This Thing I Want So Badly

Last year, we had a lot of fun with a song called "Poor Me!" (Music K-8, Vol. 30, No. 4). We took a famous tune from Bizet's opera Carmen and added some silly lyrics. Be sure to go have a listen on our web site if you haven't heard it. Continuing in that vein, we present "This Thing I Want So Badly." Once again, silly lyrics set to a famous classical piece. This time it's Dvořák's "Humoresque No. 7."

Our story begins with our young protagonist finding something that she/he wants... so badly. Problem is, it's too expensive. So, the first thought is to ask Mom and Dad for the money. They say no, but that the money can be earned by doing chores around the house. This at first seems daunting and overwhelming, but he/she decides that this is how it's going to have to be and begins on the path of saving. Once the tasks are done and the earnings have built up, our young friend discovers that maybe it would be better to save the money instead of spending it all. A great lesson learned!

Dvořák's melody will probably sound familiar. It was written in the summer of 1894 as part of a series of short piano pieces called Humoresques. Because of the popularity of "Humoresque No. 7," arrangements for many instruments and ensembles have been published over the years. Our arrangement features a string orchestra with a lovely violin solo played on the D.S. The great thing about this piece is that you can have a lot of fun and silliness singing it, but the accompaniment track itself is a very legitimate rendition of Dvořák's piece. So, you can also use this as an excellent classical music lesson.

(Note: This song includes a Diving Deeper Into The Music learning assessment PDF.)