Tramp, Tramp, Tramp

In accordance with SOP chez Petrikov, I looked up the sheet music to The Lady is a Tramp after writing my parody of it the other day. Looking it up ahead of time would have been cheating; sort of like referring to the box while doing a jigsaw puzzle (I refer, of course, to those damnable new-fangled cardboard puzzles with the picture on the front of the box, not the traditional wooden jigsaw puzzles packaged in plain brown wrappers).

The phrases of the A theme, it turns out, begin and end with a dotted rhythm, thus: Dah-DAH, d'DAH-dah; dah-DAH, d'dah-DAH. So it doesn't really fit a couple of Hart's original lines; for, if they were to be sung as written, they'd come out as I get t'hungry for dinner at eight and I don't l'crap games with barons and earls, with undue emphasis on get and don't. (Yeah, I know: not that anyone actually sings 'em that way in practice.)

Of course, this rhythmic nuance means that my line 6, Built like Mercedes, and I don't mean Benz, is not merely nonsensical, but clumsily nonsensical. Not to mention Go look up in line 3.

So let's try this:

She goes for fellas who go for her mind;
Has lots of boyfriends, but none are "inclined";
Look under "fag hag," and guess what you'll find?
No doubt, the lady's into camp.

She's one of Nature's improbable 10's;
Her bust eclipses Sophia Loren's;
But she and menfolk can only be frenz.
No doubt, the lady's into camp.

Yet think of how much money she saves,
Sloughing the knaves—
No bills
For Pills!

She's got potential, but only one amp.
No doubt, the lady's into camp.

Lyric © 2006 Nathaniel DesH. Petrikov

Now what's needed is to track Hart's alliteration with free, fresh and green grass in the release. And bills/Pills is not the right sort of rhyme; something more abrupt is wanted. And none are "inclined" is coy to the point of being Victorian; but I can't think yet how to use kind at this point. Hmmmmmmm.