Parody of Star Wars: Episode 1

Parody music, or musical parody, involves changing or recycling existing musical ideas or lyrics - or copying the peculiar style of a composer or artist, or even a general style of music. Although the result is often very funny, and this is the usual intent - the term "parody" in musical terms has a slightly different meaning from the general term, as it includes some kinds of quite serious (or at least not intentionally humorous) re-use of music. Parody of music has probably existed as long as music itself, but in the 20th century it has emerged as a category of music in itself. Image File history File links Sagabegins. ... Image File history File links Sagabegins. ... In contemporary usage, a parody is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ...

History

Pre-20th century

In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, parody masses were written using tunes from folk music and other sources. Later popular song returned the compliment, borrowing hymn tunes and other church music and substituting secular (sometimes obscene) words. John Brown's Body - the great marching song of the American Civil War, was based on the tune to a hymn - and was in turn "borrowed back" for a new hymn. This continued into the first world war, with many of the soldiers' songs being based on hymn tunes (for instance When this bloody war is over - to the tune of What a friend we have in Jesus). The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The Renaissance (French for rebirth, or Rinascimento in Italian), was a cultural movement in Italy (and in Europe in general) that began in the late Middle Ages, and spanned roughly the 14th through the 17th century. ... A parody mass is a mass that uses a piece of secular music, typically a fragment of a motet or chanson as part of its melodic material. ... Folk music can have a number of different meanings, including: Traditional music: The original meaning of the term folk music was synonymous with the term Traditional music; the term Traditional music was given its more specific meaning to distinguish it from the other definitions that Folk music is now considered... Popular music, sometimes abbreviated pop music, is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are broadly popular. ... A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a god or other religiously significant figure. ... Christian music is music created by or adapted for the Christian church. ... John Browns Body is a famous Union marching song of the American Civil War. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

Folk song is as often as not written to existing tunes, or slight modifications of them. This is another very old (and usually non-humorous) kind of musical parody that still continues - for instance Bob Dylan took the tune of the old slave song No more auction block for me as the basis for Blowing in the wind. Some folk tunes have been recycled many times - for instance the melody of Auld Lang Syne. Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ... Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is a Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, author, musician, and poet who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. ... Blowin in the Wind is a song written by Bob Dylan in April 1962, and released on his 1963 album The Freewheelin Bob Dylan. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Classical composers often borrowed folk and popular tunes, as well as making fun of each other's musical styles. Bach and his contemporaries were very fond of the quodlibet - taking popular tunes and playing them in grotesque ways - often combining several of them at once. Haydn (who had a very strong sense of musical humour) was notorious for taking popular melodies and giving them mock serious treatment. Sir Arthur Sullivan was a master of parody of other composers' styles - in the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas he parodies at different times the styles of Mendelssohn, Wagner, and even Handel, although (usually) avoiding the stealing of actual musical ideas. As might have been expected, his own music has been parodied ever since. A composer is a person who writes music. ... Bach in a 1748 portrait by Haussmann Places in which Bach resided throughout his life Johann Sebastian Bach (pronounced ) (21 March 1685 O.S. – 28 July 1750 N.S.) was a prolific German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra and solo instruments drew together the... Baroque music describes an era and a set of styles of European classical music which were in widespread use between approximately 1600 and 1750 (see Dates of classical music eras for a discussion of the problems inherent in defining the beginning and end points). ... A quodlibet is a piece of music which combines several different melodies in counterpoint, usually popular tunes, and often in a light-hearted manner. ... Portrait by Thomas Hardy, 1792 Franz Joseph Haydn[1] (March 31, 1732 – May 31, 1809) was one of the most prominent composers of the Classical period, and is called by some the Father of the Symphony and Father of the String Quartet. A life-long resident of Austria, Haydn spent... Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (May 13, 1842–November 22, 1900) was a British composer best known for his operatic collaborations with librettist William S. Gilbert. ... W. S. Gilbert Arthur Sullivan Librettist William Schwenck Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842–1900) collaborated on a series of fourteen comic operas in Victorian England between 1871 and 1896. ... Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ... Mendelssohn (or Mendelsohn) can refer to several subjects. ... Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 – February 13, 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ... HANDEL was the code-name for the UKs National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. ...

