| Haiku | |
| |
| Written by | Rob Cantor |
|---|---|
| Appears on | Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum |
| Sung by | Rob Cantor, Joe Hawley |
| Genre | Rock |
| Language | English |
| Links: | Youtube Spotify Bandcamp |
Haiku is a song by Rob Cantor. The song's lyrics are attempted to be in haiku format of poetry, which is categorized by it's syllabic structure of 5 / 7 / 5. Most of the verses fall one syllable over at 5 / 7 / 6. The line "Lah dah dee diddum / Lah dah dum doo diddle / Dum doo lah dee doh" is the only lyric in proper haiku format, as the writer struggles to write a haiku using actual words and resorts to gibberish out of frustration.
History
To our knowledge Haiku was never demoed, only being recorded for Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum.
The auditory scene set by the track in the beginning is that they're playing in a small bar with a jerky audience, with some talking going on at the beginning. There is also the sound of presumably a music box playing a motif from Hidden in the Sand before it is silenced and the song begins. At one point, Paul Mansoor (known as the guy who cannonballs into the pool in Joe Hawley's movie "The Other Way") yells out "PLAY THE BANANA SONG!" and at another time, Henry Birdseye (great-grandson of Clarence Birdseye, inventor of frozen food) is taking a phone call and says in a low, muffled voice: "Hey, what's going on." and "That depends on what kind of surfboard you wanna buy." then says he'll have to call back because the band starts to play. Joe is kind of the drunk guy that gets up on stage and starts singing without permission. He is booed off only to return later and sneak in the yelled line: "He wrote a haiku for you!"
Trivia
- Haiku is infrequently played during live performances because "doesn't translate well into a live performance."[1]
Lyrics
I have been trying To write a haiku for you Some things I just can't do Maybe you're beyond Ancient Asian poetry Or maybe it's just me I have been trying To get this haiku just right all night For you; alright I'm through Maybe this poem Was lost in the sauce we spilled That never got refilled I've never thought much Of formulaic verse anyway And rhymes are not my fort(e) I have been trying To get this haiku just right all night For you; alright I'm through I'm trying not to try too hard But you're hard to write down right So I pen these tried attempts At haikus for you tonight Lah dah dee diddum Lah dah dah dum doo ditto Dum doo lah dee doh There, that's sufficient I wrote a haiku for you (He wrote a haiku for you) Well I tried at least, and that's not so bad I'm working here; can that be said for you? I'm trying not to try too hard But you're hard to write down right So I pen these tried attempts At haikus for you tonight Words don't work like Webster says They trip me up all night I'm just trying to write for you But you're hard to write down right
Tabs/Chords
By: http://www.facebook.com/TheSushiPizza
NOTE: If you want the Am can be C but I like Am better) (Added by Steamlord313: Alternate [and in my opinion better] chords have been added in parentheses.) G I have been trying Am (C) D (F# dim) G To write a haiku for you Am (C) D (F# dim) Some things I just cant do G Am (C) Maybe you're beyond D (F# dim) G Ancient Asian poetry Am (C) D (F# dim) Or maybe it's just me G I have been trying Am (C) D (F# dim) Em A To get this haiku just right all night Em A D For you; alright I'm through G Maybe this poem Am (C) D (F# dim) G Was lost in the sauce we spilled Am (C) D (F# dim) That never got refilled G I've never thought much Am (C) D (F# dim) G Of formulaic verse anyway Am (C) D (F# dim) And rhymes are not my forte G I have been trying Am (C) D (F# dim) Em A To get this haiku just right all night Em A D For you; alright I'm through CHORUS: F Dm G C I'm trying not to try too hard F G C But you're hard to write down right F Dm G C So I pen these tried attempts F G Am D At haikus for you tonight SOLO: G Am (C) D (F# dim) (x2) G Lah dah dee diddum Am (C) D (F# dim) G Lah dah dee doom doo ditto Am (C) D (F# dim) Dum doo lah dee doh G (N.C.) There, that's sufficient Am (C) D (F# dim) Em I wrote a haiku for you A Em Well I tried at least, and that's not so bad A D I'm working here; can that be said for you CHORUS: F Dm G C I'm trying not to try too hard F G C But you're hard to write down right F Dm G C So I pen these tried attempts F G Am D At haikus for you tonight F Dm G C Words dont work like Webster says F G C They trip me up all night F Dm G C I'm just trying to write for you F G C But you're hard to write down right
References
Good Day · Greener · Welcome To Tally Hall · Taken For A Ride · The Bidding · Be Born · Banana Man · Just Apathy · Spring And A Storm · Two Wuv · Haiku · The Whole World And You · 13 · Ruler Of Everything · Hidden In The Sand (hidden track) · Mucka Blucka* (bonus track) · Dream* (bonus track) · Just a Friend** (bonus track) ⋅ Good Day (Simlish)** (pre-gap bonus track)
* indicates tracks only available with a digital download code or with the 2021 CD and tape rerelease | ** indicates tracks only available on the 2021 CD rerelease