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Song Parodies -> "Why, Why, Did The King of Pop Die? [A Tribute To Michael Jackson]"
Original Song Title:
"American Pie"
(MP3)Original Performer:
Don McLean
Parody Song Title:
"Why, Why, Did The King of Pop Die? [A Tribute To Michael Jackson]"
Parody Written by:
Silver Power
The Lyrics
This is my first serious parody. Everyone I knew stopped when the found out the Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, died or cardiac arrest on June, 25th, 2009, at the age of 50. My dad was a huge fan, and had every album that the King of Pop ever released, and I remember when I called him telling him the news. He was shocked. I was shocked. The world was shocked. The original lyrics, to which I based the pacing off of, can be found at http://www.lyrics007.com/Don%20McLean%20Lyrics/American%20Pie%20Lyrics.html
A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How his music used to make me smile
Some would just judge him at a glance
But he could sing, and he could dance
And, baby, did he create his own style.
But June '09, my spine, it shivered
Sad, when the bad news was delivered
Read on the internet
And I still can't believe, yet
When millions heard it, millions cried
I'm glad I was along for the ride,
But something still hurts deep inside
The day that Michael died.
Oh, why, why, did the King of Pop die?
Oh so gallant, what a talent,
I just can't say goodbye
And I thought real good, smiled and let out a sigh
Knowing that the king is now flying high
Michael Jackson's flying so high.
Controversy, most speak of
"Not guilty", the fans set free a dove
He's aquitted of all wrong
When he danced on the SUV
From the charges, he was set free
And then he could once again sing his song
Well, the world was in love with him,
His lost childhood, remains innocent
Put on his dancing shoes
Oh, what a great soul to lose
Although I am a teenager, I respect
And the way that he and his fans could connect
But now it seems that I'm a wreck
The day that Michael died.
I started thinkin'
Why, why, did the King of Pop die?
Oh so gallant, what a talent,
I just can't say goodbye
I thought real good, smiled and let out a sigh
Knowing that the king is now flying high
Michael Jackson's flying so high.
Jackson 5 to Thriller, legacy
He has never ceased to amaze me
And that's always how it will be
When the Pop King sang songs for you and me
It would seem he'd set our spirits free
And we'd get lost in the melody
Oh, and while the King, it seemed was down
Always a comeback would be found
The legend that we learned
Awaited his return!
And to this day they would play his tracks
Those even from a while back
And we still sang to good ol' Jack
The day that Michael died.
We were thinkin'
Why, why, did the King of Pop die?
Oh so gallant, what a talent,
I just can't say goodbye
I thought real good, smiled and let out a sigh
Knowing that the king is now flying high
Michael Jackson's flying so high.
Sadness, badness in the summer's madness
Can't relate to how my dear old dad is
He's oh, so high, he rose so fast
Oh, and how his fame will last
May say that I'm living in the past
But I know his future, still is oh, so vast
Now the night of his death, filled with gloom,
While the artists, thanks to Jackson, bloomed
And the love of his fans
Oh, and for him, they clapped their hands
Cause whenever he would take the stage
It seems he'd grow better by age
So now he writes his final page
The day that Michael died.
I started thinkin'
Why, why, did the King of Pop die?
Oh so gallant, what a talent,
I just can't say goodbye
I thought real good, smiled and let out a sigh
Knowing that the king is now flying high
Michael Jackson's flying so high.
Oh, so beautiful in many ways
A generation died that day
And now it seems the world has crashed
We say that "Jackson's soulful, Jackson's smooth"
Jackson, oh, what a life to lose
Cause talent, oh, his talent can't be matched
Oh, and how his world was like a stage
A showman, he, in every way
An angel sent to Earth,
Greatness, ever since his birth
And as his fame climbed high all through these years
Sorrow remains, along with tears
But still his music, inside, I hear
The day that Michael died
We were thinkin'
Why, why, did the King of Pop die?
Oh so gallant, what a talent,
I just can't say goodbye
I thought real good, smiled and let out a sigh
Knowing that the king is now flying high
Michael Jackson's flying so high.
