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10/52 The Apocalyptic Polka *** w MP3

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(@john-sargent)
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Joined: 14 years ago
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Topic starter  

I couldn't sleep so thought I'd put down some silliness.

The first two verses are slow, the tempo and melody change for the remaining verses. Right now the melody and chord structure are in my head but it's 3 AM and I'm going to bed.

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11993900

The Apocalyptic Polka

The Jews say there’s peace at the “End of Days”,
The Muslims say judgment will come to stay
The Christians that Jesus will return
The physicists claim there’s a lot more to learn

It all sprang from a singularity
A Big Bang of creativity
Matter expanded but will retract again
Like some cosmic accordion

There’s no reason to hide in a cold war shelter
When everything’s burning there’s no escape from the swelter
Pass around the bottle; we’ll all have a belter
And dance the apocalyptic polka

The oceans will be gone, you can’t just submerse
No time machine you can put in reverse
You’re stuck like a bug in the collapsing universe
So dance the apocalyptic polka

Let me be very clear, so you don’t misconstrue
Our fate is cast and there’s nothing we can do
The answer is right here, put on your fancy shoes
And dance the apocalyptic polka

Instrumental

When the parties over the universe will end
If there is an afterlife we might meet up again
But until that happens, we'll gather with our friends
And dance the apocalyptic polka


   
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(@john-sargent)
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Topic starter  

Chord structure added along with some tweeks to the lyric

The Apocalyptic Polka

4/4 time
(I) The Jews say there’s (V dim) peace at the (IV)“End of (V7)Days”,
(I)The Muslims say (V dim) judgment will (IV) come to (V7) stay
(I)The Christians that (II)( II7)Jesus (I) will return (VI7)
The (IV) physicists claim there’s a (V7) lot more to learn

(I)It all sprang (V dim)from a (IV)singularity (V7)
(I)Big Bang(V dim) moment of (IV) creativity (V7)
(I)Matter (II)expanded (II7)will (I) retract (VI7) again
Like some (IV) cosmic (V7) accordion (I)

2/4 (Polka ) time
(I) There’s no reason (I maj7) to hide in a (I) cold war (I maj7) shelter
(I)When everything’s (I maj7) burning there’s no (V7) escape from the swelter
(V)Pass around the (V7) bottle; (V) we’ll all have a (V7) belter
And (V7) dance the (V) apoca(V7)lyptic (I) polka

(I)Water will be (I maj7)gone, you (I) can’t sub(I maj7)merge
(I)No time (I7) machine you can (IV) put in reverse
You’re stuck like a (IV7) bug in the (I) collapsing (vi7)uni(I)verse
So (V7) dance the (V) apoca(V7)lyptic (I) polka

instrumental

(I) Let me be very (I maj7) clear, so you (I) don’t miscon(I maj7)strue
(I)Our fate is (I maj7)cast and there’s (V7) nothing we can do
(V)The answer is right (V7)here, so put (V) on your fancy (V7)shoes
And (V7) dance the (V) apoca(V7)lyptic (I) polka

(I) When the parties (I maj7)over the (I)universe will (I maj7)end
(I)If there is an (I7) afterlife we (IV) might meet again
But until that (IV7) happens, we'll (I) gather (vi7) with our (I) friends
And (V7) dance the (V) apoca(V7)lyptic (I) polka


   
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(@davidhodge)
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Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 4472
 

This is great fun! Looking forward to hearing it.

Don't know if you've thought about it, but many traditional polkas have a section where the tonality of the piece is shifted from the I to the IV. Doing so with the Instrumental section (or even the Instrumental section and the one verse immediately following) might give a little more kick to the arrangement.

Great work this week.

Peace


   
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(@john-sargent)
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Topic starter  

Thanks for reading and posting. Not really sure how to twist the tonality around. I don't have an accordion so this will probably be on uke(s) and kazoo.


   
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(@davidhodge)
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Changing the tonality, in this case anyway, involves transposing the verse from the original key to the key of the IV chord. Suppose you chose to play this in the key of C, the first two verses immediately before the instrumental would be:

(C) There’s no reason (Cmaj7) to hide in a (C) cold war (Cmaj7) shelter
(C)When everything’s (Cmaj7) burning there’s no (G7) escape from the swelter
(G)Pass around the (G7) bottle; (G) we’ll all have a (G7) belter
And (G7) dance the (G) apoca(G7)lyptic (C) polka

(C)Water will be (Cmaj7)gone, you (C) can’t sub(Cmaj7)merge
(C)No time (C7) machine you can (F) put in reverse
You’re stuck like a (F7) bug in the (C) collapsing (Am7)uni(C)verse
So (G7) dance the (G) apoca(G7)lyptic (C) polka

Then you'd play the instrumental in the key of F. Using the last two verses as a template (you'd obviously not be singing the melody but perhaps playing it on accordian or kazoo), the accompany chords would now be:

(F) Let me be very (Fmaj7) clear, so you (F) don’t miscon(Fmaj7)strue
(F)Our fate is (Fmaj7)cast and there’s (C7) nothing we can do
(C)The answer is right (C7)here, so put (C) on your fancy (C7)shoes
And (C7) dance the (C) apoca(C7)lyptic (F) polka

(F) When the parties (Fmaj7)over the (F)universe will (Fmaj7)end
(F)If there is an (F7) afterlife we (Bb) might meet again
But until that (Bb7) happens, we'll (F) gather (Dm7) with our (F) friends
And (C7) dance the (C) apoca(C7)lyptic (F) polka

And then you'd go through the last two verses (with the sung lyrics) back in the original key of C. Again, that's all supposing you were in the key of C to start with. If you started with G, then the instrumental would be in C.