The 18th century ballad opera - which included satirical songs set to popular melodies of the time, involved some of the broadest (and funniest) musical parody of all time. Ballad opera is a genre of 18th century English stage entertainment. ... 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ...

1900-1959

The emerging form of Jazz music frequently recycled themes from the staider "white" popular music of the time, as well as producing occasional parodies (usually called "travesties") of well known classical themes. Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States around the start of the 20th century. ... Burlesque was originally a form of art that mocked by imitation, referring to everything from comic sketches to dance routines and usually lampooning the social attitudes of upper classes. ...

In the 1940s, Spike Jones and his City Slickers parodied popular music in their own unique way, not by changing lyrics, but adding wild sound effects and comedic stylings to formerly staid old songs such as "Cocktails for Two" and "April Showers." This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Spike Jones For the music video and film director, see Spike Jonze. ...

The 1957 Broadway musical Jamaica amusingly parodies the then very fashionable commercial variety of Calypso music. Another musical using a heavy dose of parody was the 1959 show Little Mary Sunshine, which poked merciless fun at old-fashioned operetta. Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Broadway theatre[1] is the most prestigious form of professional theatre in the U.S., as well as the most well known to the general public and most lucrative for the performers, technicians and others involved in putting on the shows. ... The Fantasticks is the longest-running musical in history. ... Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music which originated in Trinidad at about the start of the 20th century. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Little Mary Sunshine is an American musical in emulation of older operetta, with book, music, and lyrics by Rick Besoyan. ... Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ...

1960-1980

Stan Freberg created parodies of popular songs in the 1950s and 1960s, mocking the musical conventions of the day, such as Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" in which the vocalist rips his jeans from too much hip-swiveling and drowns in reverberative sound effects at the end. Another major parodist was Allan Sherman, who began making hit records with parodies such as the now-classic "Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp)" (to the tune of Amilcare Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours" from the opera La Gioconda) and "When I Was A Lad" (after Gilbert & Sullivan's "Ruler of the Queen's Navee" from "HMS Pinafore"). Another parodist was composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davis, who in 'Eight Songs for a Mad King' (1969) took a canonical piece of music, Handel's Messiah, and subverted it to suit his own needs, in much the same way Hendrix did with 'Star Spangled Banner'. Yet another parodist was the self-described "piano-wielding fugitive from Harvard", Tom Lehrer. Stanley Victor Freberg (born August 7, 1926 in Los Angeles) is an American author, recording artist, animation voice actor, comedian, puppeteer and advertising creative director. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ... For the Whitney Houston song, see Heartbreak Hotel (Whitney Houston song). ... Allan Sherman (sometimes incorrectly Alan and Allen), November 30, 1924 – November 20, 1973, was an American musician, parodist, satirist, and television producer. ... Amilcare Ponchielli (August 31, 1834 – January 17, 1886) was an Italian composer, largely of operas. ... Playwright/lyricist William S. Gilbert (1836-1911) and composer Arthur S. Sullivan (1842-1900) defined operetta in Victorian England with a series of their internationally successful and timeless works. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: HMS Pinafore H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and a member of the Ivy League. ... Tom Lehrer in 1960. ...

