FEB 29, (28b), pathos and poetry (gun control verse): hitman

 

FEB 30, (28c), singable satire: "UKULELÍ, UKULELÁ", volcanoes and copyright

PARODY-LYRICS

MUSICAL UNDEPINNINGS: "Funiculi, Funicula, a song written by Luigi Denza, in Neapolitan to honour the 1880 opening of the now-defunct funicular railway taking tourists up Mt. Vesuvius.

PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, February 2013, with initial posting at the online parody-lyrics website "AmIRight". The lyrics have undergone some minor updating since, including a change in song-title from the original 'Anacroni, Anacrona'.  

UKULELE and GUITAR-FRIENDLY LINK: Our whole series of songs can be found in a friendly format for ukulele (and guitar)-players on our sister blog "SILLY SONGS and SATIRE" with chord-charts for both the parody and original song, as well as helpful performing suggestions. 

To find ukulele or guitar chord-charts to help you accompany
"UKULELÍ, UKULELÁ" on your favorite instrument, click HERE. 

EXPLANATION: 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's not out-of-line,

Legal friends opine, Vesuvius - Sì, but Munich - Nein  ”.

  

Years later, Strauss was brooding back in Deutschland,
He read reviews, scathing reviews.

And found Luigi’s letter on his credenza,

No how-d’ya-do’s, but howled j’accuse.

It 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 warned)……

“ Copy-, copy-, copyright is mine,

Specific terms the sanctioned use define.
While playing 'fok-tunes' there was fine,

But steal my property -- I'll whine;

And legal friends opine, Vesuvius - Sì, 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 groovy, but out of bounds;

When streaming from the steaming hot caldera, 

A rumbling sounds, and then resounds.

(A voice spews outs)……
“ Copy-, copy-, copyright is mine,

Specific terms the sanctioned use define.
While jamming here's not out-of-line,

Even up here on this incline,

Legal friends opine, Vesuvius - Sì, but Munich - Nein  ”.

   Bb                     F             C7           F  

‘Ncoppa jammo ja’, ukulelí, ukulelá.

 

FEB 28, wordplay map: new world palindromes (#36)

 

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

FEB 27, wordplay maps; American Scramble-towns, 14

LINKS to other nonsense in this series: 

Forward to the first Canadian map.

Forward to the next American map (15).

Back to the first American map.

 

FEB 26, anagram swarm: 'E-X -- P-R-E-S-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L'

 

    As often happens in trying to portray a swarm of anagrams, I have left out a few relevant places; in this case, it was simply because I ran out of room on the map (which was progressively updated to a total of 65 entries). Apologies to the villages of Alien Preside, Pilsener Idea and Needier Pails TX in Texas, Exited Spiral NE in Nebraska, Delete Praxis IN in Indiana, and Axis Repented and Ex-Sardine-Pet IL in Illinois!

  If you have enjoyed this post, you can find a series of other 'American anagram swarms' gathered in three posts on our 'parent' blog Edifying Nonsense.  To get started, click here.  

 

FEB 25, targeted palindromes, "DENNIS SINNED" (B)

 

You have reached the "Submitted Palindromes" thread on the blog "Daily Edifying Nonsense", a light literary entity that emanates through the blogosphere daily (almost), i.e. 30 times per month.

  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).

You can access this delightful entertainment right here by entering submitted palindromes in one of the two search bars at the top of this post and scrolling downwards through the wordplay posts that you will discover, OR, just follow the links indicated above. 

Devotees of palindromic wordplay can further explore limericks and other short verses about the classic palindromes (and quite a few recent concoctions) that are randomly scattered on this blog after September 2000, or collected into grouped postings on our more scholarly blog "Edifying Nonsense" -- start HERE.  

FEB 24, sleek Greek prefixes: ENDO-

Authors' Note: To view what's inside you, you might want to look through a collection of verses about endoscopy entitled "Inner Enlightenment: The Scopes of Modern Medicine". Click HERE!

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

FEB 23, English literature survey course: pass/fail

Authors' Note:  During the author's stint as a university science major, a modicum of knowledge of the liberal arts was putatively assured by subjecting students to pass/fail survey courses. "Getting by", as in the above described English class, seemed to be the modus operandi of students, and occasionally of teaching staff.

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

FEB 22, amphibians: American green tree frog

 

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

FEB 21, pandemic poetry: 'two contagiously funny verses'

Authors' Note: Thanks to M.A. of Bloomington IN for the idea for the second verse. 

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