After Kady blogged about a big black-tie gala here in Ottawa that featured politicians, journalists and a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan music, one of her commenters, J@ack Mitchell, came up with this witty gem, with apologies to G&S:
I am the very model of a modern Tory Minister,
My public views are circumscribed, my private views are sinister,
In wetsuits I look chiseled, for I’m hardly roly-poly, oh!
And that’s why they have given me this wonderful portfolio
On weekends you’ll appreciate my hardy grassroots-mustering
But weekdays I’m in Parliament and smugly filibustering
I can’t decide if Harper likes me only for my shyness or
Because I like to talk to my invisible pet dinosaur!
My public views are circumscribed, my private views are sinister,
I am the very model of a modern Tory Minister.
If you've never heard the original (arguably the most famous of all of the G & S songs), I invite you to review the lyrics and history of the song here and then listen and/or sing along here to the D'Oyly Carte Opera's 1968 performance:
Gilbert & Sullivan: The Pirates Of Penzance – I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General from the album “Gilbert & Sullivan Weekend” by D'Oyly Carte Opera Company [Listen to the MP3]
Technorati Tags: gilbert and sullivan, political satire
There is no need for apologies to G&S; W.S. Gilbert would surely recognize the species and approve wholeheartedly.
Here's the best non-political derivative of G&S's song. By Tom Lehrer, of course:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYW50F42ss8
Tres awesome. I myself penned a little ditty entitled 'Turner's Volunteers' (with apologies to Stan Rogers) towards the end of the Battle for Halton, but somehow the mood wasn't quite right for a debut performance when the election results started rolling in.
Maybe at the Convention…