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Song Parodies -> "The Star-Spangled Banner"

Original Song Title:

"(Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All"

Original Performer:

The Fifth Dimension

Parody Song Title:

"The Star-Spangled Banner"

Parody Written by:

Tommy Turtle

The Lyrics

Hadn't seen the technique of doing one OS lyric to melody of another until alvin rhodes' "Elenore/Eleanore Rigby". His had the OS title names in common; these two have in common that they each describe something that happened "last night"... For non-US, "Star-Spangled" depicts a 25-hour-long battle in 1814 at Fort McHenry, Maryland, which resulted from a slight misunderstanding among friends.OS lyrics for TSSB here and for LNIDGTSAA here.
Last night, I didn't get to sleep at all (no, no)
I lay awake and watched until dawn's early light
To see if I could see what proudly hailed last night (hailed last night)

Oh, and last night, I stayed awake to see if I (I, I)
Could see if Stars and Stripes still streamed so broad and bright
Above the rampart walls despite the bloody fight
And last night, I didn't get to sleep at all

Lit up entire sky: red rocket's glare
I feared for Flag; here's why: bombs burst in air
But I woke up to find that Fate had been so kind
That somehow banner was still there (was still there)

Oh, last night, I didn't get to sleep at all (no, no)
Star-spangled banner still despite the war did wave
I'm glad to live in land of free and home of brave
And last night, I didn't get to sleep, didn't get to sleep
No, I didn't get to sleep at all!

(Instrumental: trumpets hit high note that no one in the stadium can sing)

But I woke up to find that bombs and guns combined
Did not leave Flag in disrepair (disrepair)

Oh, oh, oh, last night I didn't get to sleep at all, no, no
From haughty host's bombardment, desolation, swore
With victory and peace blest, may we war no more
And last night, I didn't get to sleep, didn't get to sleep
No, I didn't get to sleep at all!

No, no, no
No, no, no

Last night I didn't get to sleep at all, no, no
Last night I didn't get to sleep at all
(oh, oh)

Last verse of parody has some references to the second, third and fourth verses of the National Anthem, but since these verses are not sung at ball games, there is not an American alive who knows any verses beyond the first. © 2007 Tommy Turtle.

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Voting Results

 
Pacing: 5.0
How Funny: 5.0
Overall Rating: 5.0

Total Votes: 5

Voting Breakdown

The following represent how many people voted for each category.

    Pacing How Funny Overall Rating
 1   0
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 2   0
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 3   0
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 4   0
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 5   5
 5
 5
 

User Comments

Comments are subject to review, and can be removed by the administration of the site at any time and for any reason.

alvin rhodes - January 17, 2007 - Report this comment
well done on this end too
John Lomain - January 17, 2007 - Report this comment
Very well written parody
Michael E Cormier - January 17, 2007 - Report this comment
DKTOS, but good job. 555
PMS - January 17, 2007 - Report this comment
Oh say I tell thee, smooshied song's pure delight
Tommy Turtle - January 17, 2007 - Report this comment
alvin, master of smoosh, thanks... John Lomain, thanks... Michael, thanks...

PMS, great opening line, looking forward to the finished version... seriously - not as tribute to moi, of course, but as celebration of smooshing technique itself.... and here's a title idea: "The Smoosh-Mangled Manner"... thanks.
AFW - January 17, 2007 - Report this comment
Tricky twisting
TT - January 17, 2007 - Report this comment
Thanks, AFW.
Patrick - November 29, 2010 - Report this comment
I guess Francis Scott Key didn't get much sleep that night, either. There used to be a Kansas City TV station that signed off with the second verse. I think the verse with "foul footsteps pollution" is widely ignored. Almost 4 years late, but still worthy of a comment.
Tommy Turtle - December 02, 2010 - Report this comment
Patrick:: With Key being held hostage on a British ship, I too doubt he'd have slept much that night. ... Agree that of all four, Verse 3 is the least- known. And I'll take v/c whenever they come, thank you very much, ;-D, and it's especially nice to see that TT's "oldies" still get some views. Thanks for reading and v/c.

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