mayhap: medieval tapestry bunnies with text plotbunnies (lagomorpha fabulae) (plotbunnies)
mayhap ([personal profile] mayhap) wrote2004-05-09 03:50 pm

Playing with mudpies

Now, with the advent of Sydney's sister, I am that much more tempted to try to put together an Alias vid set to the song My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist.

Oh, come now, listen to the song or take a gander at the lyrics and tell me you don't see all sorts of amusing parallels with our favorite Spy Family. If you follow Alias, that is.


My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist
The Decemberists

My mother was a Chinese trapeze artist
In pre-war Paris
Smuggling bombs for the underground.
And she met my father
At a fete in Aix-en-Provence.
He was disguised as a Russian cadet
in the employ of the Axis.
And there in the half-light
Of the provincial midnight
To a lone concertina
They drank in cantinas
And toasted to Edith Piaf
And the fall of the Reich.

My sister was born in a hovel in Burgundy
And left for the cattle
But later was found by a communist
Who'd deserted his ranks
To follow his dream
To start up a punk rock band in South Carolina.
I get letters sometimes.
They bought a plantation
She weeds the tobacco
He offends the nation
And they write, "Don't be a stranger, y'hear."
"Sincerely, your sister."

So my parents had me
To the disgust of the prostitutes
On a bed in a brothel.
Surprisingly raised with tender care
'Til the money got tight
And they bet me away
To a blind brigadier in a game
Of high stakes canasta.
But he made me a sailor
On his brigadier ship fleet.
I know every yardarm
From main mast to jib sheet.
But sometimes I long to be landlocked
And to work in a bakery.


Maybe this summer I'll clear up enough disk space that I can actually take a stab at it. I suspect I'll be a lousy vidder, though, since I have a terribly imprecise visual memory. Oh well, I'll have hours and hours to obsess over it. I should get my nifty Decemberists t-shirt soon, too.

Lacking any more constructive pursuits which appeal to me at the moment, I have returned to trying to get Basil of Baker Street and Dr. Dawson happily in bed together where they belong. Sadly, the story insists on having a plot. Dratted plots.

ETA: Here, give the song a listen if you like, it's gorgeous.

Post a comment in response:

If you don't have an account you can create one now.
HTML doesn't work in the subject.
More info about formatting

If you are unable to use this captcha for any reason, please contact us by email at support@dreamwidth.org