This is the other Canberra IV item I wrote, the one that didn’t seem quite as successful (see Jerusawoody). The problem seems to be that filk only works if your audience is familiar with the original, and too many choristers have spent too much time listening to ABC-FM to know all the old mainstream country classics like The Devil Went Down To Georgia, by the Charlie Daniels Band. This song is a true story, by the way, and in case you wonder, LST is Long Sleeved T-shirt.
[June 1996]
The tenor went down to Canberra, he was lookin’ for a song to sing.
He was pretty green upon the choral scene, and he was hopin’ to find a fling.
When he came across this bushdance, strippin’ o’ the willow and wearin’ black,
And the tenor stood upon the polished wood and said, “Boy, this is rilly slack!
“Well, I guess you didn’t know it, but I’m a party rager too,
“I have to say without delay, I’m unimpressed with you.
“Now you do pretty good dancing here, but I seen better in church.
“Got a mission I’m in, to find some sin, and I guess I gotta still search.”
So the boss said, “My name’s Dervish, and it might be July,
“But I’ll show you what makes a chicken get hot, cos we’re the best you’ll ever try!”
Dervish gather up your crowd, and leave your shirts behind,
Precision topless dancing teams are never hard to find.
And if you want the band’ll stay and play till twelve or one,
And if they do, they’re gonna have some fun.
The tenor opened up his eyes and said, “That’s quite a show!”
And drool ran from his gaping jaw as he watched the dancers go.
They dragged the boy away from there, his legs had ceased to stand,
Then a crowd of dancers joined it, and it really stunned the band!
(Instrumental)
When the tenor sat, the Dervish said, “Well you’re pretty wet, my child,
“Just sit down on that chicken there, let us prove to you we’re wild!”
Fire on the dancefloor, do-si-do,
This is how the IVs always go.
Better not be too shy, don’t you know,
Only got a fortnight, don’t be slow.
The tenor gave a hoot, because he knew that he could rage,
And he dropped his LST upon the pile against the stage.
And Dervish said, “Just get on down if you ever wanna dance with me,
“Cos I told you once, you son of a bitch, it’s the ninety six IV!”
They sang:
Fire on the dancefloor, do-si-do,
This is how the IVs always go.
Better not be too shy, don’t you know,
Only got a fortnight, don’t be slow.