I've got a filk for you!
I call it...Eight Nights in the PPC (Chanukah, Chanukah). There's probably a better title out there, but that's what I've got.
I really like this one. I even made a recording! (It includes the original, one-verse song at the end, because why not?) (Also: this was so much fun to record, and I love how it came out. Yes there's a sort of semi-key change at the end. Yes, it's more or less on purpose. Yes, it could have been done a little better. No, I don't care; it was fun)
Lyrics:
Come one, come all, PPC, it's time for Chanukah
First we'll bless, then we'll light, then we'll eat latkas
Oh no, there goes the console, oy, vey is mir, why, why
Curse th'SO, fine, we'll go off to see canons cry!
Second night, this one's right, joy is everywhere
Bless, now light, get it right, two candles for the prayer
Dreidels first, then the food, but there goes that BEEEP!
How's this right?! Oh, well, we'll fight--we'll be here all week!
Third night's here, full of cheer, light those candles quick
If you still light olive oil, don't forget the wick
No you can't make it from Sue's hair what is wrong with you
Burns too fast, this should last, and leave no glitter too
Fourth night comes, halfway done, missions won't you stop
This has to be against some rule--come on, it's a chag!!
This holiday is meant to be the festival of lights:
DOGA jobs don't count for that! Don't we have some rights?
Tonight's the fifth, we won't quit, we talked to Upstairs
That frustrated us so we nearly pulled out hairs
It's a shame we can't sue, but is it much to ask?
Give us a modern miracle--an evening with no tasks!
Sixth night comes, we'll have some fun, just--no one sit down
Comfort makes the console beep, and we're tired of running 'round
Chanukah, here we go, chocolate coins galore
Gifts for kids--oh no, don't sit--we can't take any more!
Seventh night shines so bright. What did we do this year?
Barely months since Yom Kippur, how is this happening?
Yes, we know, the rhyme is gone, but we are falling over
Between missions and holiday things--at least it's almost done!
[Pause/musical interlude]
...Eighth night. We can't believe our eyes--finally...it's calm
So much love, all this light, sufgan'yot almost gone
Gather 'round, sing those songs, hug your family
Give out gifts, dance a bit and retell that story!
[go off dancing to the singing of "Chanukah, Chanukah":
Chanukah, Chanukah, chag yafe kol kach
Or chaviv misaviv, gil le'yeled rach
Chanukah, Chanukah, sevivon sov sov
Sov na sov, sov na sov, ma na'im va'tov!
(Translation, from aish.com:
Chanukah is a great holiday.
Surrounded with lovely light.
Fun for little children.
Dreidel, spin, spin, spin.
How wonderful!]
Some Hebrew (mostly) translations:
latkas: potato pancakes. Delicious.
oy, vey is mir: Yiddish for 'oh woe is me'. Much more common than 'woe is me' these days, though. Very often shortened to just 'oy' or 'oy vey'
dreidel: a spinning top unique to Chanukah
chag: holiday
Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement, where the sins of the previous year are forgiven. Happens around October, hence the lament of 'what could we have already done to deserve this?!'
sufganiot: jelly donuts. Delicious. Not always jelly these days, which is an amazing development
Another fun thing: each verse more or less corresponds to a different PPC department! It's not perfect, since it wasn't really done on purpose (shh), but for your potential amusement, here:
Verse 1: Department of Angst
Verse 2: DMS/ESAS
Verse 3: ...DoSAT?
Verse 4: DOGA, obviously
Verse 5: Building Maintenance? Yes, I'm stretching
Verse 6: Any field agents
Verse 7: Also field agents. Oh well
Verse 8: Everyone
I have one more idea so far for a filk, but it hasn't happened yet. We'll see if it does. This one made for a fun morning bus ride, anyway!
Also, uh...Chanukah starts Tuesday night. What.
~Z