Filk: The Final Frontier
| Filk Songbook | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Filk: The Final Frontier |
| Publisher: | |
| Editor(s): | Claire Meier |
| Date(s): | 1985-1986 |
| Medium: | |
| Subject: | Star Trek: TOS |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
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Filk: The Final Frontier is a Star Trek: TOS filk songbook by Claire Meier.
Issue 1
Filk: the Final Frontier 1 It has the subtitle, Where No Filk Has Gone Before. It was published in 1985 and contains 42 pages.
The lyrics are all but by Claire Maier, except for "Smart People."
From the editorial:
I'm pretty new to the filksinging scene. I discovered filksinging at August Party 1985, and was instantly hooked. I wrote my first filksong, "Greet It," at August Party. This volume contains my first 25 filksongs, written August-October, 1985.
I write parody filksongs exclusively. I find it much easier to expand on someone else's creativity than to try to come up with something completely original. Even my serious filksongs are parodies. I would like my filksongs to be performed and enjoyed. I try to use only songs that I feel are well-known. The original songwriters are listed and the original music or chords should be easily available. One problem that a prospective performer might have is with how the songs scan. Many scan somewhat differently than the original, and some don't scan that well, although I can personally verify that all the songs are singable. If you have questions on how the songs scan, please write to me.
If you are interested, here is how I write filksongs (maybe you want to write some yourself): I am always listening for suitable sonqs to parody. A good song for a humorous filksong is well-known, upbeat, catchy, and preferably has received so much airplay that everyone is sick of it. It helps if the song is self-righteous. I also try to think of subjects for filksongs. Sometimes a tune will suggest a subject; sometimes vice versa, and sometimes they will find each other. I like Star Trek as a filksong subject because there is a lot of raw material, with both the series and the movies. Although I have found Bjo Trimble's "Star Trek Concordance" to be a valuable aid, I try not to make my filksongs too "inside." I like for even semi-mundanes to understand them (some of rny best friends are mundanes).
As far as following the original lyrics of the song goes -- I like to borrow a lot from the first verse or so of the original to establish my parody. I frequently use words that rhyme with words in the original. The best thing to do is to make a play on the words of the original. However, the subjects of the original and the parody should be pretty different or it loses some of its humor. I tend to follow the 'progression' of a song, eg. if it follows a definite chronological order, my filksong tends to proceed in the same way.
I do use a rhyming dictionary, but often find it more helpful to just use a list of consonants. (Also, rhyming dictionaries don't contain words like "Kobayashi Maru", which I think makes a great rhyme.)
Another thing that helps me is to listen to a recording of the original several times before or during the writing process. I find my songs scan better if I do this.
- (Spacin' Away Again) Aboard the Enterprise, to the tune of Margaritaville (Star Trek)
- Born to Overrun, to the tune of Born to Run (Star Trek)
- Beam Me Up Before I Go-Go, to the tune of Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Star Trek)
- Cute Tribble, to the tune of Moon River (Star Trek)
- Bad, Bad, James T. Kirk, to the tune of Bad, Bad Leroy Brown (Star Trek)
- The Crew of the Enterprise, to the tune of Piano Man (Star Trek)
- (I Can't Get That) Federation, to the tune of Satisfaction (Star Trek)
- 50 Was to Keep a Katra, to the tune of 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (Star Trek)
- Fun, Fun, Fun ('till they take the Enterprise away), to the tune of Fun, Fun, Fun (Star Trek)
- Greet It, to the tune of Beat It (Star Trek)
- I Change the Rules, to the tune of I Write the Songs (Star Trek)
- I Just Have to Say, "He's Dead, Jim", to the tune of I Just Called to Say, "I Love You" (Star Trek)
- Ilia, to the tune of Maria (Star Trek)
- Kirk Just Wants to Have Fun, to the tune of Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Star Trek)
- The Neutral Zone (song), to the tune of The Unicorn (song) (Star Trek)
- On and On (Star Trek)
- Pointy Vulcan Ears, to the tune of Bette Davis Eyes (Star Trek)
- Roddenberry, to the tune of John Henry (Star Trek)
- A Show, That's Why, to the tune of Don't Ask Me Why (Star Trek)
- Star Trek I Was the Bomb, to the tune of Mr. Froggie Went A-Courtin' (Star Trek)
- Still Trekkin' After All These Years, to the tune of Still Crazy After All These Years (Star Trek)
- We Are the Wise, to the tune of We Are the World (Star Trek)
- There Aren't Many Vulcans in Starfleet, to the tune of And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda (Star Trek)
- Anatomy, to the tune of Yesterday (non-Star Trek)
- Filkin' U.S.A., to the tune of Surfin' U.S.A. (non-Star Trek)
- Smart People, to the tune of Short People (non-Star Trek)
Issue 2
Filk: The FInal Frontier 2 was published in 1986.