Friday, July 30, 2010

True Blood: The Musical Revue - Sam Merlotte


I like Sam.

(Sung to the tune of "Soon It's Gonna Rain")

See in the sky the eagle soaring
Hear how the German Shepherd bays
Smell when the bull responds to nature
Out in the fields where cattle graze
Now is the time I long to join the chase
Now is the time I leave without a trace
The human race

Soon I’m gonna change
And you’ll see it
Soon I’m gonna change
Be prepared
Soon I’m gonna change
And become something new

Soon I’m gonna change
Think and be it
Soon I’m gonna change
Don’t be scared
Soon I’m gonna change
Wish you could do it too

I’ll have four limbs like a dog
Perhaps four claws like a cat
Or grow a snout like a hog
Oh, please don’t run away

After I have changed
Then I’ll need you
After I have changed
Need you so

After I have changed
That is when I dare suppose
You’ll stay with me
And hold on to my clothes

I may be big as a horse
I may be small as a mouse
Whatever I am, of course.
I won’t decide to stay

For when I’m changing back
Back to human
When I’m changing back
In my nude

When again I’m me
Naked as any jay
.
Well, that’s the time you’ll see my art
After all the years of practice, boy, I’m smart
Carefully I turn and hide my private part
Away

Exorcist: The Musical - The Exorcism!


This one was just ever so much fun. More stanzas could follow. Please imagine extended dance breaks...

(Sung to the tune of "America")

REGAN
Why did you call in an exorcist?
I’ll have a ball with your exorcist
Give it your all, Mr. Exorcist
Back in the hall you go, exorcist

KARRAS
Get thee behind me you Satan
REGAN
I hope you do not mind waitin’
MERRIN
God’s holy power compels you
REGAN
I wouldn’t buy what He sells you

Think you can bring in an exorcist
Look how I’m flingin’ your exorcist
Your ears are ringin’ now, exorcist
You like my singin’ now, exorcist?

KARRAS
She’s just a child, have pity
REGAN
Go back to Vatican City
MERRIN
You will be gone by the morrow
REGAN
Why am I sounding like Charo?

You can’t defeat me, you exorcist
Never will beat me, you exorcist
Step up and greet me, you exorcist
Then you can eat me, you exorcist

MERRIN
Don’t give up, we may be winning
REGAN
Wait til my head begins spinning
KARRAS
God’s will is sure to take over
REGAN
I’ll give this room a makeover

Stop bible-quoting now, exorcist
Satan is gloating now, exorcist
It is worth noting now, exorcist
That I am floating now, exorcist

Your fortitude is appalling
MERRIN
Feel how the temperature’s falling?
REGAN
Soon you’ll be meeting your sure doom
KARRAS
Who put this statue in her room?

REGAN
You cannot win, Mr. Exorcist
Save your own skin, Mr. Exorcist
Once I am in, Mr. Exorcist
Leave her to sin, Mr. Exorcist


Thursday, July 29, 2010

True Blood: The Musical Revue - Godric

I was hesitant to put this one up for a number of reasons. I'm definitely taking a tongue-in-cheek approach to these parodies, but the self-sacrifice of Godric has been one of the emotional highlights of the series for me, and I didn't want to diminish its impact with snark. On a certain level, the song that the moment brings to mind is perfect as is, requiring little adaptation or revision. Also, you can find bigger fans of ALW out there than me, and I just couldn't keep those bridges from feeling clunky, but then I figured - hey, the original bridges are clunky (singing the words "gutters, mutters"? Not pretty). So while this might smack of something that a 13-year old would write in her school notebook, I still submit the following...

(Sung to the tune of "Memory")



Daylight
See the dawn of a new hour
As the nighttime is fading
Shadows wither away
Like a sunflower
I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
I am waiting for the day…

Midnight
Now my source of resentment
I am weary with memory
Sick of standing alone
At each twilight
The human souls collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan

Memory
Once I stood in the sunlight
I can smile at the old days
It was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again

Every moment
Seems replete with fatalistic warning
Vampires warring
And the world ignoring
And soon there will be mourning

Daylight
Now I wait for the sunrise
I must hope for a new life
Find my strength from within
When the dawn comes
My life will be a memory too
And a new day will begin

May my sacrifice preclude
The battle that’s a-borning
When humans die, another life takes over
Now let that day be dawning

Touch me
Eric, you must believe me
You alone hold the memory
And know what should be done
Now release me
It’s time I knew what happiness is

Look
A new day has begun

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

True Blood: The Musical Revue - Russell Edgington


How about some Gilbert & Sullivan?