I never understood the blues
Until the day the Earth would lose
The King of Pop, family, we pray
We'd buy his records at the store,
But Michael, oh, he was so much more
But his heart, so big, would stop, the world is gray
And in the streets, all people stopped
The young and old, from the thieves to cops
And sad murmurs were spoken
And still, I remain hopin'
Morning will come and I will wake
Was just a dream, I made a mistake
But if it's true, my heart will ache
The day that Michael died.
I started thinkin'
Why, why, did the King of Pop die?
Oh so gallant, what a talent,
I just can't say goodbye
I thought real good, smiled and let out a sigh
Knowing that the king is now flying high
Michael Jackson's flying so high.
I was thinkin'
Why, why, did the King of Pop die?
Oh so gallant, what a talent,
I just can't say goodbye
I thought real good, smiled and let out a sigh
Knowing that the king is now flying high
Michael Jackson's flying so high.
I can still remember
How his music used to make me smile
Some would just judge him at a glance
But he could sing, and he could dance
And, baby, did he create his own style.
But June '09, my spine, it shivered
Sad, when the bad news was delivered
Read on the internet
And I still can't believe, yet
When millions heard it, millions cried
I'm glad I was along for the ride,
But something still hurts deep inside
The day that Michael died.
Oh, why, why, did the King of Pop die?
Oh so gallant, what a talent,
I just can't say goodbye
And I thought real good, smiled and let out a sigh
Knowing that the king is now flying high
Michael Jackson's flying so high.
Controversy, most speak of
"Not guilty", the fans set free a dove
He's aquitted of all wrong
When he danced on the SUV
From the charges, he was set free
And then he could once again sing his song
Well, the world was in love with him,
His lost childhood, remains innocent
Put on his dancing shoes
Oh, what a great soul to lose
Although I am a teenager, I respect
And the way that he and his fans could connect
But now it seems that I'm a wreck
The day that Michael died.
I started thinkin'
Why, why, did the King of Pop die?
Oh so gallant, what a talent,
I just can't say goodbye
I thought real good, smiled and let out a sigh
Knowing that the king is now flying high
Michael Jackson's flying so high.
Jackson 5 to Thriller, legacy
He has never ceased to amaze me
And that's always how it will be
When the Pop King sang songs for you and me
It would seem he'd set our spirits free
And we'd get lost in the melody
Oh, and while the King, it seemed was down
Always a comeback would be found
The legend that we learned
Awaited his return!
And to this day they would play his tracks
Those even from a while back
And we still sang to good ol' Jack
The day that Michael died.
We were thinkin'
Why, why, did the King of Pop die?
Oh so gallant, what a talent,
I just can't say goodbye
I thought real good, smiled and let out a sigh
Knowing that the king is now flying high
Michael Jackson's flying so high.
Sadness, badness in the summer's madness
Can't relate to how my dear old dad is
He's oh, so high, he rose so fast
Oh, and how his fame will last
May say that I'm living in the past
But I know his future, still is oh, so vast
Now the night of his death, filled with gloom,
While the artists, thanks to Jackson, bloomed
And the love of his fans
Oh, and for him, they clapped their hands
Cause whenever he would take the stage
It seems he'd grow better by age
So now he writes his final page
The day that Michael died.
I started thinkin'
Why, why, did the King of Pop die?
Oh so gallant, what a talent,
I just can't say goodbye
I thought real good, smiled and let out a sigh
Knowing that the king is now flying high
Michael Jackson's flying so high.
Oh, so beautiful in many ways
A generation died that day
And now it seems the world has crashed
We say that "Jackson's soulful, Jackson's smooth"
Jackson, oh, what a life to lose
Cause talent, oh, his talent can't be matched
Oh, and how his world was like a stage
A showman, he, in every way
An angel sent to Earth,
Greatness, ever since his birth
And as his fame climbed high all through these years
Sorrow remains, along with tears
But still his music, inside, I hear
The day that Michael died
We were thinkin'
Why, why, did the King of Pop die?
Oh so gallant, what a talent,
I just can't say goodbye
I thought real good, smiled and let out a sigh
Knowing that the king is now flying high
Michael Jackson's flying so high.
