Posted on 03/06/2005 5:10:13 PM PST by supercat
VERSE 1:
Theresa Marie was a beautiful girl. With a smile that could light up the room. Her fate, alas, thanks to three evil men, now seems to hold naught but doom. Her husband, it seems, now wants her dead-- Wants to marry another wife. Why can't he just see, Terri ought to be free. She and he could get on with life.CHORUS:
She's kept like a bird in a barren cage. 'Cos her husband keeps it bare. No pictures, no music, no pets, no TV. Her life is so lonely there. But Terri is loved by her family and by thousands from coast to coast. Though_her life has been sold for corrupt men's gold she refuses to give up the ghost.VERSE 2:
The more one looks into this sad sad case, the clearer the evil plot. They're not trying to starve her because she's dying, but rather because she's not. Mike, Felos, and Greer are pushing this case and fighting with all of their might Not_because Terri won't speak up, But rather because she might.REPEAT CHORUS
VERSE 3:
So what shall become of Michael's bird? Will_he starve her as he intends? Or will she be rescued by those far and wide, who'd_be honored to be her friends? The future right now, is hard to see. Though_a showdown is coming nigh. Will forces of life trump_the_old judge who says: "The law of_the_case_is_that she must die"?REPEAT CHORUS
Midi available here.
Lyrics copyright 2005 -- They may be freely distributed for the purpose of publicizing the Schiavo case, but recording rights are retained; free licenses will likely be granted for those supporting the Schindlers' case, but permission must be obtained first.
Admin moderator please note: I'm trying to follow the example of Doug from Upland who posts songs in News/Activism. The song is posted here with the intention that it be spread for the purpose of calling attention to Terri's cause.
Ping for the latest and greatest version of my song, with new MIDI. Please ping anyone else who hasn't been pinged yet who might be interested.
It's AWESOME!!!!!
You have done a great job, my FReeper FRiend!
Pinging the whole ding-dong list for this! ;-)
Terri ping! If anyone would like to be added to or removed from my Terri ping list, please let me know by FReepmail!
What a wonderful piece of work. It must be sent to Terri'sfight.org. And to Glen Beck and Michael Savage, for sure!
I wonder if anyone here has a good singing voice and would work with SUPERCAT to get the WONDERFUL, STRAIGHT SHOOTING WORDS attached to the music?
This is impressive and heartfelt and extremely encompassing.
Good, good work, Supercat. The best. Just WOW!
Thanks for this ping!
From what I hear, Hall has a good voice.
selfbump
Is this true? :^) Could not find a FReeper named Hall. Bummer.
Ping to a Terri song. You've got a good voice--any interest in recording it?
If George W. "Haman" Greer could see your lyrics, he would probably quote the late Queen Victoria, who said, "WE are not amused!"
It's Halls. She/he has been pinged already.
Prayers offered up for Terri's safety, health and comfort.
I thought that was Elizabeth (I). Or maybe they both said it. Or maybe I'm wrong.
But in the case of Judge Greer, I think I'm quoting him accurately. Or did he use a different verb?
That's a pretty big IF. Maybe if we had it done in extremely large print?
hehe
I can sing, and pretty darn good if you need a voice!
THE BIRD IN A GILDED CAGE
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: "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."
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)
- by Arthur Lamb, music by Harry von Tilzer, a famous music hall composer. It was written around the turn of the last century. After von Tilzer wrote the music, he dropped by a house of ill repute to try it out on the "professor's" piano. The girls listened, and began to cry. He said, "If these ladies weep real tears over my song, I believe I have composed a hit."
Speaking purely from a technical performance standpoint, you need to work with this to get it back to the original waltz-time meter. It can be done (e.g. "lovely" for "beautiful" in the first line). The emphasis of the words also needs to be on the first beat of each measure so that the words fall correctly with the meter. (e.g. "The BALLroom was FILLED with FA-shion's THRONG"). It's the waltz time that gives the tune much of the poignancy (and the singer the ability to pause for effect on words like "gold" in the chorus). Also, short phrases offset in commas ("it seems") don't sing well and are not understandable when sung. "Now it seems that her husband wants her dead" would fit the meter and get rid of the offset phrase.
This will take some trouble but I believe it is worth it, because you have made a very, very good start here. The more "singable" it is, the more people will sing it, and the more it will get around.
Find a good low mezzo or contralto to record this one. It goes down to A below the treble staff (in G major, I believe that's the original key though I've seen it pitched higher), and it's essentially a woman's song.
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