There was a prompt during Fearless Songwriter week last week from Peter Mulvey which was imaginary constellations and I immediately had the idea of whom I would like to see a constellation for. Then I was listening to John Gorka earlier today and wanted to do a song in his style and this song came out. And yes, all except one of the Flipper dolphins were female!
Demo pending!
Millions watched her on TV
She was the first dolphin celebrity
She would cackle, tap her teeth
Stick her nose into everything
Chorus:
Look at Flipper in the sky!
The newest constellation
There with the hunter Orion
There with Ursa Major
Flipper in the Sky!
She belonged to Porter Rick
And his sons Sandy and Bud
Bud would get himself in trouble
Flipper usually got him out of it
Stood up to the lobster poachers
And the elderly sponge diver!
(chorus)
Flipper sometimes was a life guard
Keeping sharks out of the park
She'd investigate a shipwreck
Sometimes she's put on a show
There was the episode where she swooned
For the Creature From The Black Lagoon!
(chorus)
Then one not so happy day
Sandy and Bud went away
Sandy went and joined the Coast Guard
Bud went to Massachusetts
Flipper and Porter found new neighbors
But they cancelled the next season.
(chorus to end)
@zecoop Mar 2022
Peter Mulvey has been a big favorite of mine since the mid 90's. I played his first few albums on WCNI (I was a community DJ) and saw him at Newport after Deep Blue (and in New London after). You've given me new info to color my childhood - I loved the joy in this song, along with the bittersweet feel (at times). The lyrics kept me hooked, so to speak. You have such a wonderful style. :)
@sml Mar 2022
I just watched you play it live! Fantastic funny song.
@leka Feb 2022
Wonderful! You have a great voice for storytelling.
@datsch Feb 2022
You totally got the Gorka vibe! Presumably the constellation is made up of about four or five stars to make the flipper shape? I'm guessing the star Delphinus is the brightest ...
@eas3637 Feb 2022
I love how deeply you've delved into this story with so many details! This was fun to read, and I'm looking forward to the demo!
@bethdesombre Feb 2022
That was a great Fearless prompt, wasn't it? I'd love for there to be a Flipper constellation. I wonder if you instead want to end the last verse with Flipper's new neighbors being starts in other constellations . . .