Hi everybody,

my brother Henni has been claiming ever since that I don’t have a brain like anybody else but that there must be some sort of very strange dough in my skull. He’s been a successful pro comedian for more than 30 years and my loving brother for more than 60 years - so he should be able to judge it. And since my lovely wife Maha tends to share his view, I’m afraid this diagnosis can’t be all wrong and whatever that stuff’s made of: I gently call it ‘my weirdough’.

The project I’m coming up with today is indeed the second weirdest thing I’ve put together so far (the weirdest one is yet to be posted here), so it’s probably not everybody’s cup of tea, but there was a time last year (following the „Nothing’s-Easy-Anymore phase) when I simply had to really let it all hang out. And believe me: Everybody involved (Henni, Maha and my best friend Harald) had the fun of their lives!

Let’s get to the beef: The song title ‘Life Is Like A Sewer’ is a quote from a monologue that my all-time favorite U.S. comedian, Tom Lehrer, put in front of his song „We’ll all go together when we go’ on his live album „An Evening (Wasted) with T. L.) which he released in 1959 (!). It may sound a bit rude at first sight, but it continues like this: ’What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it’, which is something we might all agree upon, don’t we. (Although I’m not quite sure if this philosophical principle is still in operation these days.)

Since T. L. has shaped my sense of humor like nobody else I felt that I finally, after more than 50 years, owed him a tribute song, and so writing the lyrics to it I did my very best to catch at least one minute spark of his immortal spirit, that is his ethics, his elegant eloquence and, yes, his cynicism. Tom, if you ever read this: Please forgive me my hubris!

Musically I had a dream come true that I’m sure every musician has: I created a new fusion genre, even though I’m still not sure how to name it: either PRURF or SURTEST. Whatever, it’s a blend of surf music and protest song, either one genre we all grew up with and will love till the end of time, of course.

Now you might think that it would be an obviousness that such a new thrilling style should be introduced by the best musicians of both worlds... Ah, no, sorry, for some inexplicable reasons they turned me down, so I had to make do with what you might consider the worst of both worlds instead. And worse still: These ‘ersatz’ musicians aren’t even native English speakers... Where was the wall when we - ah, I mean; when you really needed it...?

Although I also posted the somg on Soundcloud I think the mere tune doesn’t really work without the video (I’m not really expecting to get into the Hall of Fame with it), and especially the intro will shed a light on how the heck all this could happen. So I recommend that you give the flick a chamce - even if it’s only for making the fortune I spent on Hawaiian shirts and wigs worthwhile...

LIFE IS LIKE A SEWER (video & lyrics)
LIFE IS LIKE A SEWER (audio & lyrics)
LIFE IS LIKE A SEWER (Soundcloud)

In advance: Thanks a lot for watching and listening.

These are the musical data:

Key=Bb , Tempo 130, Length (m:s)=2:38
Style is _SURFSWP.STY (Swing-8ths Surf Pop)
RealTracks in style: ~1844:Bass, Electric, CountryBoogieArp Sw 110
RealTracks in style: ~1549:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm CountrySwing Sw 110
RealTracks in style: 2427:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm RockabillySlowSwingBrent Sw 085
RealDrums in style: SurfPopSwing^01-a:Snare, ClosedHat, b:Snare, OpenHat

I discarded:
RealTracks in style: 2452:String Quartet, Rhythm PopSwingHall Sw 110

and added:
RT 425: B3 Organ
RT424:Harmonica, Soloist Blues Sw 120

To be honest: All the vocal stuff is me, and before you sit down and hammer your disgust at that atrocious falsetto singing into your key pad: I’ve already been nominated for the 2019 Tiny-Tim-Award and as far as I heard it thru the grapevi..., sorry, thru the tulips, of course: I’m still the front-runner.