I never understood the blues
Until the day the Earth would lose
The King of Pop, family, we pray
We'd buy his records at the store,
But Michael, oh, he was so much more
But his heart, so big, would stop, the world is gray
And in the streets, all people stopped
The young and old, from the thieves to cops
And sad murmurs were spoken
And still, I remain hopin'
Morning will come and I will wake
Was just a dream, I made a mistake
But if it's true, my heart will ache
The day that Michael died.
I started thinkin'
Why, why, did the King of Pop die?
Oh so gallant, what a talent,
I just can't say goodbye
I thought real good, smiled and let out a sigh
Knowing that the king is now flying high
Michael Jackson's flying so high.
I was thinkin'
Why, why, did the King of Pop die?
Oh so gallant, what a talent,
I just can't say goodbye
I thought real good, smiled and let out a sigh
Knowing that the king is now flying high
Michael Jackson's flying so high.
Took a while, but was worth it. Rest in Peace, Michael Joseph Jackson.
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Voting Results
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Voting Breakdown
The following represent how many people voted for each category.
| Pacing | How Funny | Overall Rating | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 5 | 33 | 31 | 34 |
User Comments
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That must have been tough to write without actually making fun of him at all, I mean I ripped on him a little bit in my parody today, Phil's parody today was pretty much a mockery of Michael Jackson, Dave's parody was short and sweet and AFW's parody also made fun of him a little bit but paid it's respects then there's your parody... Wow! That's pretty much all I can say, this one wasn't funny at all, so instead of the "How Funny" section in voting I changed that to "How Sincere" and this one was extremely sincere it had me even tearing up for a second there. What a great talent to lose, as I wrote on Dave's parody yesterday was indeed a sad day for music.
Great Job, and very fitting OS! He was a very tortured soul. Matthias is right. Very difficult not to lampoon him(I know I did recently). But he does deserve honor for the GOOD times..
very good
SP...I liked this. A mountain of a song...but he deserved it. Great work.
Beautiful tribute, and even though everything that came to my mind to do had to do with MJ songs, this one is just as fitting considering it was about prior kings of music, and their death. Great job on an epic tribute SP, 5s--no questions on my end. . .
Ya beat me to it, Silver Power! I was going to write a parody of this OS, same title and theme as this parody, but I got sleepy and forgot to write more than the first verse. The death of Michael Jackson is like the death of Elvis to my generation (I was born in 1980), and I will miss the guy a lot. 5s.
R.I.P. Michael Jackson! He will be missed! Great tribute you wrote for the King of Pop! As I've told B.A. Dave, I will be wearing black for the whole week, mourning over MJ's death. Most of the MJ tributes I've read are very touching, well still more to read... I actually don't have a fave of MJ's music. I like them all. (sigh) Just can't get over him. The way you wrote it, Michael Jackson will always be looking at us from above. 50 is still too young to live a life to short. The Legend of Michael Jackson will never be forgotten! 5's for sentiment and condolences!
Thanks all... It took a while to write... I think this might be the greatest thing I've done so far. I just wanted mine to be one of the better tributes of the day, since I knew the tributes would flow in, and it was definitely worth the effort.
Nice heartfelt tribute, good work on a long OS in a short period of time. Your best effort to date, IMHO.
Well, you got another parody from me before the end of this month, like you were hoping, Blackjack. Unfortunately, it was due to such a sad occasion.
To take this on, and finish it, and make it as good as it is,all in one night is truly amazing..
Very impressive, SP - it's definitely the best of what I have read of yours so far, and it's an awfully long one to fill.
Thanks. I chose the OS because the sound seemed like it would match the occasion. Also, I had been thinking of a sub most of the day, and I came up with this one. I completely forgot how long the song was until I parodied it.
I have to agree that this is a very heartfelt tribute. Great job, SP. 555 easily. I was never that much of a Jackson fan, but I still mourn his death.
SP: Yes, the sad occasion was unfortunate. But you showed what you are capable of when you have the right inspiration. That one came straight from your heart and that's always where the best stuff is. Again, nice work!
I did one of Michael Jackson.
