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Song Parodies -> "The Iraqi Democracy Song"
Original Song Title:
"The Major-General's Song"
Original Performer:
Gilbert and Sullivan
Parody Song Title:
"The Iraqi Democracy Song"
Parody Written by:
Phil Alexander
The Lyrics
I do love parodying this song - it's so easy to work in satire, humour and wordplay for a nice, rounded hole.. er.. whole. This variation on a them was inspired by Ethan's Unreliable News
They'll have the very model of American democracy
Completely incorruptible, and free from all hypocrisy
Their systems will be touch-screen-less in paper so will never fail
And even more importantly will always leave an audit trail
The electoral officer will never be a party man
He should be apolitical and totally unpartisan
He'll never get involved in any political-ish debate
And NEVER be the brother of a presidential candidate
And NEVER be the brother of a presidential candidate
And NEVER be the BROTHER of a presidential candidate
And NEVER be the BROTHER of a PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
Slanderous, defamatory tactics, they should not be used
And neither will intimidation all around the polling booths
And when insurgents stop behaving oh, so very tactlessly
They'll have a working model of American democracy
And when insurgents stop behaving oh, so very tactlessly
They'll have a working model of American democracy
Portions of the countryside will always want the Sunni path
But it don't wash to say that it's hygienic voting in the Ba'ath
And blame it on the heat, or simply blame it on humidity
To simply vote religion is the height of Shi'a stupidity
Democracy means listening to the people: hope they understand
If and when the people vote autonomy for Kurdistan
There's politicians acting mad and sulky nearly every day
Like Little Miss Moffatt worried that the Kurds'll get their way
Like Little Miss Moffatt worried that the Kurds'll get their way
Like Little Miss Moffatt worried that the curds'll get their whey
Like Little Miss Moffatt worried that the Kurds'll get their way
Kurdish independence (or the thought of it) makes some recoil
I'm sure, I'm surely positive, it's not just 'cause they've got the oil
T'would be a mediaeval sort of Iraqi baroque-racy
And nothing like a model of American democracy
That would be mediaeval like an Iraqi baroque-racy
And NOTHING like a model of American democracy
In fact, when they've learned how to make advertisements, political
And when their ads are libellous and more, antisemitical
And when it's not the policy but more the personality
And when the whole election thing is mired in sheer banality
And when taking big business money will no longer shame ya
And when they're ready to invade all of Mesopotamia
And when the oil flows in volumes larger than a jerry-can
You'll say that their democracy is really quite American
You'll say that their democracy is really quite American
No way that their democracy is really quite American
OK, so their democracy is really quite American
We're telling the Iraqis: if you want democracy to stay
Elect a candidate who says exactly what we say he'll say
And if they don't vote blindly for an Islamic theocracy
Iraq'll have a model of American democracy
'Cause we would have to stop 'em voting in a new theocracy
Iraq'll have a model of American democracy
Completely incorruptible, and free from all hypocrisy
Their systems will be touch-screen-less in paper so will never fail
And even more importantly will always leave an audit trail
The electoral officer will never be a party man
He should be apolitical and totally unpartisan
He'll never get involved in any political-ish debate
And NEVER be the brother of a presidential candidate
And NEVER be the brother of a presidential candidate
And NEVER be the BROTHER of a presidential candidate
And NEVER be the BROTHER of a PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
Slanderous, defamatory tactics, they should not be used
And neither will intimidation all around the polling booths
And when insurgents stop behaving oh, so very tactlessly
They'll have a working model of American democracy
And when insurgents stop behaving oh, so very tactlessly
They'll have a working model of American democracy
Portions of the countryside will always want the Sunni path
But it don't wash to say that it's hygienic voting in the Ba'ath
And blame it on the heat, or simply blame it on humidity
To simply vote religion is the height of Shi'a stupidity
Democracy means listening to the people: hope they understand
If and when the people vote autonomy for Kurdistan
There's politicians acting mad and sulky nearly every day
Like Little Miss Moffatt worried that the Kurds'll get their way
Like Little Miss Moffatt worried that the Kurds'll get their way
Like Little Miss Moffatt worried that the curds'll get their whey
Like Little Miss Moffatt worried that the Kurds'll get their way
Kurdish independence (or the thought of it) makes some recoil
I'm sure, I'm surely positive, it's not just 'cause they've got the oil
T'would be a mediaeval sort of Iraqi baroque-racy
And nothing like a model of American democracy
That would be mediaeval like an Iraqi baroque-racy
And NOTHING like a model of American democracy
In fact, when they've learned how to make advertisements, political
And when their ads are libellous and more, antisemitical
And when it's not the policy but more the personality
And when the whole election thing is mired in sheer banality
And when taking big business money will no longer shame ya
And when they're ready to invade all of Mesopotamia
And when the oil flows in volumes larger than a jerry-can
You'll say that their democracy is really quite American
You'll say that their democracy is really quite American
No way that their democracy is really quite American
OK, so their democracy is really quite American
We're telling the Iraqis: if you want democracy to stay
Elect a candidate who says exactly what we say he'll say
And if they don't vote blindly for an Islamic theocracy
Iraq'll have a model of American democracy
'Cause we would have to stop 'em voting in a new theocracy
Iraq'll have a model of American democracy
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Voting Results
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Voting Breakdown
The following represent how many people voted for each category.
