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  • New filk: I Am a Rock

    From Arthur T.@21:1/5 to All on Thu Oct 5 23:21:22 2023
    Note: There are grace notes in the original and I've used many for
    additional syllables. Let me know if that's too weird.

    Also, I've expanded some of my words that do make use of the grace
    notes. Should I collapse them and just trust filkers to figure
    scansion?

    (How many syllables does the word "Gloria" have?
    CATHOLICS: 18
    - Qwerty Jones @QwertyJones3 December 25, 2016)

    Title: I Am a Rock
    ttto: I Am a Rock by Paul Simon

    The soil's clay
    Where I've spent a long time sitting
    And I am quite ha-appy here
    Now that it is summer
    And there is no snow
    Though I'm half-embedded, on the top I glow
    I am a rock
    And I am sediment'ry

    You see those walls?
    Its stones were once my neighbors
    I'm glad I can still see them at work
    And soon, as we perceive things,
    Wall will be no more
    The rocks will be back on ground they adore
    They are my friends
    Although they are igneous

    I'm not alone
    Though it seems to you I'm lonely
    There're rocks nearby and the soil enfolds
    The worms and ants caress me
    The fungi are my friends
    Though my body's here, my spirit still ascends
    I am a rock
    And I am sediment'ry

    I have the moss
    And the lichens here to befriend me
    I've been ha-a-apy many ce-enturies
    Half below the loam's
    Where I make my home
    I've time to contemplate the deepest thoughts
    I am a rock
    And I am sediment'ry

    And the years do not cloy
    All my days are filled with joy


    My lyrics copyright 2023 by Arthur Tansky. License granted for
    non-commercial, non-political archiving and performance as long as:
    1. copyright notice is maintained, and
    2. no money changes hands.

    --
    Arthur T. - ar23hur "at" pobox "dot" com

    Guessing a lyricist's opinions from his songs is as futile as
    guessing an author's opinions from his novels.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Gary McGath@21:1/5 to Arthur T. on Fri Oct 6 03:48:59 2023
    On 10/5/23 11:21 PM, Arthur T. wrote:
    Note: There are grace notes in the original and I've used many for
    additional syllables. Let me know if that's too weird.

    Also, I've expanded some of my words that do make use of the grace
    notes. Should I collapse them and just trust filkers to figure
    scansion?

    (How many syllables does the word "Gloria" have?
    CATHOLICS: 18
    - Qwerty Jones @QwertyJones3 December 25, 2016)

    Title: I Am a Rock
    ttto: I Am a Rock by Paul Simon

    The soil's clay
    Where I've spent a long time sitting
    And I am quite ha-appy here
    Now that it is summer
    And there is no snow
    Though I'm half-embedded, on the top I glow
    I am a rock
    And I am sediment'ry

    The scansion works well enough to figure out. I'd leave out the hyphens indicating melismas; "ha-appy" might make people think they're supposed
    to make it sound like three syllables, with an audible break at the hyphen.

    You have to loose a syllable somewhere in "sedimentary" for the
    scansion, but "sed'mentary" feels more natural to me than "sediment'ry."

    Nice play on the title.

    --
    Gary McGath http://www.mcgath.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Tim Merrigan@21:1/5 to All on Fri Oct 6 10:34:05 2023
    On Thu, 05 Oct 2023 23:21:22 -0400, Arthur T. <arthur@munged.invalid>
    wrote:

    (How many syllables does the word "Gloria" have?
    CATHOLICS: 18
    - Qwerty Jones @QwertyJones3 December 25, 2016)

    Title: I Am a Rock

    Nice, and three Glo'ri'a.
    --

    Qualified immunity = virtual impunity.