Respectful and fitting. While I think he made many questionable decisions and put himself in some compromising situations, even if he never did anything, in death he does deserve something like this. Good job.
Thanks. Unfortunately, Michael Jackson had become more of a punchline to the new generations than an artist... Their loss. You're right, Michael Jackson may have put himself in compromising situations, but in the end, he was never convicted of anything. I think he was too much of a kid inside to do what he was charged with. I just feel like people should have treated him as though he was never even charged with the crime, since he wasn't convicted... The magazines that are 'mourning' his death now are the very same that would ridicule him almost weekly and call him 'Wacko Jacko'. He's gone now, he put up with it for way too long. RIP.
SOTM: Excellent job, a very fitting tribute to THE King of Pop 555.
SOTM As I wrote earlier, this was one magnificent EPIC tribute. (Written on very short notice!!)
(SOTM) Incredible tribute to an amazing although misunderstood man. If his dad hadn't been a complete arse when it came to raising him, Michael may well still be alive today for all I know. I wasn't that into his music due to the controversy, but I'm still thrown by his passing away. RIP Micheal Jackson, and 555 Silver Power.
SOTM...as I said before, this was an excellent tribute to an excellent artist. I still can't believe he's gone.
Checking out that early robbed us parodist of many future opportunities I'd say. Nice tribute.
I. . .love. . .this. . one, see above, nothing to add.
SOTM...Michael Jackson, his greatest achievement was laying the groundwork for the launching of Weird Al's career. Very well written, I can't vote for it in this contest, I stress "funny" for parodies. I hope you don't take that badly because this was very good.
Impressive and better than what anyone else has done with the idea. A very fitting tribute.
Has anyone ever submitted these songs for copyright and tried to make money off of them? I have a really good parody and wonder if it is worth it to try. thanks
(ABC) Loved this one the first time out. Absolutely brilliant tribute!
(ABC) My first read here, and this was very heartfelt. It was refreshing to hear a take on the story that didn't dwell on the controversies and quirks too much. Seems like a very personal work for you, so I cannot say anything Bad (sha'mon!) about it.
(ABC) Massive and very thorough effort, Silver Power. Tough Big7 OS and you did huge justice to it. hope you showed it to your dad and he appreciated it. I too have lampooned Michael, but he was a genius and I wish he was still around. I took my daughter to see "This Is It" on the IMAX big screen and we were both blown away. He could have done 200 concerts - in a row - and still be thinking up new amazing stuff - 555
(ABC5-W) See above...I still have trouble coming to the grips with the fact that MJ has ceased to be. Another 555 for the hellz of it.
ABC5(W) Great tribute parody!!!...555!!!
Very good tribute, maybe one of the few parodies on the site not making fun of him. I can't believe it has been five months already, seeing as how the press has covered his death to death. Not the funniest, but an excellent parody of AmPie. 5s.
Yeah--see above...definitely
(ABC) I love the idea of this one, and you have some good lines. However, your tribute, for such a long song, lacks depth. You find different ways of saying "Michael's great!" without going into much detail about what made him great. For example, you could've had more specific references to his songs, like the way you're "I can't say goodbye" line echoes "Never Can Say Goodbye". You don't mention Neverland Ranch, the glove, the high-pitched, high-energy quality of the voice, the Moonwalk, his marriages, his kids...nor the names of anyone who paid tribute to him. Also, your pacing and syllabic placement is a bit off. I wouldn't be this harsh if this weren't a contest entry. I loved the idea, but you needed more variety of detail. 444. RIP MJ.
(SOTY) See above. Melanie Lee can be a more pointed critic than me.
I agree with what I said earlier. This one wasn't funny but damn it was good.
(SOTY) Wow, we started and ended the voting list with "American Pie" parodies! This one was wonderful...
Well written,not a funny parody, but I thought it was done well and good for its intentions (yes, I know it wasn't supposed to be funny, that wasn't a criticism).
Wait.. I'm in SOTY? Don't remember entering. Either way, epic.
SOTY...I still miss him. Nice work...
Very fitting tribute using a beast of a song. Well done. :)
See above
Great work...a fine MJ tribute
Good and clever, but not funny at all, gave it a 1 for funniness
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