
Oh no, we don't mind 'cause we're wild about Harry
These books weigh too much for small kids to carry

------

Comments/suggestions/chocolate frogs?