# Help a newbee Filk singer

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-newbee-filk-singer/489501>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 15, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-newbee-filk-singer/489501 "2009-03-15T05:22:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-newbee-filk-singer/489501/1 "2009-03-15T05:22:03Z")

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Are there rules, customs, suggestions, expectations, or other guidelines?

Should a Filk song use some of the lyrics of the original tune, or should one strive to write totally original lyrics?

Other?

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**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-newbee-filk-singer/489501/2 "2009-03-15T08:19:28Z")

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For those as lost as I was: [Wikipedia on Filk](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filk)

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**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-newbee-filk-singer/489501/3 "2009-03-16T00:51:12Z")

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[Filk.com](http://Filk.com) has a lot of information, but I can tell you a few things - not all filk is lyrics sung to a familar melody; some filkers write their own melodies. Original lyrics are good, but if you can make some of the original words have a completely different meaning, that’s really good. For example, a filk of “Norwegian Wood” about sentient swords in D&D ends with "Now I use a club - isn’t it good, no-ego-wood.