Filk Songs Galore Trivia Quiz

Answer: Flesh

One of the most famous (infamous?) filksongs of all time, a Leslie Fish "Star Trek" song about the antics of the original Enterprise crew on shore leave. Most definitely R-rated. It has been requested so often by new filkers (often it's the only filk song they know) that veterans groan and will often refuse to sing it when it's requested by a newcomer. Sometimes a designated "Banned From Argo" singer will take the newcomer aside and sing it to her in private so as not to wound the veterans. The verse in my question is about Uhura and is one of the tamer verses.

Here is the chorus:
"And we're banned from Argo, everyone.
Banned from Argo, just for having a little fun.
We spent a jolly shore leave there for just three days or four,
But Argo doesn't want us any more."

If you really want to see the rest, go here: "http://www.ovff.org/pegasus/songs/banned-from-argo.html"

Answer: Honor Guard

"No Quarter" by Echo's Children (Callie Hills and Cat Faber) is a particular favorite of mine, and is based on the "Honor Harrington" book series by David Weber. It is based on a battle cry in "Echoes of Honor".
Background info -
Honor Harrington's (computer generated) execution at the hands of the People's Republic of Haven (known to others as the Peeps) has been broadcasted and both the Star Kingdom of Manticore (Honor's nation of birth - known to others as the Manties) and Grayson (Honor's adopted world) are in mourning. The Graysons are especially outraged. The Peeps invade Basilisk, a Manty protectorate, and a Manty/Grayson fleet goes to intercept. At one point in the battle, the senior Grayson officer sends a closed signal to all Grayson ships: "Honor Harrington and no mercy!"

Answer: Fearless

Another Honor Harrington filk. This one was written as a Grayson's lament for Honor's death after the fake execution broadcast in "Echoes of Honor". The verse I used in the question references the second book in the series: "The Honor of the Queen" and the fourth book: "Flag in Exile". "Fearless" was the name of her ship (a heavy cruiser) in "THotQ" and "Terrible" was the name of her ship (a superdreadnaught) in "FiE". The Dauntless was another ship mentioned in the series and I just threw in Perfect.

One interesting thing is that in the third verse, they talk about the duel in "FiE", and have Honor issuing the challenge "Send for your sword and may God aid the right." In the book it was actually "Send for your sword and may God preserve the righteous."

Answer: Society for Creative Anachronism

"The SCA is the Society for Creative Anachronism, which is a group dedicated to researching and recreating the Middle Ages in the present....

The avowed purpose of the SCA is the study and recreation of the European Middle Ages, its crafts, sciences, arts, traditions, literature, etc. The SCA "period" is defined to be Western civilization before 1600 AD, concentrating on the Western European High Middle Ages. Under the aegis of the SCA we study dance, calligraphy, martial arts, cooking, metalwork, stained glass, costuming, literature... well, if they did it, somebody in the SCA does it (Except die of the Plague!)."

Taken from: "http://www.sca.org/sca-intro.html"

Answer: Medieval heraldry rules

"Hark, the Herald Baldwin Screams"
Lyrics: Caerthan Bards Guild
Music: "Hark The Herald Angels Sing"

"Hark the herald Baldwin screams
Don't put blues on top of greens
Or and argent, that's all right
Metals and tinctures do not fight
Not a field of highland plaid
Keep it simple, please, my lads
Azure, vert, purpure and gules
Must follow all my herald's rules
Hark the herald Baldwin screams
Don't put blues on top of greens.

Hark the herald Baldwin yells
Don't use cars and oil wells,
Period, we beg you, please
Tygers we can draw with ease
Please don't ask for rubber bands,
Those must pass through Laurel hands.
We draw rampant, couchant too;
Dancing the Hustle, no can do.
Hark the herald Baldwin yells
Don't use cars and oil wells."

Answer: The event described must have actually occurred.

"Freaking the Mundanes" is a great SCA song about the period clash (like culture clash, but much worse) between SCA members and mundanes (another name for everyone else). It goes to the tune of "Waltzing Matilda" and is a lot of fun, even if you don't know about the events it refers to.

Also, no matter how many verses you have, and who they are about, you must end with the Obligatory Last Verse:
"Why sit home alone and dream your dreams in solitude
This will be fun, I can guarantee
Come put on your costumes, then strap your weapons at your side
And come a-freaking the Mundanes with me."

