Campaign sing-along---Contest

Sundays are very quiet in downtown Snapsville, especially, on the square. All the businesses, including the Hope Cafe, are closed. Within a mile you'll maybe find a couple of guys hanging out at the volunteer fire house and you may see a collection of kids and daddies trying to fly remote control model airplanes at the park.

In contrast, there is hustle and bustle three miles away at Snapsville Mall. Shoppers flow in from a 50-mile radius. Older male teenagers hang out showing off their souped up vehicles. And they are attracted by the fast food joints and by older female teenagers who have early on, mastered the intimate skills of mall commerce.

I stay away from that scene and usually nap. Today, however, at 1:30, I received a call.

"This is Hiram. Just wondering whether you and Steve finished up on the campaign song?"

I had to answer in the negative but I told him I'd be working on it, this day.

You may wonder why Hiram is putting so much emphasis on some silly jingle. Well, when Hiram attended the Surprise Party's strategy session in the Catskills the leaders pointed out that in addition to a lack of funding most Surprise Party candidates have minimal name recognition.

To remedy this latter problem the candidates are urged to write letters to editors, take speaking engagements, obtain interviews on NPR and other elctronic media, utilize the free services of the Internet and to have a CAMPAIGN SONG.

It was also pointed out that instead of paying royalties, or risking a lawsuit from a composer/publisher for an existing copyrighted song, the candidate should choose a formerly copyrighted song. A song that would now be in the Public Domain and free to use, make changes to, rewrite, and not owe anyone a plug nickel.

Further, the Surprise Party candidates learned that all songs that were published in the United States prior to 1923 are now in the Public Domain and are free, free, free, forever for anyone's use.

I've looked at a list of some of these pre-1923 ditties. Many are duds, others are silly duds. Yet, there are a few that we still use and consider to be standards. Well, such as: Danny Boy, Won't You Come Home Bill Baily, and the St. Louis Blues.

Steve, the quirky brother of Hiram, and I have conferenced and have found a Public Domain tune that we want to work with. It is titled: Ja-da, Ja-da. It was written by Bob Carleton and published in 1918. Steve suggested that we have a contest for the parody of the song that would best enhance Hiram's campaign.

The contest is open to all customers of the Hope Cafe and to readers of this blog who are not current political office holders, or employees of the Hope Cafe. The first two words of your entry must be Hiram, Hiram, instead of Ja-da, Ja-da. Otherwise, let your creative juices flow.
The original lyrics are as follows:

Ja-da, Ja-da,
ja-da, ja-da jing, jing jing.

Ja-da, Ja-da,
jada jada, jing jing jing.

That's a funny little bit of melody.
It's so soft and appealing to me.

It goes Ja-da, Ja-da,
jada jada, jing jing jing.


The first place winner will receive a heaping bowl of Rainy Days and Mondays Banana Pudding on each Monday for a year. Contest entries must be received by 04/01/2007.

Judges will be our own Fern and Deana.


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