Archive for March 2010

Jutze 52 #13 – Dear Screenwriters (Happy Birthday, Annie Wersching)

This is a short ode to the TV series 24. It’s about Renee Walker in particular. And I inserted a birthday greeting to Annie Wersching, the actress who plays Agent Walker. If you don’t understand anything of what I just wrote, let it suffice that this is a fanboy song. Again, the 52-second limit comes in handy, forcing me to concentrate on the essential message. Not that the song contains an important message. But when I found out about Wersching’s birthday this morning, I figured that this is the best time for such a song. I also made a little video of me singing the song a bit slower, a half-step higher and just with the acoustic guitar.

By the way, I was thrilled to incorporate a reference to bloody stumps; you see, eleven years ago, when I first accessed the internet, the bloody stump homepage taught me a lot about this new medium, all of which is still true today.

#13 Dear Screenwriters (Happy Birthday, Annie Wersching)

Dear screenwriters of 24
Please don’t kill Renee Walker
I’m sure there are many more
People like me who ♥ her
Despite all her flaws
And the way she handles thumbs
But who hasn’t bent the laws?
And who doesn’t like bloody stumps?

So happy birthday to you
Annie Wersching, who played
Renee Walker so real and true
Here’s to her surviving season eight
She’s the best red-haired woman on screen
Since Lena Headey played Luce
The red-haired flower queen
In the movie Imagine Me & You

Dear screenwriters of 24
Please don’t kill Renee Walker

(words and music by Johannes Schult)

Jutze 52 #12 – Clouds Are Passing by

This one started out with vocals. The melody still hints at the title, which I just kept, because I was running out of time to think of something else. A while ago I was looking at the sky and beheld shifting clouds (see video below). It was there that I came up with the title. I intended to make it a song with space between parts and notes. It ended up being rather packed, anyway. I also admit that the verse uses the same chords as “1998” (which Manticess made for Song Fu last year) and that the middle part is basically the bridge from “The Flower Song“. The end result justifies the self-citations, I think. The main reason I omitted the vocals was that I’m not a good singer. But I also figured there’s a pattern in the previous tracks (except for the first one): every third tune is an instrumental. And I’m a sucker for patterns. And, as I said, a bad singer, who didn’t want to spend what’s left of his weekend failing to sound fragile.

#12 Clouds Are Passing by

Ninja Dolls live in Konstanz

One of Sweden’s finest punk rock bands, Ninja Dolls, visited Konstanz on Thursday night. They played a tight, quick set featuring three songs off their new “D.I.Y.”-EP along with most of the songs from “1 2 3 Go!” (which was one of my favourite albums 2009). Malin’s voice showed a little strain towards the end of the set, but overall she proved to be an excellent lead singer who handled the old material with ease. As an encore we got a nice cover version of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”. Other highlights were the acoustic version of “Valentine” and, well, pretty much every other song. I only missed “Run and Hide”. Still, it was an enjoyable show, albeit a rather short one. (Just observing, not complaining here – admission was free, after all.)

Ninja Dolls live in Konstanz

  1. We Gave It All Away
  2. Miss Young and Naive
  3. You’re a Monster
  4. All Mixed Up
  5. Old Mariann
  6. Don’t Wanna Go Home
  7. Valentine (Is Just a Reason to Get Drunk)
  8. Who Am I Fooling?
  9. Harry’s Got to Go
  10. Who’s Pretending
  11. The Last Song About You (for This Time)
  12. Jolene

Jutze 52 #11 – Canada

This is a rather cryptic song that will hopefully become obsolete rather sooner than later. Hint: It’s not about Bryan Adams. The music is based on a little picking figure with the first three notes of the g# minor scale. I just built the rest of the song around it. Just like last week, I haven’t excelled in my playing. Still, it was a good exercise and maybe someone else beside Patrick will be able to make sense of the lyrics.

#11 Canada

Canada, why did you do this to me?
Canada, why couldn’t you just leave it be?
Canada, how could you go this far?
Canada, oh Canada
If it weren’t for Rush I’d just give up on you
Still it seems this time the joke is on you

Canada, I know you meant no harm
Canada, this ain’t no call to arms
Still I think you owe the world an apology
It’s not too late for you to see

Canada

(words and music by Johannes Schult)

Schnitzel Soup and Vodka

This is yet another song fu contribution. The challenge was to write a song that contains a recipe in some way. The music was clearly inspired by Eläkeläiset. The lyrics for the chorus came somewhat natural; the rest is a collection of ingredients, some of them intentionally sung in German. Finally, I could use some live drums. I had recorded them five years ago for a song I never released online.

“Schnitzel Soup and Vodka” is my last entry for song fu for the time being. The contest consumes quite some time and to be honest, I’m not very pleased with my latest efforts. Sure, “Kingdom of Rain” had possibly the best story line I’d come up with in ages. And the present polka was surely fun. But I’ve had enough exposure to present my case. Don’t get me wrong, I love song fu and the other contestants are great people. I’m happy to be part of it and perhaps I’ll do shadow entries in the future. We’ll see and hear.

For now, please check out the link below. There are plenty of interesting contributions; for starters I recommend Mike Lombardo, because he’s a talented musician and his tune is very entertaining. There’s more, but I’m signing off now, saving my “Best of Song Fu”-list for another post.

Download and vote over at FRED

Here is a secret that I’m going to share with you
The perfect meal to eat before you’re getting drunk
This recipe comes straight from the heart of Mother Russia
It keeps any hangover away
You need some schnitzel soup and 17 potatoes
The soup is easy – just get a lot of meat
Then put it in a pot and add a little water
Boil it for a while until it’s through
When it’s
Vodka, vodka – early in the evening
Vodka, vodka – early in the night
Vodka, vodka – early in the evening
Vodka, vodka – early in the night

If you like it sweet you add some apfelstrudel
And if you’re hungry you should add chunk of cheese
And when the soup is boiling you add a few more items
Paprika, tomatoes, sauerkraut and beans
You have to eat a lot for the soup to be effective
Five full plates at least
When it’s
Vodka, vodka – early in the evening
Vodka, vodka – early in the night
Vodka, vodka – early in the evening
Vodka, vodka – drinking all day and night

Vodka!
Vodka, vodka – early in the evening
Vodka, vodka – early in the night
Vodka, vodka – early in the morning
Vodka, vodka – drinking all day and night

(words and music by Johannes Schult)

Jutze 52 #10 – Reis

This is a song about a bag of rice that fell over and changed the world. I toyed around with some harmony vocals in the chorus. It doesn’t sound very good, but the week is almost over. So here it is.

This is the first song of a few that was inspired by ideas from a couple of friends. I had asked for advice, because by now I have run out of ideas. I mean, the weekly effort is taking its toll. In fact, I’m usually producing two songs in batch-mode in order to have every other weekend off. I still have one song in reserve and I already finished the final song #52.

#10 Reis

In China fiel gerade ein Sack mit Reis um
Einfach so ohne Befehl oder Anweisung
Er fiel einfach um
Und das war ziemlich dumm

Denn leider hatte ihn dort irgendjemand
Neben dem Roten Knopf angelehnt an die Wand
Und dann fiel er um
Und das war ziemlich dumm
Und dann machte es bumm
Und dann machte es kawumm

(words and music by Johannes Schult)