Hello! I'm Jordan. You may remember me from such newsgroups as alt.tv.simpsons, from such time periods as a few years ago. You may also remember that I wrote a few Simpson-related song parodies back then. Well, I wrote another one. And I'll let you read it, if you don't mind first reading my slightly long introduction. :-)
I actually started writing it over a year and a half ago, but the original song was very long, so it took a long time inbetween. Not that I've been continuously writing for the past 18 months -- but it's so long that my original inspiration had worn away before I was done, and I had to wait until I felt like finishing it. That time is now, for absolutely no particular reason.
The tune is "American Pie". I stole not only the musical structure of the song, but the style, in that it tells a story through symbols and references. It's still about The Simpsons, but essentially it's more about the short history related to the show, as the "true internet fans" know it. The lyrics are personal and, in a way, autobiographical. I'm hoping that enough other serious fans will be able to relate to it ... and if not, there's a lot of general references there in any case.
Originally, I'd had half a mind to save it until the final episode, but I don't feel like waiting that long. The song can be taken as a "farewell" in any way you choose. Either because The Simpsons will one day be off the air, or because it has changed/declined, or because you're one of those people who just don't have the time to care much about it anymore. Or all of the above.
Anyway, you can read it now.
A long, long time ago The '90s were brand-spankin'-new And the startup Fox premiered a show It had greatness through and through Something that was overdue And cynics feared before long it would go
But this was not a one-trick horse They drove on with a blazing force Ratings reassured them The media adored them
They made their mark and rose to fame Merchandise and t-shirts came Bart became a household name The day "The Simpsons" thrived
But we're saying ... Bye-bye to the show of our lives You invaded Western culture and you rotted our minds But if I had the choice I would repeat the good times Knowing where I'm gonna be Sunday nights Where I'm gonna be Sunday nights
Well, prime-time never felt so full And never looked so colorful Until the Groening years began They referenced films and literature And satirized our pop-culture Offended Churches and Republicans
Well, I know each line like yesterday 'Cause I've watched them all three times a day And let my mind escape With a closetful of tapes
I was a lonely newbie in my time With lazy devotion and too much time I knew my favorite Homer line The day "The Simpsons" thrived
Now we're saying ... Bye-bye to the show of our lives You wore out our VCR's and you pre-empted our lives And if I had the choice I would repeat the good times Knowing where I'm gonna be Sunday nights Where I'm gonna be Sunday nights
Now, for ten years we've watched faithfully And endured somewhat gracefully But that's not really true There've been many sighs of deep regret For just how absurd the show can get A voice that's claimed both me and you
Oh, and as the seasons tick away We face adversion every day The staff is mostly gone So many have passed on
Yet from bunny-ears to big, blue hair, Or fun and tears to child's-fare Change, though harsh, was always there The day "The Simpsons" thrived
So we're saying ... Bye-bye to the show of our lives You'll be going down in history but up in our eyes And if I had the choice I would repeat the good times Knowing where I'm gonna be Sunday nights Where we're gonna be Sunday nights
The internet collected piles Of opinionated Simpso-philes Which seemed a blessing at the time They found a place to muse and brood And share desires to see Marge nude And miss the day when all was in its prime
Scrolling through the miles of posts of old Are a thousand names with lives untold We all were brought together But it was spare time and fair-weather
There are friends out there you've never seen Who share the memory of a funny scene It's a shame there's so much inbetween The day "The Simpsons" thrived
And bye-bye to the show of our lives We'll remember you and quote you to the end of our lives And if I had the choice to I'd repeat the good times Knowing where I've gotta be Sunday nights Where we've gotta be Sunday nights
These characters are everyplace Japan, Australia, Outer Space On t-shirts and on magazines They say the most amazing words So crafted by the plot-wizards And barely show a grasp of what it means
Well, I know that Springfield isn't real 'Cause I've searched the maps and read the shpeil We all have got our theories But it's a frequently asked query
Yet the strangest things can get us by If I believe, then who am I? Obsessive, to the judging eye The day "The Simpsons" dies
So, bye-bye to the show of our lives In a mixed-up generation you were brave to survive And if I had the choice I would repeat the good times Knowing where I'm gonna be Sunday nights Where we're gonna be Sunday nights
[slower now]
Last week, I lit up my screen So hard to break an old routine But the channel had been changed again I searched the airwaves everywhere Saw bits and pieces here and there But nothing was the way it was back then
As usual, the telly spews Monologues and action-news But writing's getting older Real life is taking over
We're all in search of something new I'm off to college anyhoo We all found something else to do The day "The Simpsons" died
So we're saying ... Bye-bye to the show of our lives You were everything in spirit at the peak of the tides And If I had the choice I would repeat the good times Knowing where I'm gonna be Sunday nights
Yes, we're saying ... Bye-bye to the show of our lives It's a comfort to remember when the world was our size And If I had the choice I would repeat the good times Knowing where I'm gonna be Sunday nights