Songspiel

kungfujimmy

Short, educational pieces about music and culture.

Episodes

  1. Twelve Days of Christmas

    12/25/2012

    Twelve Days of Christmas

    It's commonly believed that the Twelve Days of Christmas is a 400 year old song encoded with the tennets of the banned faith in England. It's been said that this song was used to protect practicing catholic children from being imprisoned and executed. Kung Fu Jimmy explores the history of this song and the English Reformation

    12 min
  2. Degenerate

    12/24/2012

    Degenerate

    This week’s Songspiel begins with Kung Fu Jimmy’s home screening of the 90’s movie “Airheads” starring Brendan Fraiser, Steve Buscemi. The movie, a lighthearted comedy about the desperate measures a rock band, The Loan Rangers, reach to get their song played on the radio, is not the focus of the podcast. Instead, the song in the movie “Degenerate”, a song about the perils of mispent youth and drug use, is the focus. And more specifically about the legendary punk band Regan Youth, the originators of the song “Degenerated”, and the drugs and youthful shennanigans that eventually led to the death of lead singer and founding member Dave Insurgent.

    11 min
  3. Gloomy Sunday

    12/24/2012

    Gloomy Sunday

    Gloomy Sunday/The Hungarian Suicide Song. Written in 1933, Gloomy Sunday’s lyrics speak of the death of a lover and entertains thoughts of suicide. The song’s melancholia is believed to have set off wave of suicides which included the song’s composer and his lover. Banned by the nation of Hungary and the BBC for 60 years the Gloomy Sunday and the “Gloomy Sunday Suicides” incited hysteria in Europe and fascination in the US. Kung Fu Jimmy tells the story of a song so good that it can kill you.

    13 min
  4. Ave Maria

    12/24/2012

    Ave Maria

    This episode involves Alessandro Moreschi, the last castrato with his rendition of Ave Maria

    9 min

  5. 12/24/2012

    Alabama Song

    Kurt Weill's Alabama Song.

    8 min
  • 5 Episodes

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Short, educational pieces about music and culture.

Information

  • Creator
    kungfujimmy
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2022 kungfujimmy
  • Show Website
    Songspiel