That pom pomp grabbing thing…
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This, truly, IS a very wonderful thing. Thank you.
(And yes, I too want to hear Folsom to the tune of Wizard.)
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This is my favorite version of this song.
A band called the Hard Rock Miners used to do this exact same lyric/music cover mashup thing with these two songs back in the early 90s.
Rob Lowe and Snow White’s opening number for the Oscars is still more bizarre, but this is good too.
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I feel like i got quite a lot of education here today.
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Though I do have Folsom Prison Blues stuck in my head now.
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Yes! Do not sit near the aisle or make eye contact if you don’t want to go on stage 
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I’m just sad we’ll never get to hear Johnny Cash sing this.
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A long time ago on the Sunday Funnies with Rick Hodge I heard Oh Little Town of Bethlehem set to House of the Rising Sun.
Edit: Found it!
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I’d actually dispute that. I have a very good friend who is a sometime professional clown. Like not at kids parties (at least not anymore). But in well reviewed plays, quality circuses, and that Cirque Du Soleil shit (but not actually Cirque Du Soleil). Also my Grandma went to clown college because she wanted to mess with kids and make a fool of herself better (she’s delightful). What I’ve learned from this is that Clowning is a very technical, traditional, and pretty highly trained performance milieu. And what Puddles is doing fits right in. Its very good clowning, he knows what he’s doing and the whole schtick fits right in with a bunch of classic clown approaches. And even more so with a lot of the newer, more self aware clown stuff that seems to be running around the comedy scene in a few cities.
In other words I do no think it is just a gimmick. What he’s doing is more than just singing in a clown suit. And I don’t think he’s just a halfway decent singer who dressed in a costume to garner some extra attention. Watch the video @critter posted. That’s very good. Very classic clown work. You don’t do that with just a sense of humor and some pancake make up. There’s got to be some affinity. Some training or a lot of practice involved in that. I’m not saying the guy is certified clown by rubber chicken university. But various aspects of clowning, circus arts, and even specific clown training are apparently a normal part of theater training these days. Ish. So to sum up. I really think the clown bit is an integral part of these performances. I don’t think they’d work without it. So no we wouldn’t pay him much attention without the clown stuff. But not because its a gimmick that garnered our attention. But because it wouldn’t be any good otherwise. The clown seems to be as much the point as the singing. If not more.
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One time I worked out how to sing “Jingle Bells” to the tune of “Yellow Submarine” and vice versa, to amuse an autistic kid whose favorite/only music was those two songs. To this day, he sings this mashup whenever he sees me.
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Here’s a collection from the UK radio programme “I’m Sorry I haven’t a Clue”
Barry Cryer’s “The Girl from Ipanema” to the tune of “My Old Man’s a Dustman” was epic, though it also works the other way around. Can’t find audio, sorry.
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Is there a term for ‘singing one song to the tune of another’? I feel like there ought to be an easier way to say that.
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If this creeps you out then you should definitely not see his wife do burlesque in a monkey mask.
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Also, if that creeps @SenorSchaffer out, then this one’s going to be a bucket of fun!
imagine walking into this in the bowels of a hotel late at night!
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In the program, Humphrey Lyttleton had lots of easier ways of saying just that. None of them were, well, easier as such…
Do you ever get the feeling… like… like ‘Pinball Wizard’ always went to the tune of ‘Folsom Prison Blues’… and you are… like… the only one who still remembers this?. And if you forget, then reality changes forever…
Damn…
(looks at joint)
…the shit is strong with this one.
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My criticism was not intended to be about him or his talent, because it’s clear that he has plenty. My point was more about us. I don’t know if boingboing would necessarily feature a guy singing one song to the tune of another, no matter how well sung, except for the fact that he was in clown face. I don’t know if I would have clicked the link except for the visual absurdity of it. The gimmick is what makes us initially pay attention. The subtlety and the talent behind it is what keeps us paying attention.
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