weird stuff

[kengr]

I'm listening to a bunch of Bob Rivers holiday music. And just learned to my horror that "O Little Town of Bethlehem" scan to "House of the Rising Sun"

Pardon me while I reset my brain..

Comments

[tallin.livejournal.com]

Trippy, isn't it? Gave me a bit of a turn the first time I encountered this phenomenon myself.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

Yes, and either of them will scan to "Yellow Rose of Texas"... and to a whole bunch of other stuff as well.

[mode="music-geek"]
This happens because all of those songs are written in what's known as "ballad meter". It's called that because so many of the old traditional ballads like "Sir Patrick Spens" and "King Henry" were written in it.

The basic scansion pattern of ballad meter is: da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM (beat). Lots of hymns fit that pattern, as do a number of popular children's songs -- and a great deal of filk, such as Bill Sutton's "Stray Dog Man" and the verse (but not the chorus) of "Banned From Argo". And anything written in ballad meter will scan to the tune of anything else written in it! The possibilities are mind-boggling; one common filkers' game is to pick a song, such as "House of the Rising Sun", and see how many other songs can be sung to it, going around the circle by turns.
[/mode]

[kengr]

Yeah, I know. "Stairway to Heaven" and "Gilligan's Island Theme" are two more.

I'd *love* to have a more complete list, but...

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks, dude, like I really *needed* that sound in my head!

:-)

[kengr]

Want me to send you the MP3 of "Stairway to Gilligans Island" to get rid of it?

Alas, I can't seem to find the MP3 of "I am Ironman" done as a swing(?) or Be-Bop(?) number...

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

"Stairway to Gilligans Island"

Yes, actually! I've heard of it, but never heard it done. janetmiles@chartertn.net , if you would.

[kengr]

As I understand it, the folks who hold the copyright on Stairway get rather upset, so any new recordings are apt to be out...

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

I got both files you sent. Thanks! (That's sincere, not sarcastic.)

Yet another

[morgan-gw.livejournal.com]

"House of the Rising Sun" scans to "Amazing Grace," which scans to "Gilligan's Island."

I knew it had to do with all of these being in a fairly common meter, but thanks to starcat_jewel for the explanation. :-)