Topic: Jabberwocky Anyone?

Hello Songwriting Forum folks - I was reminded of the Jabberwocky poem today.  It's the glorious little nonsense ditty from the Alice in Wonderland stories.


It struck me that it would be fun to set the poem to music - I'm sure it's been done before - but I'm going to try it myself.  Seems to me to be worthy exercise in inventing a melodic line and chord set to accompany the vividly strange words of Lewis Carroll.


First, I'll probably do a word-for-word setting of the original poem.  I would also like to then play around with the words and come up with a freer adaptation of the poem - something decidedly Jabberwockyish.


Anyway - if you are so inclined, the poem is posted below (it is way way way out of copyright, so no problem posting it in it's entirety).  Take a crack at it - have a go - give it a twirl . . .


JABBERWOCKY

by: Lewis Carroll

(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)


`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

  Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

  And the mome raths outgrabe.


"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

  The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

  The frumious Bandersnatch!"


He took his vorpal sword in hand:

  Long time the manxome foe he sought --

So rested he by the Tumtum tree,

  And stood awhile in thought.


And, as in uffish thought he stood,

  The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,

  And burbled as it came!


One, two! One, two! And through and through

  The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

  He went galumphing back.


"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?

  Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'

  He chortled in his joy.


`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

  Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

  And the mome raths outgrabe.

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

Re: Jabberwocky Anyone?

Hey there, i think i found a nice way to put it to music

for the first verse, take whatever strum pattern you want using the chords;


| C / G | Em / Am | for the first verse, paragraph, whatever you want to call it, and;


| Am / C | Dm / G | for the second verse, and then just alternate them. If you want to sing, have a kind of high, airy tune to it. i figured out a nice melody but im not sure of the notes so i wont put them down. Great idea, by the way.

Re: Jabberwocky Anyone?

Good idea - I like the chord sets & would love to hear your melody.  I was goofing around and found that the chords & melody for "Against the Wind" by Bob Seger works quite well - with a couple of very minor adaptations.


I'm going to keep fooling around with this since I find it quite amusing.  I have also discovered that the text to Dr Seuss's "The Cat In The Hat" can be sung to the tune of "The Star Bangled Banner" . . . try it . . . it really really works!

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

Re: Jabberwocky Anyone?

I always associate jabber wockie with monty phython.lol



Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending