MAY 30, singable satire: "OTTO" from Bob Dylan via Weird Al Yankovich

 PARODY-LYRICS consisting of PALINDROMES

ORIGINAL SONG: "Bob" 2003, by Weird_Al_Yankovic, itself a parody of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean_Homesick_Blues", 1965

PARODY COMPOSED: by Giorgio Coniglio, February 2014.

PARODY-SONGLINK: To find ukulele chord-charts to help you accompany "OTTO" on your favorite instrument, click HERE.

Weird Al took the lines of the original Dylan song, and made each one home to one or two PALINDROMES, i.e. phrases that can be read backward as well as forward. The  title "Bob" is a simple one-word palindrome, but his video satire of Dylan's song, (click the link for You-tube) with carefully selected palindromic phrases is masterful. 
There are a few hundred other examples of palindromic phrases; many are of the wrong length, grammatically bizarre, or seem politically incorrect. Strained, or even incorrect spelling is sometimes used,  e.g. pavillion, and may even enhance the humor.
With optimism, I assumed that there were enough good palindromes left over after Al had culled the most singable selection. I composed half of the palindromes chosen here for my own parody, took the others from published lists. My selection was directed by rhyming, admiration for the iconic Panama-canal classic, and  by freedom to pick more adult themes than those in Weird Al's opus. 

OTTO

(to the tune of "Subterranean Homesick Blues")

A man, a plan, a canal–Panama 

Uvula. A’ luv U;    Toronto–got no rot

Dennis, Madam, sinned;    Odd Al–Lad, do!
Amen, enema;    Wets dab noses on bad stew
Amor, a dab, bad aroma;    

1/38 palindromes in the "Bob" video

A Dan, a clan, a canal Canada?

Name tame mate, man;    Dog-doo! good God

To pseudonym enemy, no due spot      
A D-N-A, prefer panda

Wed on level, no dew;    Able ere Elba !
Drown in Word;    A yap, a Papa-papaya
Hair, a plain arc, cranial pariah

No ill, I’v a pavillion;    Llama, nix in a mall 
Diaper repaid;    Far again, Niagara F(alls).
Eh (Can.), a panache;    You boy! Yo, buoy!
I, Nina, place a caecal panini
Eh, ça va, la vache!;     A lob, a rap-parabola

A dog, a plan, a canal - pagoda.

4 more years? Please no.

Flee to me, remote elf;    No levers revel on

Egad, no bondage;    Now, Roy, am I mayor won
Sex at noon taxes;    Elle, canal à nacelle
Lewd did I live, evil did I dwel'
Dammit, I’m mad;     A Santa deified at NASA
A tan, I plan a banal piñata.

Wontons–not now;  Trats stressed desserts, start!
Dr. of trams, smart Ford;   Draw eel leeward    
Zeus sees Suez;    Call–I’d a Cadillac. 
Came curt war, now I won raw truce, Mac
Satan oscillate my metallic sonatas
A Nan, a brat, a gnat stang a tar-banana !

Cadillac SUV, famous driver

MAY 29, oncology verse: cancerophobia

 

 You can view all such verses in a wider context by proceeding to the collection of "ONCOLOGY VERSES" on our full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE!

MAY 28, funny bones: AVN (avascular necrosis) of the hip

Authors' Note: The femoral head is the proximal portion of the femur (thigh bone) within the capsule of the hip joint. The blood supply to this area is fragile, and its blockage, presumably due to a variety of disease processes (often poorly understood or not obvious), can result in death of bone cells and collapse of this weight-bearing structure. Replacement of the hip joint may eventually be needed. 

  Orthopedic surgeons (surgical bone specialists), known in medical jargon as orthopods, are involved in monitoring and treating the condition.  

You can view verses on this topic in a wider context by proceeding to the post 'Breaking News: FUNNY BONES' on our full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE!

 

MAY 27, wordplay maps: American Scramble-towns, 17

Who would ever have guessed? It turns out that an unparalleled word in generating anagrams (letter scrambles) is P-A-L-I-N-D-R-O-M-E-S. We have taken advantage of that property to create this unique series of wordplay maps of imaginary American (and Canadian) locales, each one completed by its official two-letter state (or provincial) abbreviation. 

