A Li'l Bit of Song Poem Love

TL Hines — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:10:39 -0600

If you've attended one of my "Getting Published--Without Getting Scammed" presentations, you might recall me comparing some of the more unscrupulous self-publishing companies to the song poem industry.

That said, I have a soft spot for the whole song poem industry--a strange fascination, you might say. Without it, we wouldn't have songs such as "I Like Yellow Things" or "Non-Violent Taekwondo Troopers" available for our listening pleasure.

Really, where else would you find lyrics such as:

I have taken a vow of celibacy until marriage.
However if Annie tempted me into her carriage,
I might lose to Miss Oakley; it's not funny.
Annie Oakley is one of my historical honeys.

Gold, Jerry. Pure gold.

Friends (thanks, Nicole and Karen) recently passed along this episode of "Independent Lens," which offers a fascinating look inside the world of song poems, including interviews with people who submitted "song poems," as well as the industry folks who set them to music and recorded them.

It's absolutely impossible to watch this and not become a song poem devotee.