So if you’re in the right mood you might at least get a bit ... ah, entertained by the flick. And one thing’s for sure: Watching it will undoubtedly leave you with the question, ‘What in the world can make a 67-year old fart spend (did I hear you say: ‘waste’?) three months of his precious remaining time down here on such goofy stuff?’

Weirdough! What else?

Cheers (and please, don't get mad at me)

Stefan

Man, you have a knack for these videos, very well done.

Loved the "band"! Especially the background singers!

Enjoyed watching.

Stefan,
Cool video! I enjoy your offbeat flicks and no matter how funny they are, you are a very good musician. You can't hide it

P.S. I enjoy listening to Space Fart music on your site from 1970s some very cool tunes you had going.

Best regards,
Misha.

Stefan,

A fun song and a fun video (that must be a LOT of work!). Very entertaining.

The vocals are super. Excellent mix.

I think you did T.L. proud...

(a big Lehrer fan here)

fj

ALWAYS entertaining Stefan.

Stefan

Superb video as always and a very nice tune to go with it.
Great entertainment.

Peter

What an excellent way to start my Saturday morning! Hahahaha. I enjoy your humor. Your video editing must take a considerable amount of time, and the effort shows. I like following along the the German translation; it helps me improve with my German.

I don't know if its the unusual "weirdough" in your skull or the water you have to drink,
but it surely results in some fascinating compositions & videos...
I enjoyed it a lot!

Stefan,

Now that was cool! Great song and video... I really enjoyed this one.

Bob

entertaining

toe tapping

well done

enjoyed the video and the soundcloud version


Kenny

Stephan, you must put an incredible amount of work into what you present here and I want to say that you are one talented individual!! This kinda sounded like something from the early seventies like Don McClean or someone similar! Very good work! Thanks, Torrey

Thank you very much, Dave - yeah, like I wrote, 'It was big fun to work on this goofy thing'.

Cheers,

Stefan

Hi Misha,

well, that was quite a compliment - thanlk a lot for your very kind words.

And thanks, too, for having a look and listen at the 'musical fruits of my youth ' I wouldn't have expected that anybody - apart from the people who knew us then - would still like any of those songs.

I normally do not tend to glorify the past, but those days with the band were really something special.

By the way: May I ask you where you're located?

All the best,

Stefan

Dear Floyd,

thank you so much for your kind words. Yes, it took me almost 4 months of daily working on it. Since I always start with the lyrics it took me more than two weeks alone to find all those idioms with HIT, BREAK and KICK and bring them into rhymes.. And searching for suitable video clips with the right license can become an endless job, too.

And it also took a lot of time to get those costumes and and. But that's one of my ways to get along with less pleasant things. Once you have collected all the 'ingredients' putting the video together isn't that difficult anymore.

I was surprises and pleased to read that you're a big Lehrer fan. I think he was not only a very funny and elquent intellectual, but also a man of great musicality and imagination - who would believe that a line like 'Wear a gas mask and a veil, then you can breathe as long as you don't inhale!' was written in 1965.

Again thanks for watching and listening.

Kind regards,

Stefan

Thanks, Ray - I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Cheers,

Stefan

Hello Peter,

thanks for watching, listening and your kind words.

Cheers,

Stefan

Dear Scott,

what more could I have asked for than making somebody's day start with a smile or, more likely, a broad grin ... So thanks a lot for your very kind comment.

But apparently not so many people share my sense of that goofy kind of humor - there's a German saying that goes like this: "'It's just a matter of taste', said the monkey as he bit into the curd soap." And if that ain't the truth...

I'm glad you found the German translation useful.

Have a great week and thanks again,

Stefan

Dear Jim,

I'm very glad that you enjoyed the flick - thanks for your kind words on it. But your comment about the possible cause of my sillyness made me pensive, and a 1965 Tom Lehrer song came to my mind:

'If you visit American city,
You will find it very pretty.
Just two things of which you must beware:
Don't drink the water and don't breathe the air!'

Since this undoubtedly is true for German cities, too, I better should stay away from the water...