LINKS to other nonsense in this series: 

Forward to the first Canadian map.

Forward to the next American map (18).

Back up to the first American map.

 

MAY 26, exotic destination: Chania, Crete

Authors' Note:

La Canea (lah cah-NAY-ah): Italian name of the city

La Canée (lah cah-NAY): French name of the city

Chaniá, also written Chania (kha-NYAH): modern Greek   pronunciation

Kydonia, Cydonia: Roman names for the city, presumably derived from the designation given by the rather mysterious Minoan early settlers

  The city of Chaniá on the north coast of Crete, although difficult to pronounce, is an excellent tourist hub due to the adjacent rugged but hikable country, with beautiful beaches, mountain gorges and archeological sites. The history of the area is fascinating. When Byzantium fell in 1204, crusaders took control of Crete. Venetians, under their ruling Doges, held the island primarily from 1245 to 1652, implanting their religious symbol, St. Mark. 

Other verses about 'Exotic Travel Destinations' can be found on our blog 'Edifying Nonsense'. Click HERE.

MAY 25, submitted palindromes: RANDOM PILES 10

 

  On the 25th of each month you will find a slide-filling group of palindromic phrases submitted to the editors by a panel of 7 palindromists. These folks have all been working on this project since January 2020. The personal profiles for each of these contributors are displayed in panels published here at the start of things, and then, we have asked them to provide (palindromically, of course) their views on one of the iconic items in the classic literature, starting with "A man, a plan, a canal -- Panama", continuing with other well-known phrases, such as "Dennis sinned". Otherwise, their contribution will be grouped in monthly random piles (a phrase that you might recognize as an anagram of the word p-a-l-i-n-d-r-o-m-e-s).

MAY 24, wordplay map: new world palindromes (#39)

 

You can view the entire collection of these 50 wordplay maps, by accessing the collection 'Tourists Palindromic Guides: The Americas'. Start by clicking HERE! 

MAY 23, to clot, or not: coagulation cascade (hemophilia)

Authors' Note: The most common complication of internal bleeding in hemophilic patients is hemarthrosis, bleeding into joints, that may be unprovoked, yet result in significant disability.

Earlier versions of replacement therapy to provide for missing blood proteins with human blood-bank products has been discussed previously. Current treatment involves a genetically engineered  material derived from hamster cells, superior in not provoking antibodies that limit its effectiveness.  

 You can view these verses in a wider context by proceeding to 'To Clot, or Not to Clot' on our full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE!

MAY 22, sleek Greek prefixes: HYPER- and HYPO-

Clicking HERE will introduce you to our entire collection of verses about the Greek prefixes!

MAY 21, geysers: 'The Geysers', California

 

You can review these illustrated verses in a wider context by proceeding to 'Poetry that Spurts: Verses about Geysers' on the full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense".

MAY 20, singable satire: "STEM CELLS; DON'T LET YOUR DAUGHTERS ... "

PARODY-LYRICS

ORIGINAL SONG: "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys", 1975,  (covered by) Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson

PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, August 2013. 

To find ukulele and guitar chord-charts to help you accompany "STEM CELLS, ..." on your favorite instrument, click HERE.

STEM-CELLS, DON’T LET YOUR DAUGHTER-CELLS GROW UP AS MEATLOAF
(to the tune of "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys") 

 

Intro:
Cowboys have shortened lifespans, and unhealthy lifestyles -

They won’t heed diet or pills, yet give you their smiles.

Smoking in pool-rooms and tinned sloppy-Joes and a breakfast of chicken-fried steak

They won’t understand cloning, why the dogies have gone - 

 Steers and cowboys may both fade away.

Cow-cells in vitro don’t moo, but they ain’t hard to clone.

Myocytes [1] can be lined up, much like neurons or bone.  

Conveyor-belt ‘Dolly’s, on packing-house trolleys might frighten consumers like you.  

PETA surely will grouse if calves have to die young

To make BSE-free [2] beef Ragú.

