Song: A Neurotic Love Song

I've been a Star Trek fan ever since classic Trek. I still maintain that Captain Kirk was the quintessential Star Trek captain, though if I was going on an away mission, I'd totally opt for Jean-Luc Picard. I adore Patrick Stewart's work (not just in Star Trek), and am very fond of my Patrick Stewart "Discover The Feeling, Learn To Read" literacy poster - a gift from a librarian after we did a children's concert in his library.

When it was announced that Star Trek: The Next Generation was about to wind up, TV Guide solicited fan tributes for a special commemorative edition. I submitted a poem and gave my music group the byline, in hopes of generating interest in our albums. I later turned this into a song which Urban Tapestry performed at filk and science fiction conventions.

Performing the song in an open filk circle. I'm using my props!

You can hear a sample on CDBaby. Allison and Jodi alternate vocal leads, while I play percussion (using rhythm sticks on my music stand) and do visual schtick with props throughout. We ham it up throughout the song, and it's great fun to perform. :-)

Above photo: a performance we did with our friend WK, who generously dressed up as Picard for one of our concerts at FilKONtario. :-)

A NEUROTIC LOVE SONG

by Debbie Ridpath Ohi (May 1994) 

Bb             Cm                F              Bb

Robert Redford has the chin, Mel Gibson has the eyes

      D                Gm            Cm             F

Sean Connery has the experience, and Arnie has the size.

      Bb               Cm         F            Bb

But they all can't compare to one very Special Guy

    D             Gm       Cm                F

who may have zero hair but makes my hormones fry...

CHORUS: 

  Bb              Gm

  Jean-Luc, Jean-Luc

         Eb         F

  You're my kind of mah-han

       Bb                         Gm

  You say <spoken:> "Earl Grey...HOT"

       Eb           F

  Like no one else can.

      Bb            Gm

  Forget about Lwaxanna

            Eb         F

  and that hussy Beverly

     Bb               Gm

  Eline and Vash are goners

         Eb             F

  Your heart belongs to me.

BRIDGE:

When the series ended I cried showers 

I thought it was the end of you and me 

But now I can still talk to you for hours (thank God for re-runs)

As I caress the screen of my TV...... 

CHORUS:

  Bb              Gm

  Jean-Luc, Jean-Luc

         Eb         F

  You're my kind of mah-han

       Bb                         Gm

  You say <spoken:> " EARL GREY HOT " 

       Eb           F

  Like no one else can. 

      Bb            Gm

  Forget about Lwaxanna 

            Eb         F

  and that hussy Beverly 

     Bb               Gm

  Eline and Vash are goners 

         Eb             F

  Your heart belongs to me. 

VERSE:

Bb                    Cm           F               Bb

When they say you're fictional, it cuts me like a knife 

      D              Gm        Cm             F

They tell me I'm a loony, that I should get a life. 

     Bb              Cm        F              Bb

But they can't understand the passion that we share 

   D             Gm               Cm          

I want to lie beside you, run my fingers through your...

CHORUS:

  Bb              Gm

  Jean-Luc, Jean-Luc

         Eb         F

  You're my kind of mah-han

       Bb                         Gm

  You say <spoken:> "EARL GREY HOT "

       Eb           F

  Like no one else can.

      Bb            Gm

  Forget about Lwaxanna 

            Eb         F

  and that hussy Beverly

     Bb               Gm

  Eline and Vash are goners

         Eb             F

  Your heart belongs to me.

A: To me! (dirty look at other) J: To me! (dirty look)

Captain Kirk may have more haaaaair

But he just can't compaaaaare

Jean-Luc, you are the man for MEEEEE.

Make it SO! 

Song: The Question (An Important Debate About The Lord Of The Rings Movies)

THE QUESTION

By Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Performing "The Question" at a Tolkien conventionI wrote this song back when Allison, Jodi and I were watching the Lord Of The Rings movies. Apologies for the abysmal art in the above Waiting For Frodo comic, but keep in mind I did it in 2002.

