Making fun of music, one song at a time. Since the year 2000.
Check out the two amIright misheard lyrics books including one book devoted to misheard lyrics of the 1980s.
(Toggle Right Side Navigation)

Song Parodies -> "My Favourite Things at Work"

Original Song Title:

"My Favourite Things"

 (MP3)
Original Performer:

Julie Andrews

Parody Song Title:

"My Favourite Things at Work"

Parody Written by:

John Boothman

The Lyrics

For those of you still in employment.
Stationery cupboards and lattes with lids on,
Bargains on eBay that I can put bids on,
Small ego-boosters and cyberspace flings:
These are a few of my favourite things!

Clearing my in-tray and answering letters,
Writing reports for my elders and betters,
Ruth on reception, the lift-door that pings:
These are a few of my favourite things!

Fresh Danish pastries and lightly-chilled water,
Samples I sometimes take home for my daughter,
Seats at the opera and carols at King’s:
These are a few of my favourite things!

Hot office gossip and harmless flirtations,
Praise from the boss that relieves my frustrations,
Dreams of promotion – the cash that it brings:
These are a few of my favourite things!

Free mobile phone-calls and free photocopies,
Lots of free downloads (and sometimes free floppies),
Printers with paper and armchairs on springs:
These are a few of my favourite things!

Gracious requests and deserved recompenses,
Lunch at a swanky hotel (on expenses),
Pre-Christmas office romances (no strings):
These are a few of my favourite things!

When the boss barks, when the work stings,
When I’m feeling sad,
I simply remember my favourite things,
And then I don’t fe-eeel… so bad!

(c) John C Boothman 2009

Your Vote & Comment Counts

The parody authors spend a lot of time writing parodies for the website and they appreciate feedback in the form of votes and comments. Please take some time to leave a comment below about this parody.

Place Your Vote

 LittleLots
Matches Pace of
Original Song: 
How Funny: 
Overall Score: 



In order for your vote to count, you need to hit the 'Place Your Vote' button.
 

Voting Results

 
Pacing: 5.0
How Funny: 5.0
Overall Rating: 5.0

Total Votes: 7

Voting Breakdown

The following represent how many people voted for each category.

    Pacing How Funny Overall Rating
 1   0
 0
 0
 
 2   0
 0
 0
 
 3   0
 0
 0
 
 4   0
 0
 0
 
 5   7
 7
 7
 

User Comments

Comments are subject to review, and can be removed by the administration of the site at any time and for any reason.

Tommy Turtle - April 16, 2009 - Report this comment
Welcome to AIR! Promising start. Just a few suggestions:

1) The very first line is one syllable too long:

Rain drops on..... ros es ......and whisk-ers on.. ki--- tens
Sta tion... er (y) cup-boards and lat------tes with lids on

The OS (Original Song) runs in groups of three syllables, DA-da-da Da-da-da, ("dactyls", as in "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds") but "Stationery" is four before the next stress, and so the beginning and whole line are off. (OS source: ht*p://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/favorite.htm)

2) Per the same source and most of the parodies of this song done here (100+), there should be a chorus every three verses, rather than at just the end. Hint: You get bonus points for varying each chorus, even if the OS repeats the same chorus. More jokes, more wit.

Couple of shameless plugs of my own takes on the OS:
http://www.amiright.com/parody/misc/julieandrews50.shtml
http://www.amiright.com/parody/60s/julieandrews87.shtml

3) As this parody is obviously written in British English, naturally its title will be as well. However, the OS was from a Broadway (USA) play ("The Sound of Music") written by two Americans, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and so for proper crediting of the OS, its actual (American English) title should be used, "My Favorite Things".

This isn't as nitty (or jingoistic) as it sounds. Parodies are grouped here in many ways, and one of them is by OS (per decade). If you go to this song's home pages in the "misc" group, http://www.amiright.com/parody/misc/m.shtml, there are 27 parodies with the US spelling, then the four with UK spelling are in a separate group at the bottom. In the "1960s" group, there are 70+ US followed at the bottom by 6 UK. You're in some good company there, including Phil Alexander (Brit) and Guy DiRito (Yank), but the OS is what it is, and so it would be easier to search them if everyone (including the highly-esteemed writers mentioned) used the same (original) spelling for the OS. (btw, Broadway musical opened in 1959, and film version was 1965, hence the grouping in two different decades. Rather than take a stand, I cowardly put one in each :-)

