Do the Diddy

Wednesday May 18, 2005

You know I haven't always been a acoustic rock musician. I actually started my illustrious (I'm using the term quite loosely here) career in music as a jingle and short song writer. I was recently reminded of these humble beginnings when I received a Friendster email (we all know how I feel about this great site) from an old friend John Lickfett.

John and I were practically neighbors back when we both lived on good old Elm Street adjacent to the railroad tracks in Deerfield, IL. For those of you unfamiliar with Deerfield I think its safe to say that there really isn't a Wrong Side of the tracks so its not like John and I were dodging bullets and having to say no to drugs on a daily basis. With a lack of these real world obstacles we lead a very rich creative and imagination driven existence.

It was 1993. Video games were our drug of choice, ghost stories and adventure on bikes were our mission, and song writing, well it just came with the territory. Separated by one year in age, John my junior, we were very close and crazy friends. We had the Bulls and White Sox to celebrate (yes they were both good back then too) and the awkwardness of middle school and the onset of physical changes to run from.

Though there were in fact many collaborations most have been lost through space and time. But John reminded me of one in his letter and the other I had never forgotten. The one I have never forgotten is a soda (or pop as we called it back then) jingle. It supports the Coca Cola company's Dr. Pepper rip off, Mr. Pibb. The lyrics:

Mr. Pibb by John Lickfett and Jeremy Round

It's Mr. Pibb, Pibb, P-I-B-B Pibb
It's Mr. Pibb, Pibb, Pibb with two B's
It's Mr. Pibb, Pibb, P-I-B-B Pibb
It's Mr. Pibb, Pibb, that's what I like to drink, Mr. Pibb

Listen to Mr. Pibb Here (aif).

The one John reminded me of is a duet and singing it solo I just don't give it justice. But I do find it quite amusing that a song called Chewy Buffalo Men which had me in stitches back when we wrote it is today still quite hilarious. I guess you can credit that to our main influences of the time Ween and Beck.

Chewy Buffalo Men by John Lickfett and Jeremy Round

Chewy Buffalo Men (Chewy Buffalo)
Chewy Buffalo Men (Chewy Buffalo)
They Lost the Battle 'cause they're chewy cattle
They're Chewy Buffalo Men (Chewy Buffalo)

Chewy Buffalo Men they roam the land
Chewy Buffalo Men, they're cattle in demand
Chewy Buffalo Men, they have no home
Chewy Buffalo Men discovered Rome

Chewy Buffalo Men (Chewy Buffalo)
Chewy Buffalo Men (Chewy Buffalo)
Chewy, Buffalo, Mennnnnnnnnnnnnn.

Listen to Chewy Buffalo Men Here (aif).

And of course a fan favorite is a solo piece I wrote in response to a melody project we had in 8th grade music. The song is entitled Hit Man for Hire. At the time of the composition of this prolific tune I was very into poetry about death and dismemberment. It was a phase.

Hit Man for Hire by Jeremy Round

I shot a man
I made him cry
He's bleeding bad
He's gonna die

Cops are knocking down my door
Bloody corpses on the floor
Hit Man for Hire....

Listen to Hit Man for Hire Here (aif).

Well that just about does it for this edition of flashback. I leave you with the great words of that epic rock team Ween, "Mr. Won't you please help my pony? He's down and he ain't gettin' up. He's down in the dirt won't you help him? I think its his lung."

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Do the Diddy

Wednesday May 18, 2005