Tuesday, August 14, 2012

"Call Bill Finger" (to the tune of "Call Me Maybe")

One of the catchiest songs of 2012 is "Call Me Maybe."

One of the blockbusteriest movies of 2012 is The Dark Knight Rises.

Perhaps it was inevitable that these two pop culture juggernauts would come together somehow. (After all, we've already seen a Superman/Justin Bieber mashup.)

But the Batman/Jepsen fusion is almost certainly not in a way you would expect:

The "Call Bill Finger" lyrics below are about the co-creator of the Dark Knight and set to the tune of "Call Me Maybe." If you don't know what some of lyrics mean, the answers are easily found in Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman.

And after the lyrics, you will see how they could help you win something cool for your school...

Click play, scroll down, and sing those lyrics over Carly's:



"Call Bill Finger"


Superman was a big hit

Red undies, cape, really fit
Bob Kane thought he could do it
So he went home to draw

Bob’s hero—hungry for fame
Red suit, stiff wings, really lame
Well, all except for his name
There was promise in that

He needed someone
Who could make it more fun
Ideas second to none
Where you think he’d find this zinger?

That’s when it struck him
To fix his Batman
No need to worry
Just call Bill Finger

It’s hard to look right
At Bob’s version
But help is in sight
Just call Bill Finger

That’s when it struck him
To fix his Batman
Just point a finger
Right at Bill Finger

And all of Bob’s design
Did not last long
And this was because
He called Bill Finger

Bob took Batman and dropped by
A comics editor guy
Who thought this Batman would fly
But Bill was in the way

Bob chose to lie and to steal
So he could cut a deal
Did he think how Bill would feel
Left out in this way?

Bob went back to Bill’s
Knowing he had mad skills
To write tales with big thrills
Bill was writer, Bob was ringer

Bob took all credit
And kept a secret
No Batman stories
Showed sign of Finger

It’s hard to believe
Bob could do this
He pushed his partner
Into the wringer

Bob took all credit
And kept a secret
No Batman stories
Showed sign of Finger

And for a bunch of years
This continued
But one day fans learned
About Bill Finger

They thought injustice had occurred
And they felt so bad
And they felt so bad
And they felt so, so bad

They wanted Bill’s name on Batman
Wanted it so bad
And you should know that
They became so, so mad

It’s hard to look right
At Bob Kane, yeah
But here’s his picture
So try it maybe?

Hey, I just wondered
And this is crazy
If there’s a way to
Change Bill’s legacy

And all the many times
Bill’s been mentioned
Means it is time for
A big correction

Because Bill came into Bob’s life
We now have Batman
We now have Robin
We have so much to love

All Batman stories that you see
Are missing something
Bill’s name should be there

Hey, one day maybe…


Lyrics without music is like Batman without Robin.

So the challenge is yours. You can win a $100 discount off an author visit at your school simply by doing this:

  1. Film you and your friends (at least four people total) singing this song in a creative way. Be original! Be safe! Make us laugh! Make us cry!
  2. Upload the video to YouTube. If you are kids, you must get parental permission first. Must.
  3. Title the video "Call Bill Finger" ("Call Me Maybe"). This is also a must.
  4. Post the link to the video and your location (state only) in the comments section of this post. Do not include your name(s).
  5. I need to be able to contact any winner(s), so a parent (not you!) must email me at mtnobleman at gmail.com; that email should also include the YouTube link so I know who is who.

Notes:


  • Recording does not have to take place on school grounds or on school time. As long as all students in your video go to the same school and have parental permission, it counts.
  • To be eligible to win, you must sing the complete song.
  • Rehearse before filming. Each line in my version has the same number of syllables as in the original, but you will still need to find the right rhythm for certain lines.
  • The main factor in determining who gets the discount is originality.
  • There may be more than one winner, depending on my schedule.
  • Offer may end without notice.
  • Have fun saving money for your school!

3 comments:

joe said...

I'd never seen a picture of Carly before, and until this post the whole time I thought she was black...

joe said...

.. btw, I heard your interview on NPR the other day. Poor Bill..

Anonymous said...

you talked at my school today TEAM BUNASAUROUSREX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!