Excellent start for a new writer! 555, and looking forward to more.
John Boothman - April 16, 2009 - Report this comment
Hmmm! Strictly speaking TT is right about the first line, however we Brits tend to elide the third syllable of "stationery". Perhaps "station'ry" would have made it clearer. As for the spelling, point taken, although I've lost count of the number of times English spellings are ignored by Americans! And Julie Andrews is a Brit...
Malcolm Higgins - April 16, 2009 - Report this comment
Welcome fellow Brit!!! as a veteran here, Tommy is right, and the first entry is awesome. You have talent, and here's a pint to many more. from a guy who has apparently no friends here, you have me as one already. Tommy too, it seems. Heed his advice, he's a great 'un.. welcome John
Tommy Tourtle (lol) - April 17, 2009 - Report this comment
John, you're spot on -- indicating elisions by apostrophes makes it very clear to the reader. Done that many times, just out of poetic license (to make the scansion/meter/pacing match), e. g., "diff'rent" to emphasize I'm using two syllables, even though (typically lazy) US speakers rarely pronounce the middle syllable either. Good point on Brit elision of "station'ry" -- if I'd thought of "milit'ry" vs. US "mil-i-tar-y", I'd have made the leap. The apostrophe would've been a life-saver here :)

No question about us improperly quoting British sources in US vernacular. Our schools suck so badly, most of us can't even speak or write our own dialect correctly. I had some phone conversations with a Trinidad native with a definite island accent, but when she wrote me a letter, it was so much more polished than what I'm used to receiving that I pointed that out and confirmed, wasn't she an immigrant from Trinidad? As soon as she said, "Yes, I grew up there and attended British schools..." I "Aha!'-ed. Your schools still teach a bit of grammar, I think -- ours don't. (Read the submissions here and see. Who/whom? Forget it! etc.)

I think we're cool, except that I can't refrain from pointing out that a song's title isn't changed by who sings it :-) :-) If you sing one of my parodies (God help you!), would that change the spelling of the writer's (copyrighted) title and song? Enough... have a cold one on me, and Cheers, Mate!

Malcolm Higgins: Yes, John has at least two friends here. I know that you didn't care to read my tribute to TJC, but for the sake of this discussion, if you were to look at the linked parodies where I anal-yzed his early works in the same way, you'd see the same point -- I wouldn't waste my time and suggestions on a writer who wasn't obviously worth it. ... and thanks for the kind words, and again, the same comment to you as to JB: More, please, of the fantastic quality of "Pirates/Snipers"; the count is meaningless. Cheers to you too, Mate!
How To Win Friends And Influence Voters - April 17, 2009 - Report this comment
John, one last thought/old adage: "The best way to have a friend is to be one." I. e., visit other songs that look interesting to you, leave a thoughtful comment ... don't have to kiss arse or be brilliantly witty, just something that shows you took the time to read and consider the parody. Eventually, those writers will wonder who this new person is and start looking at your songs. Not all of them, and no guarantees (can't please everyone). but it's the best way to "get into circulation". It's always tough being the new guy on the block and breaking into an established crowd (read, "clique"). I did it by posting ten (10) songs on my noob day, although not deliberately (I didn't know that they didn't update on Sat. and Sun. most of the time, so there were ten on Monday.) Not recommended:)

btw, did you catch my UK spelling of "arse"? lol. Peace, brother.
John Boothman - April 19, 2009 - Report this comment
Dear friends: I thank you for your kindly words. For a mere fledgling, yet to leave the nest, To offer up advice to you old birds Would, on reflection, not be for the best. We novices have many tricks to learn Before our observations count a jot. Whereas you guys spot gems at every turn; I’m dumb with admiration (no I’m not). Long may you parody (or parodise) The songs of lesser mortals. I can tell You don’t need me to cut you down to size, But they need you. So go on – give ‘em hell!
Claude Prez - April 19, 2009 - Report this comment
Hey, this was really good.
TT - April 20, 2009 - Report this comment
John: Wow, that's a parody in itself! Find an OS that fits, finish that up, and post it!

The author of the parody has authorized comments, and wants YOUR feedback.

Link To This Page

The address of this page is: http://www.amiright.com/parody/60s/julieandrews119.shtml For help, see the examples of how to link to this page.

This is view # 2212