All the best,

Stefan

Hi Bob,

I really appreciate your kind comment on the video and the song.

I just noticed that you're from Woodstock - so Rob's hairdo alone must awaken sentimental memories of a wild, a very wild era.

All the best,

Stefan

Hi Kenny,

thanks for your kind words; glad you enjoyed it.

Cheers,

Stefan

Dear Torrey,

As I said before, I'm always paticularily flattered by your positive comments, so thanks a lot for your kind words.

I wouldn't have expected anybody to pick out any similarity to those great singer-songwriters of the 70s, but yes, I took quite some effort back then to memorize the lyrics of 'American Pie', and even more Arlo Guthrie stuff (my favorites being 'The Motorcyvle Song' and the 25 minute version of 'Alice's Restaurant') in order to come up with them at parties, camp fires and whatever kind of gathering we liked.

Of course I played those songs because I loved them a lot, but as a very welcome side benefit not only the guys were impressed ...

Thanks again and all the best,

Stefan

Dear Stefan...

There are songs that conform to so-called "popular" tastes (and nothing's wrong with that, of course), and then, there are songs that drive right through what's considered the "safe" lane, and in doing so, they open up a whole new highway for musical expression.

Stefan, your song, "Life Is Like A Sewer", is the most subversively humorous piece of musical invention I've heard anywhere in, or off this forum for a while. I mean, this is just inspired, off-the-cuff, in-your-face, finger-flipping fun. Your lyrics tell a raucous story about a wildman and a loser who's devil-may-care attitude makes him simultaneously as messy, and yet as sympathetic as Paul Newman's iconic film character, "Cool Hand Luke".

The lyrics would be entertaining even without the music as they so exuberantly celebrate the subject's helplessly self-destructive, yet charmingly clueless, committed and headstrong actions. Through his eyes, life may be a sewer, but he's not afraid to put something into it to see what he can get out of it, even if he ends being covered with muck. That makes him something of an anti-hero, doesn't it?

Your Real Track selections added a tongue-in-cheek flavor to the production that enhanced the fun. Stefan, my friend, your musical world is as entertaining and as unpredictable as as sketch whipped up by an improvisational theatre company.

Three cheers for "Life Is A Sewer" !!!

Grinning large,

LOREN

Awesome tune Stephan. I think the background vocals were excellent. Excellent fun tune . Well done

Hi Stefan,

Great, fun video and a good song as I have got used to with stuff from you! You are really talented - not just with music but also with your video editing.


For the first time in the months I have been watching and listening to your songs, I have a little (very minor) critique. It has nothing to do with your music, but:

Please, do not replicate the television shows in NOT giving appropriate credit to the people who made some of the imagery, by simply just showing it too fast (because they (the tv stations) want to go fast forward to the commercials). I'm referring to the last few seconds of your video.

This is something that really annoys me when watching television shows and I think we as artists should know better and at least give the audience appropriate time too see who the artists are. You gave each less than a second - I think it should be at least 3-5 seconds for each contributing artist - even if it is just something you use for background imagery.

I hope you don't get mad at me for saying this. I still enjoy your video and music!

Will

My dear Loren,

wow, that’s one heck of a comment - I really appreciate the effort you took to work yourself throigh all that weirdness and finally make ends meet. Please believe me: I couldn’t be any more pleased by anything that could have been said, so thanks a lot.

There are two terms you used that made me stop (actually there were more of them, but these are the ones I’d like to refer to): subversive and unpredictable. And although I wouldn’t have ever thought of them, I find myself in that description. Of course, I didn’t come out with subversiveness in ‘real’ life (I’d claim: on the contrary) but there’s always been that little anarchic devil in my fancy.

And unpredictable? I think that this, as well, goes only for song-writing which I always start with writing the lyrics. I pick up a certain phrase, quote, an event or whatever seems funny to me, absurd, maybe even a bit remote, and that little devil starts his work without asking for permussion. And to my own surprise the first video images mostly come to my mind while I’m still chewing over the lyrics. Which may even re-influenbnce the lyrics.

