My first wizard rock song!

[pegkerr]

Oh my god, I actually did it. I wrote a wizard rock song. Well, I did a filk to "My Father is a Werewolf" by the Redhill Rats. (You can download their songs legally for free, including "My Father is a Werewolf"here.) Obviously I had too much time on my hands at work today.

Um. I think I'm going to contact Ministry of Magic and ask if they might want to record it. Why the hell not? Or maybe (maybe?) I'll figure out how to do it with Garage Band myself.


1. My father was a werewolf, a Marauder, one of four
Who joined the Order and who fought for Albus Dumbledore
My mother was an auror brave who sped upon her broom
and loved the man with the scarred up face whose boggart was the moon

2. Lord Voldemort rose again; I heard he caused some harm
with cruel men in the silver masks and the Dark Mark on their arms
Those Deatheaters had no fear, no shame and no remorse
There were burning houses left behind and a hundred broken doors

Ch: Come all ye wizards, hear the story of the ones that fell
Buy me Fire whiskey and a beer, and heed the tale I tell
If you have chocolate about you, repel those Dementors
and if this story spooks your wits, I'll tell you something more.

3. On a night-time visit he encountered some old friends
and told them he was leaving, that his marriage he must end
When Harry called him coward, the wolf rose in his eyes
But he left to go back home to her and to apologize

4. The Whomping Willow stands right there behind a wooded hill
And I cannot pass by there without thinking about him still
The Shrieking Shack stands in that field, its windows all a-gape,
Haunted by his memory and the ghost of Severus Snape

Chorus

I believe he truly loved her, but both left me behind
and fell in battle fighting for the rest of wizardkind
My mother was an auror, my godfather’s the Chosen One,
But my father was a werewolf and I am a werewolf's son
Yes, my father was a werewolf, that makes me a werewolf's son.

Listen to the tune here (click on the fifth song on the player):

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1. My father was a werewolf and he roamed the countryside
His fangs were long and sharp, his territory was wide
Along the way he sang his songs and sang them out of tune
He left a trail of tears and grief beneath the yellow moon

2. In a far-off village I heard he broke some hearts
I guess young hearts break easily in those foreign parts
Drunken frenzy has no fear, no shame and no remorse
There were burning bridges left behind and a hundred broken doors

Ch: Come all ye wankers, hear the story of the beast that stunk
Buy me a whiskey and a beer, I'm not completely drunk
If you have loose change about you, ring those service bells,
and if this story spooks your wits, I'll tell you something else.

3. On a night-time rampage he encountered some old friends
and left them lying in a pool of blood, this is where that story ends
When he came home next morning, he was all smile and charm
By the dirt under his fingernails I knew he'd done some harm.

4. My playground was a field of thorns behind a sandy hill
Grown-ups could not come there against the childrens' will
A haunted house stood in that field, all derelict and torn
I played there with the bones of the damned and the ghosts of the forlorn

Chorus-

5. I believe that I'm in love right now, a feeling that remains
is a twisting pulse inside my head and a bloodrush in my veins.
That girl is sweet beyond compare, she is my only one
But my father was a werewolf and I am a werewolf's son
Yes, my father was a werewolf, that makes me a werewolf's son.

Edited to add: marcgunn has recorded it! You can listen and download it here. Thanks, Marc!

Comments

[utkari02.livejournal.com]

That's awesome Peg!

I can't listen to the song here at work, but the lyrics look great!

I say go ahead and send a message to the Ministry folk! Do you have their email, or are you just going to send it through MySpace. Let me know if you don't hear from them and I can prod them! (Not that I can promise that it'll do any good! ;0)

-Kari

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I'm not on Myspace, and I don't have their e-mail, do you? If you could send it to me, I'd really appreciate it. Send it to my username at livejournal.com. Thanks!

[utkari02.livejournal.com]

Sent, hope you get it!

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll send an email off to them tonight.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

You know, I didn't get your email. You sent it to pegkerr AT livejournal DOT com?

Anyway, I pulled out my PayPal receipt from ordering the TriWizard Tournament CD and there was a gmail address for Ministry of Magic, so I tried that. I assume that's still their email address? Using that address, I've sent the query off, and I'm ridiculously hopeful that they'd be interested in recording it. I'd really love to hear what they could do with it.

[utkari02.livejournal.com]

I think that's where I sent it!

But I the address I have for them is gmail also, so... :)

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

marcgunn has recorded it! You can listen and download it here.