Chorus: "Freaking the Mundanes, freaking the Mundanes
You'll come a-freaking the Mundanes with me.
(repeat the last two lines of the previous verse)"

Answer: My Fair Lady

This song is in Johnathan Cresswell's "Honor Harrington" filk musical "My Fair Navy", based (obviously) on "My Fair Lady".

This song is set when Capt. Harrington, who is armed with the incriminating evidence that proves that Lord Pavel Young paid to have her and her boyfriend killed in duels, crashes the party at the House of Lords' annual racing event to challenge Young to a duel. The Lords are appalled, and can only express their revulsion in song. (In the book, she actually challenged him in her maiden address at a meeting of the Manticoran House of Lords - the Manty version of parliament - of which she is a part because earlier in the series, she was made a countess {and later a duchess}.)

The introduction on Cresswell's site goes like this:
"Due to the Net-wide surge of interest in the Harkness-Babcock Courtship... I have devised a complete filk parody of the musical "My Fair Lady", entitled "My Fair Navy", following the course of events that bring them together in the background of FoD["Field of Dishonor"]. Every song from the musical is present in every line for approximately 45 minutes' worth of filking, but not in the original song order; and of course the characters, events, and serial numbers have all been substantially altered."

Answer: Lily the Pink

This is a hilarious song (even if you don't know the people involved) sung to the tune of an Irish Rovers song called "Lily the Pink". There aren't quite as many verses to this one as there are to "Old Time Religion", but it's starting to seem like it.

By the way, all of the incorrect answers are also Irish Rovers titles - and they are all very good.

Answer: And sing ye in chorus: "Never again!"

Both "The Song Book Song" and "God Rest Ye, Frantic Autocrat" are SCA filks of "God Rest Ye Marry Gentlemen". Both of them are very funny and are loads of fun to sing. I personally prefer "Autocrat" over "Song Book", but that's just me.

"Autocrat" is about the various problems that inevitably come up when organizing an SCA event. Some of the hazards mentioned are: site, food and music arrangements, weather, unannounced arrivals of royalty, hoarse heralds, food poisoning, and mundanes calling the cops.
First verse:
"God rest ye, frantic autocrat, let noting you dismay,
Remember that your great event is still three months away,
Don't panic yet, there's lots of time, and don't get swept away."
Chorus: "And sing ye in chorus: 'never again, never again'
And sing ye in chorus: 'never again'"

Last verse:
"God help ye, frantic autocrat, now hide ye while ye may,
The gentry loved that damned event that ended yesterday,
Their calling for another one, the king hopes you'll obey"
Last chorus: "And they're singing in chorus: 'Do it again! Do it again!'
And they're singing in chorus: 'Do it again!'"

"Song Book" is almost like "Autocrat" except that it's about the hazards of being the chief editor of an SCA song book. Different hazards, same sentiment.
First Verse:
"God rest ye, frantic editor(ess), let nothing you dismay;
You cannot write a songbook if the music's far away;
They put it in the mail last week, (at least that's what they say)."
Chorus: "And sing ye in chorus: 'Never again! Never again'
And sing ye in chorus: 'Never again!'"

Last verse and chorus:
"To those who with a critic's eye this songbook would explore:
Examine closely every word and every music score;
We're sure that if you try hard, you can find mistakes galore,
But would you like to do it over again, over again,
Yes, would you like to do it over again?"

Answer: Old Time Religion

Not the Baptist revival song. The fan version honors deities and mythologies of every kind, and runs well over 1000 verses, with new ones being created even as you read this. Some of the verses can get pretty raunchy, but for the most part they are publicly acceptable. The usual method of singing this is "'closed-book' style" if you can't remember any more verses, for everyone's sake stop singing it. It's usually abbreviated as OTR. It is especially popular with the SCA. My personal favorite verse is the one about the Valkyries. ("I hear Valkyries a-comin' / In the air their song is coming / They forgot the words - they're hummin' / Yet they're good enough for me!)

The Obligatory last verse:
"It's the opera written for us!
We will all join in the chorus!
It's the opera about Boris,
Which is Godunov for me!"