And with BIAB then coming into play I often let myself just drift through the styles. Sometimes I find the style I already had in mind, but sometimes it’s like Torey once wrote here, ‘I have no idea, how I got here.’ ‘

So all in all I can’t even predict myself. And, man, I like it!

Let me thank you once again for a wonderful review and wish you all the very best,

Stefan

Dear Will,

first of all thanks a lot for your kind comment on the song and the video; I always appreciate yor remarks that have become of particular importance to me.

And don't you ever be afraid I might be mad at you, whatever, well: almost whatever ;-)), you say. And it wouldn’t make any sense to post things here if was am not ready to consider anything the other forum members may remark.

So I do get yor point as far as the credits are concearned, and I will take your advice and give them more time, but please let me explain why I had decided to keep them as short as I did:

Unlike in TV movies the final credits do not refer to the actors appearing in the video (I think I always feature my friends very proudly and most of all very gratefully).

The credits that you mentioned refer to (mostly very short) snippets from third-party videos that I found on VIMEO and a few images, all of which weree published under a Creative Commons license, thus asking for the author to be mentioned when used. (BTW, most of the images I use are from PIXABAY and therefor PD, so I don’t even know who created them)

In my first videos I added one final page simply showing one line for each clip reading the clip titles, the author, the source and the license. This would have compied withl the license conditions, but nobody would have had the chance to tell which title belonged to which snippet in my video..

So I decided to add the respective original thumbnails that are provided with the Vimeo links and also display the original info pop-up that's added to every clip.

In the beginning I showed them for about 5 seconds each, but meanwhile I minimized that time to about one second, because

a) there's not really much info given with the clips, and the author's names are mostly pseudonyms .

b) I thought that not so many people (if any...) were generally interested in getting detailed info anout those snippets, but in case they were: It's a video (and not a TV movie) which they could stop whenever they want to get all the info ürovided

For me it doesn’t make any difference to show those credits longer - I simply thought that it wouldn’t bring any advantage for neither the authors nor for the people watching.

But now that I know that there are people (even if it might be only you) that would prefer to get some more reading time I will be happy to take that into account. But please understand that there are still some videos unposted that have the short credits - once their out on YouTube I can’t update them, but would have to delete them and upload them anew which would make me lose all the statistics YT provides..

So, dear Will, once again thanks a lot for watching, listening, commenting and, yes, your proposal .

All the best

Stefan

Thanks a lot, Scott - I'm glad you liked it.

But do you really think I shouldn't accept the Tiny Tim Award?

Take care,

Stefan

cool tune. I didn't watch the video. I'll take someone else's word that it was good.

Interesting take of "life is crapping on me"..... I know the feeling

A good take on the do-[*****] of the 50's regarding the styling. (EDIT... SERIOUSLY? do- w o p.... refering to a musical style)

So, it's obvious that a lot of time was spent on this. My only major nit to pick on this is that the background vocals are running sort of flat/off-key throughout. Or as Randy Jackson would say... that was pitchy dog. It would be an easy fix to tune them up with melodyne.

Then.... and I have done this before.... especially in the choruses, copy and paste the tuned vox as needed. quick and easy

But all things being equal.... interesting and creative project.

Nice song, great picture.
Excellent rhythm

Sergio

Hi Stefan,

Thank you very much for your kind response to my post which unfortunately took some focus away from the great music you make.

I know that you are using images that are "published under a Creative Commons license, thus asking for the author to be mentioned when used" and I am glad that you are responding positively to my request of giving them just a little bit more viewing time.

It's a difficult subject to discuss, because where is the borderline, when have you given the artist enough viewing time?

