"Hi folks. I blame my affection for the unusual side of music on "Sesame Street". I have been writing parodies of songs since I was a child. I had an album of children's songs YOU might have had called 'Songs That Tickle Your Funybone'. I took to imagining new words to songs like "On Top of Spaghetti" or "Funiculi, Funicula" to reflect people, places and events of my life. Later, some time in the early 1980's I saw a "PM Magazine" report on a rising comedy artist named 'Weird Al' Yankovic. This would change my life--and many others'--forever. I wanted to be the next Weird Al, and sat down to write silly songs as I saw fit.

In 6th grade in 1982, my contribution for the annual Book Writing contest at school was a collection of parodies I had written at the time. These included parodies such as "Ron & Nancy" ("Jack & Diane"), "Who Hates E.T. Now?"("Who Can It Be Now?"), and "Extra Strength Tylenol"("Abracadabra"). Later, my song parody "Everything You Bake" ("Every Breath You Take") was printed in the Algonquin Middle School 'Tomahawk Times' to some renown. In 1983 and 1985, I sent to Dr. Demento tapes of my work, crudely performed by ear and recorded in my bedroom on my boombox. Both occasions resulted in typed, hand-signed personal replies from the Good Dr. thanking me for my time and praising my efforts, but declining the tapes as too unsuitable for national airplay. Some of those parodies are now readable here at amiright.com.

Through the '80s, I continued undaunted, focusing largely on parodies of classic rock songs that I was beginning to hear on the radio and were deserving of respectful satire. I continued listening to the Dr. Demento show, enjoying all parodies good and bad, professionally recored by the likes of Weird Al and Allan Sherman, or home tapes sent in by future stars like Johnson & Tufti, Elliot & Latour, and Lukeski. I wrote an oral report in my Junior Year of High School on the history and technique of parody writing (did you know that our National Anthem, 'The Star Spangled Banner', is a parody of a British drinking song?:0). I also discovered the music of The Residents during this time, whose raison d'etre of poking fun at musical traditions became an influence which continues to this very day.

Around this time, I discovered a marvelous word in a crossword puzzle.

(from Infoplease.com dictionary---

Amphigory: am•phi•go•ry

Pronunciation: (am'fi-gôr"E, -gOr"E),

—n.,

—pl. -ries.

a meaningless or nonsensical piece of writing, esp. one intended as a parody. Also,amphigouri.)

I decided to make a parody of the word that means parody...

AM-PHI-GO-REE?----->AG-RI-MOR-PHEE

Hence, Agrimorfee, the pseudonym and entity you know was born.

I consider myself to be an expert in what makes a good parody, and am always willing to offer advice and consultation. I would love to collaborate with like-minded people on future projects, but especially in the vein of experimental and "weird" music a la The Residents. I have focused on writing stream-of-consciousness lyrics on top of "real" songs as a parody technique. If you are in the Chicagoland area, do give a buzz. I would also like to trade music that I have recorded with yours, or sell cassettes (and when I am able to, CDRs) of my original songs--experimental pop and avant-garde soundscapes in the style of The Residents, Primus, Eno, etc..

(agrimorfee@hotmail.com)

Song Parodies -> Recordings

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Song Parodies -> Lyrics

P stands for Pacing, F stands for How Funny, and O is for Overall Score.

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