| Pacing | How Funny | Overall Rating | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||
| 5 | 14 | 17 | 16 |
User Comments
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wonderfully written and thought provoking...5s
Nicely done, Phil. Once again, I am frustrated with the "this song is so easy" attitude that the population at large seems to have...I am always astounded that you guys work it out...over, and over, and over again. I've yet to do it once. Luckily, if you all keep churning them out, I don't have to...=)
Yet another entry into TM-G'sS Hall Of Fame. Bravo, Mr A. 555
What Alvin said.
A major hit, generally speaking. Let's hope it doesn't come true.
"And don't speak too soon, for the wheel's still in spin..."
Brilliant as ever! High fives.
Excellent Phil, liked the chorus of "...Kurds'll get their way" the best and great rhyming/flow.
Arwen, Phil might be able to bang these out in an hour or so but not I- I think the 3 I've done took close to 25 hours in total.
Arwen, Phil might be able to bang these out in an hour or so but not I- I think the 3 I've done took close to 25 hours in total.
Arwen, you could always do 'I am the fav'rite model for the guys who like drinks on their clothes' or 'I have a very modest way of tripping on things not around' Just a thought...
Big thumbs up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SUPERB as USUAL
Great stuff, Philbo! I saw your post on the messageboard where you started this, and I'm glad you wrapped it up. I'm NOT sick of Major-General parodies, and if they're actually easy to write, I wish someone would've explained that earlier; I worked on mine on and off for months. To me, what makes Gilbert's original fun is the triple rhyming throughout, and the triple rhymes are always my favorite parts of the parodies. So big kudos on those, especially humidity/stupidity and political/antisemitical.
Very fun song, thasnks!
Magnificent and masterful, Phil - this OS seems to willingly and eagerly cede to your skills - 555
Arwen, the reason thsi OS is popular is because the lines are so long you can always get what you want to say into them, and the metre is so accommodating to regular conversational rhythms
but I reckon Tim's started something here. New competition (forgive me Arwen) - come up with Arwen's first line of a parody to Modern Major General
eg. I spilt my drink, my date slipped over, now I think he's comatose
Arwen, the reason thsi OS is popular is because the lines are so long you can always get what you want to say into them, and the metre is so accommodating to regular conversational rhythms
but I reckon Tim's started something here. New competition (forgive me Arwen) - come up with Arwen's first line of a parody to Modern Major General
eg. I spilt my drink, my date slipped over, now I think he's comatose
It don't wash to say that it was hygenic voting in the Ba'ath really got to me - ha, ha. I had to give you a 4 on the pacing, though.
:-) Thanks everybody. I enjoyed writing this one - as it had quite a while to stew in the subconscious, I think I've got enough lines left over for another one...
2Eagle - I was kind of pleased with the "voting in the Ba'ath" line, too :-)
Stuart - I agree: the one thing you do have to try to do with this song is make sure you phrase things right so that the very dumpty-dumpty sort of meter flows properly. Sometimes finding the right polysyllablic rhyme can be tricky, but there's lots to choose from (this is my fifth MG parody, and I've hardly repeated myself at all)
Arwen - Listen to the OS a few times through, and I bet you'll be have something half-finished by the end of it. Go for a LOTR one, and there's lots of options:
I am the ranger Strider who will soon be known as Aragorn
I'm of the line of Elendil and Isildur and Arathorn
I've got a half-a-sword and people say I wield it pretty well
I pick up elven wenches like that one I met in Rivendell
...or something like that ;-)
2Eagle - I was kind of pleased with the "voting in the Ba'ath" line, too :-)
Stuart - I agree: the one thing you do have to try to do with this song is make sure you phrase things right so that the very dumpty-dumpty sort of meter flows properly. Sometimes finding the right polysyllablic rhyme can be tricky, but there's lots to choose from (this is my fifth MG parody, and I've hardly repeated myself at all)
Arwen - Listen to the OS a few times through, and I bet you'll be have something half-finished by the end of it. Go for a LOTR one, and there's lots of options:
I am the ranger Strider who will soon be known as Aragorn
I'm of the line of Elendil and Isildur and Arathorn
I've got a half-a-sword and people say I wield it pretty well
I pick up elven wenches like that one I met in Rivendell
...or something like that ;-)
*laughing maniacally* Phil, this is awesome. A truly and subtly inflammatory.
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