If I'm using a part of a poem under the CC licence in a book, the original artists name will be in the book for an eternity... and easy for everyone to look up. In movies, television shows and videos like yours there are no exact rules about how long time you will have to display the artists name - hence the very short time that is the norm in these days.

So I am just trying to make people, who make films, tv shows or videos, aware of the fact that the audience only have a short time to notice who were the original creator of some on the imagery, so I think it is only decent to give them (the CC creators) a few more seconds on screen.

Let us stop that discussion now... and make more music!
Will

Stefan, you are as mad as a box of frogs! What a video...!
A fun song all round. It must be a lot of fun in your world!

John

Well, guitarhacker, don't say I didn't warn everybody that there was some atrocious falsetto vocals to be heard. Hadn't practiced that for almost 25 years, and sticking to that 'pitchy, dog' image: My voice wiggled like a little dog's tail, so it can't be all flat, there must be sharp notes as well. And being fully aware of that I hoped that people wouldn't notice it as much as you did when they were distracted by the vid.

Can I soothe you if I promise that there won't be any more falsetto singing in the future? Or only if it's had a melodyne treatment (never heard of it before, but will consider to buy it)

Whatever, thanks a lot for the listen and also for your hint !!! I think thos abbreviations and **** you used were of importance, but I simply couldn't find out what they were meant to tell me. But of course I'd like to know, so if you think the long version may be inappropriate, you might send me a PM with the 'translation.'

Take care and thanks again,

Stefan

Thanks a lot, Scott. I'm glad to read that you liked it. As far as the background vocals are concearned, not everybody was of your opinion. But to be honest: I like your comment better ...

Have a great weekend,

Stefan

Thanks a lot, Sergio, I really appreciate your kind words.

Cheers,

Stefan

Dear Will,

just a few more words: For me this was no discussion (which I would regard as a conversation with opposing standpoints).

It was just thoughtlessness on my part, so I'm grateful you reminded me.

Have a great weekend,

Stefan

Hey Janice and I were shopping for craft brews the other day and up on the ceiling we spotted a fellow who has to be a member of one of your groups! We wanted to talk to him but he wouldn't come down from the ceiling....

We've watched the video a couple of times on the computer and plan to watch it this evening on the big screen...and we are gonna set aside some time to explore your website.

"Life's like a sewer.
What you get out of it depends on
what you put into it. "

Ain't that the gospel truth!

Tom Lehrer? Yep....worth anybody's time.

We are a bit late to the party and all the accolades have been dished out but we agree with them and found this highly enjoyable. As a maker of primitive still image lyric videos I remain in awe of your skills with this. And, hey, no matter how much time you put in it you have something to show for the creative effort. Beats the hell outa just sitting on the couch.

Fun is good and this was fun in spades.

Thank you!!!

J&B

PS: Sent you a pm

Hi John,

you bet that I take that as a huge compliment, so thanks a lot.

Since I know that people from the UK are mostly convinced that the words 'German' and 'humor' don't go together at all (took me a while to even convince my wife's kin living in London), I'm particularily flattered by your words.

And I will do my very best to integrate the box of frogs in one of my next lyrics. So hang on...

Cheers,

Stefan

the censors in the software zapped my innocuous word.... referring to the musical style.... do-w_o_p remove the underscores and the censor hits you like you said a bad word. Slur for an Italian person.

Thanks for explaining - automatic censorship, get the picture. To be honest: That's nothing I've ever met before...

As to Melodyne: Checked it out and learned that there are 4 different versions. Do you think the Essentials would be sufficient, if I only want to correct that pitchy thing?

Cheers, Stefan

Oh wow! This is absolutely brilliant. Laughed with tears in my eyes thanks to your brilliant humour, but the delivery and the craftmanship you used to write this song are unmistakable and of an incredible level of quality. Well done - the perfect combination of totally crazy and totally superb - made my morning!

You must have fun doing these. Fun is what it is about. Really well done once again.