Stem-cells, don’t let your daughter-cells grow up as meatloaf;

Don’t let ‘em be Big Macs or mulligan stew,

Make them be sirloins or prime ribs ‘au jus’.

Stem-cells, don’t let your bovine genes morph into burgers;

They’d sure land up bunned, and likely be shunned by

Lovers of côtelettes-de-veau.

Foodies like trendy new bistros and fresh local produce

But this Steak Tartare from the lab shouldn’t get 'em uptight.

Abattoir workers feel threatened,

But coliform runoff and tainted meat lessened,

'Gene cuisine' - it’s all protein; for the future a blessing

To feed 8 billion souls every night.

Stem-cells, don’t let your offspring get smothered in goulash;

Don’t let ‘em be Big Macs or mulligan stew,

They’d feel more ‘mignon’ as prime ribs ‘au jus’.

Stem-cells, don’t let your progeny flower into burgers;

They’d sure land up bunned, and likely be shunned by

Lovers of châteaubriand.

[1] myocyte = (isolated) muscle cell

[2] BSE = bovine spongiform encephalopathy, “mad-cow” disease

MAY 19, amphibians: Dominican 'crapaud'

Authors' Note:  crapaud (KRA-poh, Caribbean pronunciation), derived from the

French word for ‘toad’ (kra-POH).

At one time widely distributed in the eastern Caribbean, the large edible frog, Leptodactylus fallax, is now found only on parts of the islands of Montserrat and Dominica. Hunted extensively for its meaty froglegs, once the national delicacy of Dominica, this defenceless animal has been known by many different and colorful names, reflecting the English, Dominican Creole French, and patois spoken by local residents. Although hunting has been banned on Dominica since the 1990s, the crapaud remains on the list of severely endangered species.    

 Be sure to check out the whole collection of 'Amphibians' by proceeding to "Edifying Nonsense." Click HERE ! 

MAY 18, defining opinion: hormone

Authors' Note: The biologic term hormone includes blood-borne "messenger molecules" such as adrenaline, insulin, cortisol, prolactin, melatonin, androgens and estrogens, as well as those with more easily discerned names such as thyroid hormone, growth hormone and anti-diuretic hormone.

The reader might be surprised to learn that a sober scientific journal "Hormones and Behavior" has been editing and publishing scientific papers in this field for over 50 years.

Our blogpost "Defining Opinion" on the topic-based blog "Edifying Nonsense" shows a selection of similar verses submitted to OEDILF (the online Omnificent English Dictionary in Limerick Form). You can see all of these on one visit by clicking HERE.

MAY 17, palinku (poetic novelty): hats

   In this post, we will continue with a novel form of poetic wordplay. Inspired by the rather arbitrary European conventions for versions of  Japanese-style haiku poetry, this new form is used for a terse verse with a total of 17 syllables displayed on three lines. Unlike its classic Japanese analogue, this concoction does not mandate the precise distribution of the syllables among the three lines, but does stipulate that each word in the poem be included in a palindromic phrase or sentence in English (i.e. one that can be read either forwards or backwards). Also, the authors concede that the typical themes of Japanese poetry cannot be incorporated easily in this new format.   

  To help the reader discern the origin of the lyrics, each palindrome (generally occupying one of the three lines of the poem) has been color-coded. 

You can view all our "palinku" verses if you proceed with a single click to our more encyclopedic blog "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE. (Or if you prefer, you can stay on this particular blogsite and look for the offerings for the 17th day of each month -- there are now more than 60 of these.)

MAY 16, dental feelings (sentimental verse): root canals

You can review the collection of illustrated verses on this topic by proceeding to the post 'Dental Feelings' on our full-service blog 'Edifying Nonsense'.

       

MAY 15, bi-lyrical limerick: 'Syrian refugees (Canada)'

Be sure to check out the whole collection of 'bi-lyrical limericks' by proceeding to "Edifying Nonsense." CLICK HERE ! 

MAY 14, poetic Panama palindrome parody: 'a cat, a hat''

 You can review the whole collection of our illustrated verses on this topic  by proceeding to 'Reversing Verse: Panama palindrome parodies' on the full-service blog 'Edifying Nonsense'.