(Sung to the tune of "Better Far to Live and Die")

Oh, better far to be undead
Than to live a human life instead
My stately home, my glorious manse
With a staff that caters me at a glance
Werewolves see to my every need
They love me when it’s time to bleed
I hardly lack for nary a thing
As Mississippi’s Vampire King

For I am a Vampire King
And it is, it is a bloody good thing
To be a Vampire King (2x)

Three thousand years above the ground
Have made me the canniest king around
For who could ever want to know
The Vampire King of Idaho
I seek a Queen to share the throne
(But I fill that requirement on my own)
For Talbot is as a wife to me
When my scepter calls for TLC

For I am a Vampire King
And it is, it is a jolly gay thing
To be a Vampire King (2x)

You see, it’s incomparably great
To reign o’er this Magnolia State
And according to this plan of mine
I’ll soon own the rest of the forty-nine
When Wall Street is the last to fall
(That shouldn’t take much effort at all)
Then all will shout, “Hurrah! Hurray!
The Vampire King of the USA!”

For I am a Vampire King
And it is, it is a powerful thing
To be a Vampire King (2x)

Twilight Zone: The Musical Revue - Nightmare at 20,000 Feet


(Sung to the tune of "Another Hundred People" from Company)

BOB
There’s a man outside my window on the wing of the plane
I can see through the rain
Wait, he disappeared - oh no, I think I see him again
And he’s poking around
Look, he’s ripping at a panel on the wing of the plane
And he’s looking at me
And I’ve got to explain
Though they think I'm insane
I just have to say…

Ev’rybody’s in danger
Listen to me, understand
The plane is in danger
Must tell the crew, got to land

STEWARDESS
Excuse me, sir
Don’t cause a stir
I have to ask you to re-take your seat and to please remain

JULIA
I’m sorry, miss, he hasn’t been himself, he’s been under strain
Gotta stop it, sweetie or you’ll wind up you-know-where again.

BOB
Please forgive me, honey, I could swear I saw him standing there
He was big and fuzzy, like a strange mutated teddy bear
Do you have some Bayer, ‘cause I feel a pain
It’s the one I get so often, deep within the brain
Give me two, I’ll toss em back and have a glass of some champagne
And I’m really wishing now that we had taken the train

Twilight Zone: The Musical Revue - Welcome to Maple Street


(Sung to the tune of "On the Street Where You Live")

We have always lived on this street before

But we’ve never seen such evil and deceit before

From the neighbors who we once thought we knew
On our dear Maple Street where we live

Does your Chrysler start? Have you any lights?

Why, I’ve seen you up and working late so many nights

And your picket fence could be evidence

For j’accuse on the street where we live

And oh! The heightening feeling

That our friends are not what they seem

It’s such a frightening feeling

That any second we could wake up from this dream

Is it Commie plot, or attack from Mars?

Well, we'll teach them not to tangle with the Stars n’ Bars

Honey, grab my gun, ‘cause it’s time to run
And defend Maple Street where we live


And of course, a coda from the aliens...

Now you see the plan? Pure simplicity

Be selective when you cut off electricity

Once they’re feeling stressed, nature does the rest

As we take every street where they live

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

True Blood: The Musical Revue - Jessica

I realize that I tempt fate by writing song lyrics for an ongoing project whose characters are in flux, knowing full well that something may happen on a Sunday night to render my work irrelevant. Ah, so be it. For those of you who think these postings should deal with more timely source material, here's the first in a series of True Blood musical soliloquies, coming from a character who has become one of my favorites -- tortured teen vampire Jessica. (Keeping with my custom of only choosing songs from Broadway shows, my choices from my beloved Bacharach / David are limited to only one tuner - Promises, Promises - so I have to choose wisely and well. I was taken by how this re-purposes the song's title. What in the show is delivered with the sub-text "I won't fall in love" becomes here "I can't fall in love.")

(Sung to the tune of "I'll Never Fall in Love Again")

What do you get when you fall in love?
When you’re a vamp, you just get trouble
Then be a teen, it seems like double
I’ll never fall in love again
I’ll never fall in love again

How do you feel when you kiss a boy?
When you got fangs, just like a sinner
Then, in a snap, he looks like dinner
I’ll never fall in love again
Dontcha know that I’ll never fall in love again.

Don’t tell me that it’s all a phase
I’ll be like this till the end of days
Don’t you let Twilight try to sell you
That is why I’m singin’ to tell you

What do you get when you fall in love?
A pain in the heart no stake could rival
Chewing on boys for your survival
I’ll never fall in love again
No, no, I’ll never fall in love again

Don’t tell me how a love could be
‘cause I can’t lose my virginity
All the sweet boys will only scorn you
That is why I’m singin’ to warn you

What do you get when you fall in love?
A boy who’s content to be your buddy
Cry in your sleep, your pillow’s bloody
I’ll never fall in love again
Dontcha know I’ll never fall in love again
I’ll never fall in love again