At The Second City Los Angeles Training Center, I work with each graduating class on an original musical number that they’ll perform in their final project – a one-hour comedy revue.
First we come up with possible song topics. What’s current? What’s interesting? What’s annoying? What’s funny? What’s something that hasn’t been done before? From a list of possibilties, we settle on a prime target for satire/social commentary.
Next I lead them in a lyric-writing workshops – we cover working titles, rhyme schemes, verses, bridges, choruses, ending “tag sections,” setups and punch lines, points-of-view. For practice, each of us creates a few 4-line stanzas on our chosen topic. Everyone has a chance to comment and I offer help where it’s needed.
Students with musical improv training are whizzes at this project. They already understand song structures and how to build funny lyrics on their feet. Doing it slowly and having the ability to edit? Luxuriously easy.
So, everyone goes away to write, and a few days later I receive a collection of potential lyrics from each student. From this raw material, a cohesive product will soon take shape.
Our “game” works again and again for a few reasons – first of all, the students agree to write in the same voice(s) and the same general rhyme scheme. This sets the stage for their individual efforts to merge. Additionally they have common awareness of what’s verse-like, what’s bridge-like, what’s chorus-like and such. With all this in mind, each of them submits an abundance of stray content…here a verse, there a verse, there a bridge, and on and on.
I take a bird’s-eye-view of these contributions and let a big picture come miraculously into focus. It always does, at which point I assemble a complete ”lyric story” from the students’ writing and bring it to class. Together we look carefully at this – then the ball returns to their court. I ask them to go away and improve the product in any way they can imagine. (Anything goes, from minor tweaks to significant rewriting to total reconstruction.) I want them to change it up! I’m eager to see how they’ll make it funnier, smoother, smarter, cooler and better.
Now, some recent results of this process. Here’s a video of “Craigslist Rocks.”
Shown below is the “lyric story” by itself, musical section-by-section.
CRAIGSLIST ROCKS
Preamble
Times are tough.
You may be poor and pissed,
but before you slash a wrist,
you oughta see what’s up on Craigslist!
Chorus 1
Craigslist rocks, yeah, yeah -
Go on line and he’ll blow your mind.
No matter what you’re wishin’,
it won’t be missin’ from
Craigslist, Craigslist rocks!
Craigslist, Craigslist rocks!
Verse 1
I was checkin’ out Craigslist – somethin’ caught my eye…
“Bob’s Bargain Botox,” located in Van Nuys.
Bob was a model of generosity -
he threw in a Brazilian wax, absolutely free.
Craigslist, Craigslist rocks!
Verse 2
He even took some photos, for no additional fee.
He said they were essential for my file history.
Sweaty Bargain Bob, his garage had no A/C…
He’s cuttin’ overhead and passin’ the savings on to me!
Chorus 2
Craigslist rocks, yeah, yeah -
Go on line and he’ll blow your mind.
Legit or suspicious, there’s somethin’ so delicious ‘bout
Craigslist, Craigslist rocks!
Verse 3
I was poor and starving, I thought the end was near.
I saw the market falling and my savings disappear.
(Then he went on Craigslist and almost shed a tear…)
When I found a practic’ly recession-proof career!
Craigslist, Craigslist rocks!
Verse 4
He works from the sofa, chatting on the phone.
(Hell, often when I’m workin’, I’m also workin’ my bone!)
…Travis!
If you’ll just put Craig to the test,
You too can make a ton of cash, cyber-dealing meth!
Chorus 3
Craigslist rocks, yeah, yeah -
Go on line and he’ll blow your mind.
When ya gotta have some tail, there’s plenty for sale on
Craiglist, Craigslist rocks!
Bridge
Surfin’, surfin’, surfin’, surfin’, surfin’ all night -
Fuck the carpal tunnel and the bloodshot eyes.
Just one more, one more click I swear…
just ‘til it’s down for maintenance, but
“Please, Craig, don’t go down for maintenance
You won’t go down for maintenance if you
care…”
that’s our prayer!
Chorus 4
Craigslist rocks, yeah, yeah -
Go on line and he’ll blow your mind.
You can buy, sell, trade or get paid to get laid, on
Craigslist, Craigslist rocks!
Craigslist, Craigslist rocks!
Tag
Even when you look like hell…
when you’re too fucked up to drive and you smell,
you can always go park your ass in the glow of
Craigslist, Craigslist rocks!
Copyright 2009 by Meredith Green, Robin Gwynne, Laurie Keith, Peter Kizyma, Muretta Moss, Michael Pollock, Patrick Allen Reynolds, Stacy Sanchez, Steve Sears, Jennifer Soriano. This song is displayed on the internet with permission from all of the writers.
It was performed in the show, Unprotected Sketch at The Second City Los Angeles Training Center. (Director: Marc Warzecha, Musical Director: Michael Pollock, Technical Director: Marshall Givens)
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