I hope this is more helpful than confusing! But it's a fairly easy thing to do. We've got a great article on transposing here at Guitar Noise ( https://www.guitarnoise.com/lesson/basic-guide-to-transposing/ ) should you be interested.

Peace


   
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(@john-sargent)
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Topic starter  

Thanks for the input. I'm trying to write my charts in Nashville style to make it easier to transpose. I don't use a capo on the ukes so learning how to transpose keys has become necessary,


   
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(@jamestoffee)
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Posts: 2855
 

Hi MrEWorm,

It reads well :D I was wondering if there would be an escape ship to Mars, but seeing how you included the destruction of the universe along with the Earth, no point in that :lol:
many traditional polkas have a section where the tonality of the piece is shifted from the I to the IV.
Thanks for the polka lesson....always something new to learn :wink:

JAems


   
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(@john-sargent)
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Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 946
Topic starter  

Hi MrEWorm,

It reads well :D I was wondering if there would be an escape ship to Mars, but seeing how you included the destruction of the universe along with the Earth, no point in that :lol:
many traditional polkas have a section where the tonality of the piece is shifted from the I to the IV.
Thanks for the polka lesson....always something new to learn :wink:

JAems

The assignment had me in a quandry. Was the assignment about
1) the end of the Earth
2) the end of the Solar System
3) the Milky Way
4) the Universe
5) could it be an emotional end of the world or trauma:
a) lost love
b) lost possessions (like the East coast residents)
c) The Tigers losing the World Series

I had fiddled around with 20 starts and stops before I wrote this. It ended up being what it is.


   
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(@john-sargent)
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Topic starter  

With the key change in the middle (I dropped the momentary instance of Dm7 in the next to last instrumental line). So how do the Nashville types chart out a key change? Should it be: IV IVmaj7 IV IVmaj7 etc

(I) The Jews say there’s (V dim) peace at the (IV)“End of (V7)Days”,
(I)The Muslims say (V dim) judgment will (IV) come to (V7) stay
(I)The Christians that (II)( II7)Jesus (I) will return (VI7)
The (IV) physicists claim there’s a (V7) lot more to learn

(I)It all sprang (V dim)from a (IV)singularity (V7)
(I)Big Bang(V dim) moment of (IV) creativity (V7)
(I)Matter (II)expanded (II7)will (I) retract (VI7) again
Like some (IV) cosmic (V7) accordion (I)

(I) There’s no reason (I maj7) to hide in a (I) cold war (I maj7) shelter
(I)When everything’s (I maj7) burning there’s no (V7) escape from the swelter
(V)Pass around the (V7) bottle; (V) we’ll all have a (V7) belter
And (V7) dance the (V) apoca(V7)lyptic (I) polka

(I)Water will be (I maj7)gone, you (I) can’t sub(I maj7)merge
(I)No time (I7) machine you can (IV) put in reverse
You’re stuck like a (IV7) bug in the (I) collapsing (vi7)uni(I)verse
So (V7) dance the (V) apoca(V7)lyptic (I) polka

Instrumental
(F) (Fmaj7 (F) (Fmaj7)
(F) (Fmaj7) (C7)
(C) (C7) (C) (C7)
(C7) (C) (C7) (F)
(F) (Fmaj7) (F) (Fmaj7)
(F) (F7) (Bb)
(Bb) (Bb7) (F) (F)
(C7) (C) (C7) (F)

(I) Let me be very (I maj7) clear, so you (I) don’t miscon(I maj7)strue
(I)Our fate is (I maj7)cast and there’s (V7) nothing we can do
(V)The answer is right (V7)here, so put (V) on your fancy (V7)shoes
And (V7) dance the (V) apoca(V7)lyptic (I) polka

(I) When the parties (I maj7)over the (I)universe will (I maj7)end
(I)If there is an (I7) afterlife we (IV) might meet again
But until that (IV7) happens, we'll (I) gather (vi7) with our (I) friends
And (V7) dance the (V) apoca(V7)lyptic (I) polka


   
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(@hobson)
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Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 794
 

Catchy title and great lyrics. I'm looking forward to hearing it.

I really like the first verse with the different views of an afterlife and the contrast with the scientific view. Also love the "cosmic accordion."

Renee


   
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(@john-sargent)
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Topic starter  

Thanks. The "Cosmic Accordion" idea came from considering the Hindu idea that every 311 trillion years, the universe contracts and regenerates. Some scientists think this happens as well but I don't think they have wrapped a time frame around it.
On the other hand, some physicists think there is no evidence that the universe will contract. It may go on foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... (my finger got tired of holding the "r" key)


   
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(@chefie)
Prominent Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 553
 

You had me at "The Apocalyptic Polka"
Can't wait to dance to it!

Thanks for the smile it brought to my face.

Neil


   
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(@scratchmonkey)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 603
 

Can't speak to the technical musical aspects of the song, -- it's been a LONG time since I studied theory. And if you ever found my piano teacher, (assuming she's still alive) she'd tell you that I never really studied it in the first place.

More importantly, -- this was a fun read. Sometimes silliness is just what's called for.

-- Scratch 8)


"...if heartaches were commercials, we'd all be on TV" -- John Prine
42


   
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(@andygetch)
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Posts: 328
 

yeah fun read, I am reading the first two verses like waltz time

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=1228093


   
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(@john-sargent)
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Joined: 14 years ago
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Topic starter  

yeah fun read, I am reading the first two verses like waltz time

Yes, I am having trouble fitting the cut time to this. I keep playing it in 3/4 time. Thats why I haven't recorded it yet. There is a 3/4 time polka style called Polka-mazurka but I need to tweak the lyric to fit the traditional 2/4. Since it's already Saturday and we will soon be seeing 11/1, with an all new music project, this migh not get recorded.


   
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