June 10, 2024

JUN 10, singable satire, volcanoes and copyright: "UKULELÍ, UKULELÁ"


a) Reprise of material posted on June 10 in previous years ...

2020: waterfowl, common loons (illustrated poem - 'brief saga')
2021: insects, clothes moths (illustrated poem - 'brief saga') 
2022: Canadiana, Canada (poem - 'brief saga')
2023: American satire, anagram swarm (illustrated poem - 'brief saga', wordplay maps)

To access the details of any item in slide format, type its title, as displayed above in red font (e.g. ... common loons), into either of the two search bars at the the top of your blog-page. Underneath the slide(s) for each entertaining delight that you discover, you will find a clickable link that lets you easily explore a more widespread collection of wonderments (verse, photos, wordplay, song-lyrics etc.) on the topic of your choice. 

b) Today's Offering (Jun 10, 2024): 

PARODY-LYRICS
ORIGINAL SONG: "Funiculi, Funicula" , Luigi Denza, 1880.
PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, February 2013. 

KEYWORDS: history, classicsong, multicultural, palindromes 

This mostly-true story has 3 characters - the volcano itself, Vesuvius, which dominates the Bay of Naples, and 2 music composers. Luigi Denza wrote hundreds of songs, mostly in Neapolitan, including this smash hit composed for the opening of the funicular in 1880.  Richard Strauss lived in Munich; after visiting Naples in 1887 as a young man, he incorporated the tune into a symphonic work aus Italien, which was poorly received by critics. Later he became famous for symphonic tone-poems including Thus Spake Zarathustra,  the theme for 2001: A Space Odyssey, and modern operas - der Rosenkavalier, Elektra
The fanciful existence of ukuleles in Europe in the 19th century is an anachronism; hence, the song was initially titled Anacroni, Anacrona. 














UKULELÍ, UKULELÁ

(to the tune of "Funiculi, Funicula")
     
 INTRO: ’Ncoppa jammo ja’, ukulelí, ukulelá.

One day, while Strauss was tramming up Vesuvius,
He heard a song, a catchy song.
And as he’d brought along his uke and notebook,
He wrote it down, then strummed along.
He gave the borrowed pencil back to Denza,
With whom he jammed, as up they swayed.
And as the active crater hissed and rumbled,
Strauss missed him mumble, above Pompei.

(Denza sang)……
“ Copy-, copy-, copyright is mine,
Specific terms the sanctioned use define.
While jamming here is gen’rally fine,
While jamming here is gen’rally fine,
Legal friends opine, Vesuvius , but Munich - Nein  ”.
  
Years later, Strauss was brooding back in Deutschland,
He read reviews, scathing reviews.
And found Luigi’s letter on his cr'Denza,
No how-d’ya-do’s, but howled j’accuse.
He fumed, “ My sunny, fun-filled tarantella,
While fun to croon, is no folk-tune.
Our case is legally air-tight, feckless fella, 
Piacere, please, pay royalties."

(Denza sang)……
“ Copy-, copy-, copyright is mine,
Specific terms the sanctioned use define.
While jamming there was gen’rally fine,
While jamming there was gen’rally fine,
Legal friends opine, Vesuvius , but Munich - Nein  ”.


















One day, if you should hike up on Vesuvius,
(The tram’s no more, - since 'forty-four).
Inspired up there where lava’s been effluvious,
You write a score; but one thing more.
Take care ! - “O Sole”, “Funi” even “Torna”,
They might be groovious, but out of bounds;
When streaming from the steaming hot caldera, 
This c'Denza sounds, and then resounds.

(Denza sang)……
“ Copy-, copy-, copyright is mine,
Specific terms the sanctioned use define.
While jamming here is gen’rally fine,
While jamming here is gen’rally fine,
Legal friends opine, Vesuvius , but Munich - Nein  ”.

   Bb                     F             C7           F  
‘Ncoppa jammo ja’, ukulelí, ukulelá.






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