Blue Passant Tiger
The Blue Passant Tiger
Copyright 2008 by Jeff Suzuki
Good grief: it's 2008 already. That means I've been filking for longer than I've been alive, considering that I just turned 24...
Anyway, after presenting Fighter Jock, someone made a remark that I ought to do a filk to Eye of the Tiger. That's about the worst thing you can do to me, since I happened to know the tune...I sketched out the basic “plot” that night, and finished this a little under a week later (January 16, 2008 to be exact). In the meantime, it spawned some other ideas (The Summer of A.S. IX, for example).
I'm beginning to develop a theory of modern filk as well, and the one basic that I'd like to suggest is: Mirror the first stanza and the chorus. They're the two parts most people will know. Most people won't know the other verses, and they probably won't even remember the first stanza particularly well, but they'll remember it enough to identify the song. I did it subconsciously with The Miskatonic University Marching Song, and I think it's a good general rule.
So here's my latest modern filk, with footnotes. The music is The Eye of the Tiger, by Survivor. It's another theme song (Rocky IV, if memory serves correctly). If anyone does a music video...send me a link.
Update: After trying it out on The Summer of A.S. IX, I decided that putting a music video and karaoke version adjacent would be useful. So I've added them. The best one I've seen is a Spike (from Buffy) montage (with the original music) and an independent group (with the karaoke version).
Suiting up, grabbing my shield Taped my sword, did my rivets. Got my blue card, now I take to the field Just a man and his will to survive. So many times, it happens so fast You charge the shield wall for glory. Don't lose your grip on your shield 'til the last Kite or round, it will keep you alive. Chorus It's the blue passant tiger, it's the thrill of the fight Rising up to the challenge of our rivals And the last fighter standing won't turn heels and take flight For he's wearing the badge of the blue passant tiger. Shield to shield, out in the heat, There's a hold, see the Marshall. They've brought the Horde to ensure our defeat But we fight with the skill to survive. Chorus Charging forth, straight for their king Through the Dukes and his Household I'm surrounded and his guards start to swing Just a man and his will to survive... Chorus
The blue card is a waiver that says that if you get injured while fighting, it's your problem. Gotta love the legal boilerplate...
A kite is a shield shaped like a traditional kite.
The badge of the East Kingdom is a blue passant tiger. But this particularly phrase is easy to change, depending on your location needs: red rampant dragon, green couchant serpent, etc. I encourage you to modify it as necessary.
Originally this was “Rising up to the challenge of the Midrealm“ (a Pensic reference). But I decided that would make it too specialized.
The Great Dark Horde, though the term is generic. Originally this was “They've hired some mercs..,” but the word “mercs” is hard to understand when sung, so I changed it to the more recognizable “Horde.”
A Duke is the title given to someone who has been king two or more times. Since you become king by winning a Crown Tournament, the expectation is that someone who's a Duke is a very good fighter.
This is nominally the funny bit of the song. Be sure to hit it and make sure the audience knows exactly what's happened...