I posted these lyrics especially for Navah Wolfe. :-)

A = Allison
J = Jodi
D = Debbie

LYRICS:

A: Sat down and watched Lord of the Rings yesterday
J: The extended version?
A: Of course, what do you take me for?
J: Did you notice Aragorn’s eyes
A: Oh, Aragorn’s eyes, oh yes I did
J & A: & D Uh-huh
J: But y’know I kinda like the elf
A: He’s too young
J: Maybe for you
A: But he sure knows how to wield a bow
J & A & D: Yes, he knows how to wield a bow!

A: Gimli’s kinda cute in a short and hairy way
J: You must be kidding
A: Of course I am or maybe not
J: Did you notice Boromir’s smile
A & D: Oh Boromir’s smile, oh yes we did
J & A & D: Uh huh
A: But y’know that Faramir has the look
J: What look?! He broods too much!
A: He so does NOT
J: Yes he does and you should know!
A&D: what do you know?

A: Wormtongue does annoy J: Well, what about Merry?
A: He’s the sort who’s needy
A: Theodon is too royal! J: Gimli’s hairy
and too short! A: You’re greedy!

A: You must admit that Saruman has bad boy allure
J: What about Frodo Baggins?
A: Too short, angst-ridden, way too pure
J: Did you notice Eomer’s scowl
A & D: Oh Eomer’s scowl, oh yes we did
J & A & D: Uh huh

They all are decent guys, all legendary
But In the end there’s only one we’d marry
(pause)
And of course that’s Sam!
And of course that’s Sam!

Song: Wo Ist Der Bahnhof? a.k.a. Our German Song

 

Back in 2005, Urban Tapestry was overseas Guests Of Honour at FilkContinental, one of the German filk conventions. We had a wonderful, unforgettable time. You can see my Filkcontinental photos on Flickr and Allison's photos: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3. And my Filkcontinental con report: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4. 

Here's the song I wrote for us to perform during our concert, plus some songwriting notes I took when I was figuring out the counterpoint parts for the chorus.:

OUR GERMAN SONG (aka "Wo Ist Der Bahnhof")

 By Debbie Ridpath Ohi

 Sept/2005

 

 A                    E

 So we learned some German so they'd

 F                G

 be amazed at Filkcontinental

 A         E                      F

 Ow, our mouths can't make these sounds

 G

 Please be gentle!

 

 A               E

 And we studied hours 'til our

 F                G

 brains exploded (well not quite) it

 A          E                        F

 took some time but we learned ONE PHRASE

 G

 Here, let's try it:

 

 CHORUS:

 D               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 E               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 D              A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 E               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 

 A                 E

 So we packed our luggage, we flew

 F                  G

 'cross the ocean, all excited,

 A        E                 F

 Landed, found a Help Desk clerk, and

 G

 we recited:

   

CHORUS:

 D               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 E               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 D              A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 E               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 

 A            E

 We wanted a taxi but hey

 F                     G

 we'll take the train, don't need first class

 A         E                 F

 Then we wondered, is there lunch?

 G

 so we asked

 

CHORUS:

 D               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 E               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 D              A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 E               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 

 A                E

 But they didn't feed us, they just

 F                       G

 made us get off, it was NOT what we needed, (we)

 A        E               F

 Found a restaurant, sat down

 G

 and we pleaded

 

  CHORUS:

 D               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 E               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 D              A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 E               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

       A                   E

       At the end of this story, they ar-

       F            G

       -rested us, threw us in prison

       A

       Now we're working hard to learn a

       G

       phrase that isn't:

       

CHORUS:

 D               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 E               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 D              A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

 E               A

 Wo ist der Bahnhof

Urban Tapestry performs "I Am Stardust" (by Lloyd Landa) at FilKONtario

Thanks to Phil Mills for this video, and to Karen Linsley for permission for posting this video. The song, "I Am Stardust" was written by our friend Lloyd Landa, who died in late 2000. You can read the lyrics to "I Am Stardust" on the Pegasus Awards site; it was nominated for Best Classic Filk Song in 2010.