And, if you are interested in seeing innumerable examples of spoofy palindrome variants on wordplay locales, you could embark on a journey through a collection of  blogposts entitled 'Tourists' Palindromic Guides: The Americas, #1 -#4'. All that's needed is to click on the link.

MAY 13, sleek Greek prefixes: EU-

Clicking HERE will introduce you to our entire collection of verses about the Greek prefixes!

MAY 12, folio-entry, couples: housefinches

You can view all of our folio-photos from the collection of 'Couples' portraits in a wider context on our full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE.

MAY 11, English literature survey course: Hamlet's "fardels""

Authors' Note: 

bard: archaic term for a Celtic poet or wandering minstrel, currently applied primarily to the ‘Bard of Avon’, i.e. William Shakespeare

bodkin: a pointed instrument or pin, with archaic use to indicate a stiletto or other dagger

A question asked in Hamlet's most famous soliloquy is … 

 "Who would fardels bear?" 

Fardel is derived from fardeau, the French word for “burden”.

You can review the entire curriculum for our 'English Classics Survey Course' at "Edifying Nonsense" by clicking HERE.

 

MAY 10, a brief saga (toxic vignettes) : methylated spirits (wood alcohol, methanol)

https://www.sillysongsandsatire.com/2021/05/limerick-uke-saga-methylated-spirits.html

Authors' Note:  This tragic story is typical of events from Prohibition times in the U.S.A., but might still occur today.

Several different chemicals, 'denaturants', primarily toxic solvents, have been used by manufacturers to comply with regulations by taxation authorities and prevent the drinking of industrial ethanol. Frequently the latter is called 'methylated spirits', owing to the addition of the most commonly used denaturant, methanol, which is indistinguishable in appearance from ethanol, but routinely induces a life-threatening metabolic acidosis. The mixture may also be labelled as 'wood alcohol’ or ‘methyl hydrate’. Drinking denatured alcohol can still result in death or blindness in persons seeking an untaxed surrogate for consumer alcohol.

Review all our poems of toxicologic interest by clicking HERE.

 

   For the purpose of this blog, a 'brief saga' is defined as a poem, usually narrative, but occasionally expository, that tell its story in at least 15 lines. Most commonly, the format involves three stanzas in limerick form, constituting a single submission to the online humor site 'Omnificent English Dictionary in Limerick Form'. On the OEDILF site, rigorous standards for content and format proceed in a collaborative editing process that may take several weeks to over a year. 

  Generally, OEDILF has not been enormously welcoming of multi-verse submissions, but Giorgio Coniglio has persisted, and the OEDILF number for each accepted multiverse poem is shown here on the slide with its first verse. 

To access the next 'brief saga' on this blog (June 2021), proceed to 'Clothes Moths' (holesome verse).

To access the most recent previous 'brief saga'(April 2021), back up to 'Glock-toting Phyllis' (bipolar illness).

 To access all of our 'brief sagas' by the year of their creation, click on your selection below.

2020
2021
2022
2023.

MAY 9, pandemic poetry: Mother's Day

 You can review these illustrated verses in a wider context by proceeding to 'Pandemic Poetry' on the full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense".

MAY 8, old world palindromes #21 and #22

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  You can view the entire collection of 'Old World Palindromes' on our full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense";  start by clicking here. 

MAY 7, garden intruders: squirrels in the garden

Authors' Note:  The authors bemoan the ongoing arbitrary depredations of the human garden by these untutored rodents. Although they have not personally participated in violence against squirrels, they reluctantly admit that they sympathize with other human victims who are drawn in that direction. Where are the hawks when we need them?

Readers, you are fortunate to have available all our poetic comments on creatures (animal and vegetable), devoted to subverting your gardening plans. To view this collection our full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense", click HERE!

You can also review illustrated verses about orderly garden inhabitants by proceeding to 'Poetry Praising the Charleston Garden' on the full-service blog 'Edifying Nonsense'. Click HERE!

urban-dwelling squirrel in a Canadian tree