http://music.metafilter.com/2268/Jimmy-the-Shrew/ Comments on MeFi Music post Jimmy the Shrew Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:36:16 -0800 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:36:16 -0800 en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 http://music.metafilter.com/2268/Jimmy-the-Shrew A song about a villain, written in 2000. Part of my<a href="http://sparberfans.blogspot.com/2007/11/old-songs.html"> Old Songs</a> project. <br /><br /> I BELIEVE I originally wrote this song around 2000, but I don't remember precisely when. I do remember the circumstances that led to me writing the song, though: I was reading about old gangsters and their nicknames, and discovered that quite a few were called "So and So the Jew." "Lenny the Jew." "Vinnie the Jew." So I wrote a song called "Jimmy the Jew" about a menacing underworld figure, and it stayed that was for a while. In fact, I remember performing it at Balls Cabaret in the Twin Cities on one of the very few occasions when I performed my own music in public. A few years later, in 2004, when I had moved to Omaha and was writing my <a href="http://sparberfans.blogspot.com/2007/09/tales-of-tom-hopper.html">Tales of Tom Hopper,</a> I got the idea to include a character who basically served the same function as a protection racket. Since this was in the world of animals, I called him <a href="http://sparberfans.blogspot.com/2008/05/tales-of-tom-hopper-jimmy-shrew.html">Jimmy the Shrew</a>, changed the lyrics to the song, and made it his theme song. So, in the story, when the shrew sings about himself, this is what he's singing. "JIMMY THE SHREW" LYRICS: There's a snarl under my waxed mustache And a strange stain on my shoe I carry with me a bottle of vitriol They call me Jimmy the Shrew They call me Jimmy the Shrew There's not a dollar I don't own a piece of Or a cruelty I don't do Every scar here bears my name dear They call me Jimmy the Shrew They call me Jimmy the Shrew There's a block on Delancey That is where I hang my hat The streets here they are slick with blood And I'm the reason for that Run your hands through my silky hair dear I got a smile for you They'll find nothing but your shredded stocking They call me Jimmy the Shrew They call me Jimmy the Shrew post:music.metafilter.com,2008:site.2268 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:47:54 -0800 Astro Zombie gangster protection shrew ukulele villain http://music.metafilter.com/2268/Jimmy-the-Shrew#10689 Nice song<br> Thanks comment:music.metafilter.com,2008:site.2268-10689 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:36:16 -0800 nonamehifi http://music.metafilter.com/2268/Jimmy-the-Shrew#10699 The thing that really sticks out at me here is that I expect the chord under &quot;shrew&quot; to be minor. It makes things feel a bit unsettled to end on that dominant chord, which seems appropriate for this song.<br> <br> Lyrically, I think this is my favorite of the Old Songs so far. Nice work! comment:music.metafilter.com,2008:site.2268-10699 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:57:56 -0800 danb