Lloyd, we miss you.

From a moving tribute to Lloyd Landa by Norm Hacking

On her blog post about the video, Allison writes:

This is a video taken by Phil Mills of Urban Tapestry singing "I Am StarDust" by Lloyd Landa at our 20th anniversary concert at FilKONtario last weekend. Debbie, Jodi and I love this song dearly and once Lloyd was gone from us too soon, it's always been an honour that his music partner Karen Linsley, who first sang the song with Lloyd, has encouraged us to continue singing it. I'm glad the filk community has taken "I Am Stardust" to their hearts and one of my favorite things about the video is listening to the audience singing along in the background.

Allison, Jodi and I had a wonderful time at FilKONtario. Kudos to the concom and guests! Allison has posted a series of con reports with photos on her blog:

Allison's FKO report, Part 1

Allison's FKO report, Part 2

Allison's FKO report, Part 3

Allison's FKO report, Part 4

For those who have arrived at this post from elsewhere and aren't familiar with filk, here's my own take on the topic: What Is Filk?

-- Debbie

Home To FilKONtario

Photo: Walter K.Thanks to John Durno for the video below (additional footage from Tom Jeffers), who filmed us performing the song at Urban Tapestry's FilKONtario concert in 2013:

For those who have arrived at this post from elsewhere and aren't familiar with filk, here's my own take on the topic: What Is Filk?

From Debbie: I wrote a song about how I felt about FKO years ago, and was honoured when the convention began using it as its closing song. You can read the lyrics to "Home To FilKONtario" here...

HOME TO FILKONTARIO
===================
by Debbie Ridpath Ohi (1999)

G          F              C                D
I used to feel the lyrics slide inside my head
C                             D
The music filled me up, and I felt I would explode in a
G                 F               C           D
burst of coloured static, and the people all around, their eyes
F                G
on the ground.

CHORUS:
   C        Am      F      G
   Bring me home to FilKONtario
   C  Am  F        G
   Stay, sing with me - we'll
   C               Am
   be all right, sing all night
   F                   G        C    C
   with my friends at Filkontario.

G             F                 C            D
One fateful weekend, my friend took me to a filk, "What's a
C                        D
filk", I said, and she laughed and took my hand, led me
G             F              C               D
to a room of people with guitars and easy smiles, and I
F               G
stayed a while.

CHORUS:
   C        Am      F      G
   Bring me home to FilKONtario
   C  Am  F        G
   Stay, sing with me - we'll
   C               Am
   be all right, sing all night
   F                   G        C    C
   with my friends at Filkontario.

    (plus counterpoint #1)
    Bring me home to FilKONtario
    Bring me home to FilKONtario
    I want to go to FilKONtario
    
    (plus counterpoint #2)
    Filk FilkOntario...Filk FilkONtario
    I want to go to FilkONtario  
   
G           F               C               D   
So now I'm hooked, I go to filk cons every year, never
C                    D
get much sleep, why sleep? I could be filking...
G             F                C                 D
The circle changes but the smiles are still the same, and the
F              G
song remains.    

BRIDGE:
                     C       D                 
(but each time, I) find it harder to say 
     G                 C
good-bye at the end of day, 
G                     Em
may our paths cross again,
     D         G    F    G    F
my friend.

G           F               C            D   
Our voices may not be all perfectly on key, but we
C                          D
lift each other up, and share the melody as we
G                    F            C               D
fill the room with music, and I know I'll be all right as we
F                     G
sing into the night.

CHORUS (twice):

   C        Am      F      G
   Bring me home to FilKONtario
   C  Am  F        G
   Stay, sing with me - we'll
   C               Am
   be all right, sing all night
   F                   G        C    C
   with my friends at Filkontario.

    (plus counterpoint #1)
    Bring me home to FilKONtario
    Bring me home to FilKONtario
    I want to go to FilKONtario
    
    (plus counterpoint #2)
    Filk FilkOntario...Filk FilkONtario
    I want to go to FilkONtario