That's So Cliché!

In researching this song John discovered that clichés are generally frowned upon in literary circles, but he thought it would be a perfect song topic! In fact, every line of this song is a cliché. And he learned some things while writing it. For instance, do you know what "a stitch in time saves nine" means? It means if you get a small hole in a garment it's best to fix it right away with a single stitch rather than wait for it to get so big you need nine stitches. Or put another way, it's better to address a small problem early on rather than let it grow to a point where it's a much bigger problem.

At 186 bpm this song really cooks, so kudos to our wonderful rhythm section for bringing that high energy rock feel the song needed! There is a goodly amount of syncopation in the melody, but we've got you covered with a synth guide melody to help your singers. There is also an optional divisi on the back half of each chorus starting in measure 32. It's optional, but just adds the right amount of cool to the moment.

Also worth mentioning is that just after the end of the full performance version of this song, you'll hear an "upper-crust" young lady saying, "That's so cliché!" (Think Lovey Howell from *Gilligan's Island.) If you'd prefer a version of the song that skips that line, there is a web extra without it, called "no tag."

Our studio singers had fun singing this! Can your students think of any clichés that aren't mentioned in this song? Such as fit as a fiddle, pleased as punch, or last but not least? (Hey, those examples are also alliterative! But that's another song.)

*© CBS