    Tim Merrigan

    --
    This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software.
    www.avg.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Arthur T.@21:1/5 to Gary McGath on Fri Oct 6 21:58:18 2023
    In Message-ID:<ufoe5c$1elro$1@dont-email.me>,
    Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:

    On 10/5/23 11:21 PM, Arthur T. wrote:
    Note: There are grace notes in the original and I've used many for
    additional syllables. Let me know if that's too weird.
    Title: I Am a Rock
    ttto: I Am a Rock by Paul Simon

    The soil's clay
    Where I've spent a long time sitting
    And I am quite ha-appy here
    Now that it is summer
    And there is no snow
    Though I'm half-embedded, on the top I glow
    I am a rock
    And I am sediment'ry

    The scansion works well enough to figure out. I'd leave out the hyphens >indicating melismas; "ha-appy" might make people think they're supposed
    to make it sound like three syllables, with an audible break at the hyphen.

    I had the hyphens in to help *me* figure out the scansion. But I'm
    quite willing to believe that people who are more musical than I am
    will have no trouble without.

    You have to loose a syllable somewhere in "sedimentary" for the
    scansion, but "sed'mentary" feels more natural to me than "sediment'ry."

    Or, should I not use an apostrophe at all, and let each singer figure
    out where to tap the scansion hammer?

    Nice play on the title.

    Thank you. And especially thanks for your answers.

    After a bit of time to let others opine, I'll repost.


    --
    Arthur T. - ar23hur "at" pobox "dot" com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Gary McGath@21:1/5 to Arthur T. on Sat Oct 7 10:30:20 2023
    On 10/6/23 9:58 PM, Arthur T. wrote:
    You have to loose a syllable somewhere in "sedimentary" for the
    scansion, but "sed'mentary" feels more natural to me than "sediment'ry."
    Or, should I not use an apostrophe at all, and let each singer figure
    out where to tap the scansion hammer?


    Better yet, how about "I'm sedimentary"?

    --
    Gary McGath http://www.mcgath.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Scott Dorsey@21:1/5 to garym@mcgath.com on Sat Oct 7 15:23:22 2023
    In article <ufrq1s$2dt7i$1@dont-email.me>,
    Gary McGath <garym@mcgath.com> wrote:
    On 10/6/23 9:58 PM, Arthur T. wrote:
    You have to loose a syllable somewhere in "sedimentary" for the
    scansion, but "sed'mentary" feels more natural to me than "sediment'ry."
    Or, should I not use an apostrophe at all, and let each singer figure
    out where to tap the scansion hammer?

    Better yet, how about "I'm sedimentary"?

    .... my dear Watson.
    --scott
    --
    "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Arthur T.@21:1/5 to Arthur T. on Mon Oct 9 23:39:12 2023
    In Message-ID:<86vuhipg2rcaa58nhtmfi386g8b49k6909@4ax.com>,
    Arthur T. <arthur@munged.invalid> wrote:

    Title: I Am a Rock

    Not many changes based on feedback (thanks, Gary):

    Title: I Am a Rock
    ttto: I Am a Rock by Paul Simon

    The soil's clay
    Where I've spent a long time sitting
    And I am quite happy here
    Now that it is summer
    And there is no snow
    Though I'm half-embedded, on the top I glow
    I am a rock
    I'm sedimentary

    You see those walls?
    Its stones were once my neighbors
    I'm glad I can still see them at work
    And soon, as we perceive things,
    Wall will be no more
    The rocks will be back on ground they adore
    They are my friends
    Although they are igneous

    I'm not alone
    Though it seems to you I'm lonely
    There're rocks nearby and the soil enfolds
    The worms and ants caress me
    The fungi are my friends
    Though my body's here, my spirit still ascends
    I am a rock
    I'm sedimentary

    I have the moss
    And the lichens here to befriend me
    I've been happy many centuries
    Half below the loam's
    Where I make my home
    I've time to contemplate the deepest thoughts
    I am a rock
    I'm sedimentary

    And the years do not cloy
    All my days are filled with joy

    My lyrics copyright 2023 by Arthur Tansky. License granted for
    non-commercial, non-political archiving and performance as long as:
    1. copyright notice is maintained, and
    2. no money changes hands.

    --
    Arthur T. - ar23hur "at" pobox "dot" com

    Guessing a lyricist's opinions from his songs is as futile as
    guessing an author's opinions from his novels.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)