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 - Sì, 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 - 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 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 - Sì, but Munich - Nein ”.
Bb F C7 F ‘Ncoppa jammo ja’, ukulelí, ukulelá.
