Coral Snake Song: When Johnny Comes Marching Home (The conspiracy against Terri Schiavo)

Coral Snake's Public Domain Song Updates | 11-1-2003 | Coral Snake

[Coral Snake]

Original song Lyrics by Patrick S. Gilmore, (1863)
Update-Parody by Coral Snake (2003)

MIDI: WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME

1.
Ms. Labyak drives a fancy car,
Put them! Away!
Because her hand's in the cookie jar.
Put them! Away!
Part of the plot full of bitter strife,
By Michael Schiavo to kill his wife.
It is time we put,
These felons in orange suits.

It is time we put,
These felons in orange suits.

2.
Now There's George Felos the bearded Ghoul.
Put them! Away!
Plays a deadly game of dirty pool.
Put them! Away!
Part of the plot full of bitter strife,
By Michael Schiavo to kill his wife.
It is time we put,
These felons in orange suits.

It is time we put,
These felons in orange suits.

3.
Then there is judge Greer who thinks he's God,
Put them! Away!
Jeb put his death order in a wad,
Put them! Away!
Part of the plot full of bitter strife,
By Michael Schiavo to kill his wife.
It is time we put,
These felons in orange suits.

It is time we put,
These felons in orange suits.

[Coral Snake]

Doug from upland felt that he couldn't write a song for this case as it was too tragic for parody. Since my song writing specialty lies in updating as well as parody of 19th century public domain songs I took it upon myself to write one instead. To Jim Rob and all moderators. Please keep this in the news/activism forum. I really do think this case is newsworthy and important enough to deserve a song there.

[Annie03]

Very nice. This is newsworthy even as others spend too much time on Princess Di's butler and Kobe the adulterer (he admitted that much). I wonder if an orange suit would interfer with Felos' aura or something lol.

[Ohioan from Florida]

Good job, Coral Snake! As an aside, I thought of another song that Terri might use as her theme song. How about "I will survive!" sung by Gloria Gaynor?

[Coral Snake]

As a general rule I don't do too much rock 'n' roll because of possible copyright problems. I usually stick with songs before 1922 which are sure public domain. Therefore I would probably be thinking of Bird in a Guilded Cage for a more appropriate Terri spacific song. I am a firm believer that a goal of song parodists should be updating these good old songs from the 19th and early 20th century with lyrics relevant to our current time and that is what I do.

[Graymatter]

Bird In A Gilded Cage is about a young lady who married an old rich man. Lovely tune, but few people know it anymore.
Refrain: "She's only a bird in a gilded cage, A beautiful sight to see; But her beauty was sold for an old man's gold, She's a bird in a gilded cage."

I feel SO old!

[Coral Snake]

I just know enough about that hospice to know that Terri IS in a guilded cage with most of the "gold" coming from criminal activity up to and including her proposed death.

[Coral Snake]

Just take a gander at THIS:

http://www.hospicepatients.org/Hosp-FL-Suncoast-entrypage.html

to see all the ways that Terri's cage gets "guilded".

[supercat]

Therefore I would probably be thinking of Bird in a Guilded Cage for a more appropriate Terri spacific song.

Do you mean this song?

"A Bird in a Gilded Cage" (1900) Sung With Great Success by May A. Bell. Words by Aurthur J. Lamb, 1870-1928. Music by Harry Von Tilzer, 1872-1946.
1. The ballroom was filled with fashion's throng, It shone with a thousand lights, And there was a woman who passed along, The fairest of all the sights, A girl to her lover then softly sighed, There's riches at her command; But she married for wealth, not for love he cried, Though she lives in a mansion grand. (CHORUS) 2. I stood in a churchyard just at eve', When sunset adorned the west, And looked at the people who'd come to grieve, For loved ones now laid at rest, A tall marble monument marked the grave, Of one who'd been fashion's queen, And I thought she is happier here at rest, Than to have people say when seen. (CHORUS)	CHORUS She's only a bird in a gilded cage, A beautiful sight to see, You may think she's happy and free from care, She's not, though she seems to be, 'Tis sad when you think of her wasted life, For youth cannot mate with age, And her beauty was sold, For an old man's gold, She's a bird in a gilded cage.

If so, I see no reason not to use it (note the date).

[supercat]

I am a firm believer that a goal of song parodists should be updating these good old songs from the 19th and early 20th century with lyrics relevant to our current time and that is what I do.

Awhile ago I was thinking about a song--wish I could remember which one--that would have fit very well. The melody of the chorus seemed perfect for Judge Greer, and since all aspects of Terri's case seem to be directed back to him, it would seem appropriate that the Greer Chorus be inescapable.

[pollywog]

Thank you for sharing this song Coral Snake. You ought to send it to Sean Hannity and Greta Van.

[pickyourpoison]

I like the older songs, so many were based on true stories.

A writer would take a true story and put music to it, like you've done.

My father would sing them to me when I was a child.

I remember one about "little Mary Fagan"
I'm not positive about that title but I was a child and that's the way I remember it.

[Terriergal]

Bird In A Gilded Cage is about a young lady who married an old rich man. Lovely tune, but few people know it anymore.

Oh yes I learned that one on the Muppet Show.

< g >

A great midi rendition (a little slow but I'm too lazy to figure out how to tweak the tempo):

[Terriergal]

Yep that's the right one. Check out my post above to hear the song.

[Terriergal]

Anyone ever hear Steve Taylor's "Baby Doe"?

Hardly takes any adaptation to make it fit:

Song: Baby Doe

[Terriergal]

Baby Doe

written by Steve Taylor in Chicago
Copyright © 1984 Birdwing Music/Cherry Lane Music Publishing Co., Inc./C.A. Music (ASCAP)

Unfolding today
A miracle play
This Indiana morn
The father--he sighs
She opens her eyes
Their baby boy is born

"We don't understand
He's not like we planned"
The doctor shakes his head
"Abnormal" they cry
And so they decide
This child is better dead

I bear the blame
Believers are few
And what am I to do?
I share the shame
The cradle's below
And where is Baby Doe?

A hearing is sought
The lawyers are bought
The court won't let him eat
The papers applaud
When judges play God
This child is getting weak

They're drawing a bead
Reciting their creed
"Respect A Woman's Choice"
I've heard that before
How can you ignore
This baby has a voice

I bear the blame
Believers are few
And what am I to do?
I share the shame
The cradle's below
And where is Baby Doe?

Where will it end
Oh
No
No!

It's over and done
The presses have run
Some call the parents brave
Behind your disguise your rhetoric lies
You watched a baby starve

I bear the blame
The cradle's below
And where is Baby?

---

[Coral Snake]

It seems that this one has made me a main board parody-update composer. ;c)

[doug from upland]

Yep, you've arrived. Good job.

[Coral Snake]

I have been thinking about the songs that would fit best all the people in this case and came up with these.

Terri Schindler Schiavo:

Bird in a Guilded cage
Starved in Prison

Both of these seem to relate pretty well to her current condition.

Michael Schiavo - Gudge Greer - George Felos:

Marching through Georgia
When Sherman Marched Down to the Sea

Both perfect for people that commit murder and burn the evidence under the cover of authority.

[Coral Snake]

Thank you. I appreciate praise from the EXPERT here.