Tony

Hi-ho,

a magnificently shaped body, beautiful hair (all over), that friendly facial expression, sunglasses - I can hardly believe it, but you must have found the twin brother I always felt I must have. Shame on my parents who must have sold him to the U.S. immediately after birth, but they were so poor in the 5ß0s...

But he seems to be doing all right - being an advertising icon for beer in Georgia isn't all that bad, is it...
But he's too skinny for posing for craft brew - I guess he must be advertising for, ah, Bud light, perhaps...

And if I'm wrong he must be Karl Marx



Sorry, I digress...

Thanks a lot for your wonderful comment on LILAS, I'm really happy that you enjoyed my way of exposing how things should work in a just world

Yes, watching videos on the big screen is even more fun - we always kinda celebrate the roll-out of our latest vids by watching them on the big screen for the first time, having a glass of champa..., well, beer, apple juice or whatevr...

Thanks again for giving me such nice feedback.

All the best,

Stefan

PS: Please accept my apologies for not replying to your PM - I must have missed the PG notification.

Stefan!

I've listened to this several times but just now getting to comment on it. You are a master of entertainment! Your videos are second to none and Maha really knows how to make them shine!! And then ... there's the song. Holy smoke, my friend! You have talent of various origins just oozing all over the place!

What a great song and video., You always impress me with the quality and professionalism of your writing, vocals, guitar playing and production skills. Ah ... to be so talented!

Wishing you and Maha the very best!

Alan

Nice wee fun song and video, lot of work in the video great how you do them, wish I could.

Thanks

Dear "musician17",

what a nice compliment- thanks a lot. What more could I ask for than making people laugh with tears in their eyes... I'm glad you enjoyed that fun thing, thanks for watching and laughing.

Cheers,

Stefan

Hi Tony,

thanks a lot for your kind comment - glad you had fun watching the vid.

Cheers,

Stefan

Thanks a lot, beatmaster - I'm glad to read that you had fun watching the video. Yes, it's been a lot of work, but it's no witchcraft - it takes a lot of patience in the first place. I'm sure you could do it as well.

Take care,

Stefan

Hi,Stefan !:))


What a superb beach tune !:))
I love everything about it
I even got a surging urge
to pack my gear and get myself
into the clear blue water !
Guess I need to start vaxing
my boards again !!!!:))

Cheers
Dani

My dear friend Alan,

whenever I read your comments on my projects I have sort of the feeling that you're talking about someone else.

You know that I'm always more than flattered by any positive review of yours, but I really do not regard myself as being half (if at all...) as talented as you say.

I like what I'm doing and I replace any missing talent by a LOT of patience. And whenever there are weak points in the projects, I bring in Maha and the rest of the gang to distract the viewer from them

But, of course, I'm really happy that you liked and enjoyed that project and I want to thank you so much for those kind words you had for it and me.

Please give Di a big hug from Maha and me - we hope so much that she's completely recovered by now!!!

All the best to both of you,

Stefan

Well, well, well, my dearani: You must be a very togh guy thinkng about surfing when it's sooooo cold outside (And I' afraid it's even far colder in Helsinky than it's here)....

No, seriously, thanks a lot for your very kind words - I really appreciate them a lot. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Have a nice weekend,

Stefan

This is great. At first I was thinking Beach Boys meet Zappa but it kind of makes me think of Michael Nesmith. Very good.

Hi Teletwanger,

thank you so much for your kind words on LILAS.

Michael Nesmith? Oh boy, the Monkee with the bobble cap? Memories coming up: 'Take The Last Train To Clarksville' was one of my favorite songs when I was about 14 or 15 (just watched the video on YT - it's still a good composition...)

And I had never heard of him again sinve the Monkees disbanded. But now that you mentioned him I saw that he still was successful in the States after that and released some oretty could songs - I love this forum, it often leads you to places you wouldn't have otherwise gone to. Thanks a lot for dropping that name.

Have a great week,

Stefan