1980-Present

The most successful parodist of popular music is probably "Weird Al" Yankovic, who is now in his third decade of writing song parodies. He got his start sending tapes to be played by Barret Hansen, AKA Dr. Demento, on his nationally syndicated radio show. Seattle, WA-based disc jockey and longtime parodist Bob Rivers also records parodies of hit songs from a variety of genres and periods satirizing current events. Also dabbling in topical parodies is Buffalo, New York-based humorist Mark Russell, who appears several times a year on PBS television. The New York, NY performing troupe Forbidden Broadway annually parodies the Great White Way's most popular current musicals and their songs on stage and recordings. This article is about the musician himself. ... Dr. Demento (born April 2, 1941 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is the stage name of Barret Eugene Hansen [1], who has made a successful career as a radio disc jockey specializing in novelty songs and pop music parodies. ... City nickname Emerald City City bird Great Blue Heron City flower Dahlia City mottos The City of Flowers The City of Goodwill City song Seattle, the Peerless City Mayor Greg Nickels County King County Area   - Total   - Land   - Water   - % water 369. ... Bob Rivers is one of the best-known rock and roll radio on air personalities in the northwestern United States, as well as a prolific producer of parody songs. ... Nickname: Location of Buffalo in New York State County Erie County Government  - Mayor Byron Brown Area  - City 52. ... Mark Russell (born August 23, 1932 in Buffalo, NY) is an American comedian, pianist and singer, based in Washington, DC. For more than 25 years he has appeared on the American public broadcasting network PBS at least four times a year. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ... New York, New York redirects here. ... Forbidden Broadway is an off-Broadway show created and written by Gerard Alessandrini and directed by Alessandrini and long-time collaborator Phillip George. ...

And in the science fiction fan community of today, filk music thrives as a source of both parodies and original music, as it has since at least the 1930s, with artists such as Leslie Fish, Tom Smith and Frank Hayes gleefully adapting tunes from many genres to their own varied interests. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Filk is a musical culture, genre, and community tied to science fiction/fantasy fandom, active since the early 1950s if concentrated primarily since the mid-1970s. ... Face The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Tom Smith is a singer-songwriter from Ann Arbor, Michigan who got his start in the filk genre. ... Frank Hayes is an American musician prominent within the science fiction/fantasy genre and culture known as filk. ...

Even original artists of the caliber of Tom Lehrer have been known to dip a toe in the waters of musical parody; Lehrer's famous song "The Elements" adapts a tune from Gilbert & Sullivan to the periodic table, and more recently he turned "That's Entertainment" into a précis on his real vocation, "That's Mathematics" (carefully altering the melody to avoid litigation). Other well-known parody artists include Sheb Wooley, Tim Cavanagh, Flanders and Swann, Richard Stilgoe, Pinkard & Bowden, Carla Ulbrich, Cledus T. Judd, and Chris Moyles. Tom Lehrer in 1960. ... Playwright/lyricist William S. Gilbert (1836-1911) and composer Arthur S. Sullivan (1842-1900) defined operetta in Victorian England with a series of their internationally successful and timeless works. ... Shelby F. Sheb Wooley (April 10, 1921 - September 17, 2003) was a character actor and singer, best known for his 1958 novelty hit Purple People Eater. Wooley was born in Erick, Oklahoma and grew up on a farm. ... Tim Cavanagh is an American comedic musician. ... Michael Flanders Donald Swann The British duo Flanders and Swann were the actor and singer Michael Flanders (1922–1975) and the composer, pianist and linguist Donald Swann (1923–1994) who collaborated in writing comic songs. ... Richard Stilgoe OBE. Richard Stilgoe OBE (b. ... Sandy Pinkard and Richard Bowden are an American Country Music comedy duo (in the vein of Homer and Jethro), famous mostly for their parodies of popular country songs, some cowritten with Tim Wilson. ... Carla Ulbrich is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and smart aleck from Clemson, South Carolina. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Christopher David Moyles (born February 22, 1974 in Leeds) is an English disc jockey. ...

Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine produces parodies not in the traditional sense of someone like Yankovic, but rather derive their humor from exactly the opposite means. While traditional parody puts new lyrics to largely unchanged music, Cheese keeps the lyrics intact but alters the musical style, thus altering the intent of the song. The humor comes from the juxtaposition of very familiar lyrics from popular Rap, Metal, and Rock songs (particularly containing profane, violent, or sexually explicit lyrics) with Cheese's exceedingly clean, "white bread", campy, lounge style. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes does likewise in a complete opposite manner: they perform hard, sped-up punk renditions of folk songs, soft rock, showtunes, R&B, and other genres not usually associated with punk. Weird Al Yankovic has also ventured into this practice; all but two of his albums feature medleys of either classic rock or then-current hit songs done as fast polkas. Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine are a cover band and comedy act based in Los Angeles, California. ... RAP may mean: the IATA airport code for Rapid City Regional Airport Rassemblement pour lalternative progressiste, a Québecois political party. ... Hot metal work from a blacksmith In chemistry, a metal (Greek: Metallon) is an element that readily loses electrons to form positive ions (cations) and has metallic bonds between metal atoms. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... A loaf of white bread White bread is bread constructed from wheat flour from which the bran and germ have been removed, in contrast to whole wheat bread made from whole wheat flour, in which these parts are retained and contribute a brownish color. ... The term camp—normally used as an adjective, even though earliest recorded uses employed it mainly as a verb—refers to the deliberate and sophisticated use of kitsch, mawkish or corny themes and styles in art, clothing or conversation. ... Lounge music refers to music played in the lounges and bars of hotels and casinos, or at standalone piano bars. ... Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock cover band that formed in 1995. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ... Soft rock, also referred to as light rock or easy rock, is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock and roll to compose a softer, supposedly more ear-pleasing sound for listening, often at work or when driving. ... Showtunes are songs written for musical theater productions, such as: The Phantom of the Opera Jesus Christ Superstar Oklahoma! Guys and Dolls Cabaret See also Musical theater Categories: Stub ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... Alfred Matthew Weird Al Yankovic (born October 23, 1959) is an American musician, parodist and accordion player. ... Street musicians in Prague playing a polka Polka is a type of dance, and also a genre of dance music. ...

Other notable examples of musical parody in recent years include the 2005 musical Altar Boyz, which parodies both Christian rock and the "boy band" style of pop, the Christian parody band Apologetix, who have targeted popular music from the 1950s to the present, and the Capitol Steps, a group of current and former U.S. Congress staff members based in Washington, DC who focus on politics and other public figures. Altar Boyz is an Off-Broadway musical comedy about a fictitious Christian boy band from Ohio. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for an encyclopedia. ... ApologetiX from left to right: Karl Messner, Keith Haynie, Bill Rieger, and J. Jackson. ... The Capitol Steps are a popular American political satire group. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United...

Legal issues

Musical parodists were briefly an endangered species in the mid-1990s when a case was brought before the U.S. Supreme Court by country music legend Roy Acuff's music publishing company against the lead singer of the rap music group 2 Live Crew for recording a lewd version of one of Acuff's songs without his permission. But the justices ruled in favor of the rappers, protecting the fair use doctrine and creating a legal standard for parody as protected derivative work. For the band, see 1990s (band). ... The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Roy Acuff on the cover of The Great Roy Acuff (1964) Roy Claxton Acuff (15 September 1903 – 23 November 1992) was an American country musician. ... 2 Live Crew is a rap group. ... For fair use in trademark law, see Fair use (US trademark law). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

External links

Musical Parody Websites

• Official site of "Weird Al" Yankovic
• Official site of the Capitol Steps
• Official site of the Laryngospasms - Medical Parodies
• Bob Rivers radio show site with parody archives as well as new recordings
• Official site of Tim Cavanagh, parodist known as "The One-Minute Song Man"
• Huge searchable archive of Parody Lyrics, Public Submissions, Recordings & more...
• Am I Right - Song Parodies
• [http://ersomn.tripod.com/
• Watch the music video of a parody written about SLAC, "Takin' Care of Business at SLAC" as performed by Ryan Auer at SLAC's Family Day 9/16/2006
• "Ah! The Beatles" a parody web site of The beatles and Rutles