April 20, 2021

APR 20, singable satire: Bob Dylan sings "A FICKLE TWIST of VERSE", part #1

 PARODY-LYRICS, based on traditional poetry (limericks)

ORIGINAL SONG: "Simple Twist of FateBob Dylan 1975; covers by Diana Krall and Sean Costello are recommended.
ORIGINAL POETRY: At Wikipedia (click here), you can find a discussion of limericks dealing with the 'man from Nantucket'.
PARODY COMPOSED: Dr. G.H. and Giorgio Coniglio, June 2016.
PARODY-SONGLINK: To access ukulele chord-charts to help you accompany "A Fickle Twist of Verse" on your favorite instrument, click HERE.


CURRENT CONTENTS: these are limericks chosen from the classic repertoire for interpretation by B.D.
1. "There once was a man from Nantucket" (clean version) - 3 verses, unattributed.
2. "There once was a man from Nantucket" (dirty version) - cleaned up by G.C.
3. "A gross, a dozen, and a score" - Leigh Mercer.
4. "There was an old miser named Clarence" - Ogden Nash.
5. "There was a brave girl of Connecticut" - Ogden Nash. 
6. "There was a young belle of Old Natchez" - Ogden Nash.
Chorus. "People say it makes them sick" - Giorgio Coniglio.



FICKLE TWIST OF VERSE, 
part #1

(to the tune of "Simple Twist of Fate")






1. There was a family from  Nantucket:   
Pa kept cash hid in a bucket,
'Til one day his daughter took it,
Daughter name of Nan - 
She ran off with a man. 
Pa felt things might get worse, and 
Watched out for a fickle twist of verse. 





Pa followed couple to Pawtucket -  
Little Nan and cash-filled bucket. 
Just before old Pa retook it,
He said to the man, 
"You’re welcome to keep Nan.” 
He uttered a terse curse, and  
Moved off with a fickle twist of verse. 




The couple trailed him to Manhasset 
Pa held cash there as an asset.
Pail in question? Now man has it;
They stole cash and ran - 
Nan with her new man –  
She stuffed it in her purse, and  
Forgot about a fickle twist of verse.





2. The
y had a neighbor on Nantucket --
On the island he was stuck; 
Bad reputation, couldn’t chuck it, 
Based on body build –  
Girls found him too ‘strong-willed’, 
Which fate could not reverse, 
Brought on by a simple twist of verse. 






3. A
 gross, a dozen and a score            
Plus three times the square root of  four;
Divide by seven, no whit more, 
And add eleven fives, 
And hope your brain survives; 
That’s nine squared per Leigh Mercer, 
Cited in this twisted limerick verse. 





4. A mean miser, name of Clarence -  
Simonized both of his parents; 
Found initial cost of care  
Immense, but still declared, 
He’d save on wear- and tearance  
Humor which emerges  
Clearly from O. Nash’s limerick verse.








A brave girl of Connecticut                 
Flagged the train with her petticut. 
Some folks deplored her lack of 
Ecticut, some more inclined 
To laud her presence of mind -  
Debate in which immersed 
Her critics in this controversial verse. 








6. A young southern belle of Natchez’   
Garments always were in patches. 
She divulged she itchedbut scratches 
If the need arose; 
Played havoc with her clothes,  
Which stitching could reverse,  
Apart from this fickke twist of verse.



                                           

   CHORUS:
    People say it makes them sick
    To hear too many limericks;
    I fear it had become my shtick,
    But now I've lost the knack,
    With no good jokes to crack --
    A tendency perverse;
    Blame it on a fickle twist of verse.


Did you enjoy  Bob singing the classic limericks? Stay tuned for a follow-up post. 

Pending Topics...
7. "A flea and a fly in a flue" - author unknown, often attributed to O.N.
8. "There was a young lady of station" - Lewis Carroll. 
9. "A wonderful bird is the pelican" - Dixon Merritt. 
10. "There was a young lady named Bright" - Reginald Buller.
11. "There was an old man of Peru" - Edward Lear. 
12. "There was a young fellow of Wheeling" - traditional. 
13. "Hickory dickory dock" - traditional.
 Chorus. "People say it makes them sick" - Giorgio Coniglio.

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