Sunday, August 2nd, was a special day. In one fell swoop, I wrote 90% of the lyrics for my latest song parody. The flow of thoughts that morning was splendidly smooth.
What did I write about this round? As I hinted on Facebook recently, I had this idea for a song about durian. Yes, it’s that thorny king of fruit which some of us adore and others abhor.
Best part is, there’s this old National Day song whose tune fits perfectly. And so this special WittyCulus song is born, days before this year’s Golden Jubilee.
I’ve called it my SD50c tribute — the reasons will become clear later — to all durian lovers in Singapore.
It took a few more days of tweaking to complete the lyrics to my satisfaction. And do a bit of research too.
I also started to think about where to get the music, what images and captions to use, how to record the vocals, etc.
Yes, I want to make a video and release it on YouTube. This will take a while more, so here are the lyrics to get you up to speed first. I’ll update this post when the video is done.
There were those times when people pinched their noses, made grimaces — yes they did
We’ve built a craving, strong and dear
Reaching out whenever durian season is here
This is my darling, look at the flesh
Savour it deftly — this is what’s left
We feast together, family and friends
Here in Singapore, we just love durian
Singapore, the Red Dot, a world class melting pot
Everything’s efficient, no doubt we are top-notch
Renown internationally, got many number ones
But how come we still don’t have that prize called mao shan wang?
This is my darling, relish that colour
Rich in potassium, iron and fibre
Fifteen a kilo, elsewhere it’s more
We pay a premium here in tiny Singapore
Here in Singapore, at our favourite stalls
We don’t mind queuing for an hour and more
It’s the king of fruit, everythin’ else is moot
Fresh deliveries from our neighbours up north
Head down to Katong, Albert Street, Jurong
Geylang’s busiest, got 50-cent lelong
There’s Ah Seng of Ghim Moh, Sindy in Whampoa
Jaded fans of the “Cat” try Balestier’s Combat
This is my darling, oh what a treat
Some like theirs bitter, some like it sweet
Such diversity, steeped in tradition
Maybe we could do more, grow Singapore durian
Add one to our score, like Singapore lew lian
———-
With all the SG50 promos going on, I thought I’d add my own spin.
So, SD is for “Singapore Durian”, the title of the song; while 50c is a play on the jubilee numerals, referring to the price of really cheap durians.
There’s even a logo for SD50c, as you will see later in the video.
Oh, before I forget, the song I parodied is “We Are Singapore”, the original version released in 1987 and frequently seen on TV.
Here’s the YouTube link if you need to have a listen:
http://www.youtube.com.sg/watch?v=cts6ssZ_8mw
For those familiar with how I work, or rather how my brain tends to wander, I’ve already started thinking about the extended version of the ND song: the one people sing today and includes The Pledge at some point.
My next version will also have a “proclamation”, one made by durian sellers. I’d venture to say you’d fall off your chair when you read it. ROTFL! Such WittyCulus fun, this hobby of song parody 🙂
