This message came from the ballad-l list; maybe some people on this 
list have suggestions. What about mini-ballads in other languages?

Apologies for cross-posting to members of both lists.

From: Paul J. Stamler <[log in to unmask]>

Hi folks:

I am looking for very short songs. For a while, the shortest song I knew 
was Robin Williamson's "The Son of Noah's Brother" (19 words):

'Many were the lifetimes of the son of Noah's brother
See his coat, the ragged riches of the soul'

A few years later, Art Thieme taught me what he called the world's 
shortest ballad (14 words):

'Papa loved mama
Mama loved men
Mama's in the graveyard
Papa's in the pen'

A few days ago, I came across Barry Louis Polisar's "My Name is Hiram 
Lipschlitz (Oh, to be a Smith or Jones)", which at 10 words holds the 
record so far (note that the title is longer than the song):

'My name is Hiram Lipschlitz and my problem's pretty clear.'

Anyone know anything shorter? I don't count "Peter Sellers Sings George 
Gershwin" or its descendant, "Mississippi John Hurt Sings Gilbert and 
Sullivan". And it should be noted that none of these songs repeats; 
hence, "Wimoweh" is right out.

Peace.
Paul


+++++++++++++++
Dr Tom Cheesman (Lecturer in German / Dozent fuer Germanistik)
Department of German
University of Wales Swansea
Swansea SA2 8PP
Wales
GB

tel.: 00 44 1792 295170 - fax 295710

Email: <[log in to unmask]>

http://www.swan.ac.uk/german/homepage.htm


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