I still haven't heard back from Ministry of Magic, though. :-(

[msavi.livejournal.com]

Y'know, even though I like some of the songs I've heard, wizard rock just isn't my thing. But I used to spend an embarrassing amount of time filking. I posted most of my stuff here as HawthorneAndPhoenix. It's way too much fun to filk. X)

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

You're scaring me.

B

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Honestly? I'm scaring myself.

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

This is great! I had no idea you were so versatile. ;)

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

It took me by surprise. (And, as I told minnehaha B, it scares me a little.)

[aome.livejournal.com]

Wow, Peg. That's just amazing. It fits so perfectly. And that's a great tune, too. I've never heard of the group - they're Irish, I assume? Are the rest of their pieces that enjoyable? You did a fabulous job changing things to fit Teddy. Of course, now I'll have this stuck in my head all night. :P

Btw, did my little package arrive? I sent it Tues, but the mail seems to be traveling at strange regional speeds, so I just wanted to check.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yes! I was going to email you tonight to let you know because it just arrived today and the contents absolutely delighted us. Thank you! I will wear the necklace tomorrow and think of you. We absolutely love the Weasley sweater and it has already gone on the tree.

You can download twenty-two of the Redhill Rats' songs legally here, all for free! Including "My Father is a Werewolf." I like all of their music quite well. They are a Celtic music group, yes, but they are actually located in Helsinki, Finland, of all places!

I sent the e-mail off to Ministry of Magic to inquire tonight. It's probably a small chance that they'd be interested, but I'm ridiculously hopeful. I'd really love to hear them do it.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

This ROCKS. Oh! What a great adaptation of the lyrics; I love it! "My godfather's the Chosen One." Eee, perfect!

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

marcgunn has recorded it! You can listen and download it here.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

EEEEEEE! This is so freakin' boss! This has come freakin' full circle, hasn't it--he hears the song, plays it on his show, I hear his show, I link the song, you filk the song, he hears the song he records the song!!

[marcgunn.livejournal.com]

That's AWESOME!!!!
I love it.

Hey would you mind, if I can make the time, if I recorded your song?

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Would I mind??? I would be ECSTATIC. Oh, would you please? I would be so grateful! Please let me know if you do.

[marcgunn.livejournal.com]

Well, somehow I actually got off my booty and recorded it.
http://www.myspace.com/marcgunn

[marcgunn.livejournal.com]

So how do you want to be credited and all? Looks like your pegkerr.com isn't working properly.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yes, unfortunately it's been down for awhile. Link back to my LiveJournal, if you don't mind (http://pegkerr.livejournal.com), since that's my most active web practice, but you might mention my MySpace account, too (http://www.myspace.com/pegkerr) , which I just started this week. Thanks!

[marcgunn.livejournal.com]

You know, you could just forward PegKerr.com to your LJ or Myspace. I prefer linking to URLs that individuals own since those are more likely to stick around. Though if you'd prefer the LJ, I can do that instead.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Send it to the LJ for now, thanks. I've been blogging here since 2002, and this is a permanant account, so I'll be around here for awhile.

(I really need to find a new host for pegkerr.com. Yet another item for my massive to-do list.)

[marcgunn.livejournal.com]

k. changed it.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love it! You did a FANTASTIC job. Thank you so much!

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Will you let the Redhill Rats know about it, by the way? Since I gather you've been in touch with them. I'd be very curious to learn what they think about it.

My Father Was A Werewolf

[ilkkar.livejournal.com]

Hi Peg,

I sing & play guitar with Redhill Rats. I also wrote the original My Father Was A Werewolf. I think this is a wonderful way to share ideas, letting them become bigger than any of us could create by ourselves. And delightfully off kilter to boot.

I loved your lyrics for the song. I'm not that passionate about HP, but, having read all the books, I can relate to the themes that you raised. You (re)captured the rhythm of the song quite perfectly, which is aptly manifested by Marc in his version.

Marc did not contact me prior to recording the song, but that's perfectly alright. This is so much fun.

All the best,

Ilkka Ranta-aho
ilkka.ranta-aho@a-lehdet.fi

Re: My Father Was A Werewolf

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I'm delighted to hear from you, and very pleased that you liked the lyrics the way I'd rewritten them. I've enjoyed the Redhill Rats' music very much, and so it's quite delightful to hear that I've done something to please you as well. Thank you so much for commenting!