The Ballad of Harry Smothers
                        Harry Smothers (c) 1992
                                
 
My name is Harry Smothers and my age is (mumblety-mumble)
Another body in the filk that's going on till Kingdom come
And I have two brand-new filksongs, and I do the best I can
Now they say the filksing's over, but I think it's just begun
 
And I remember I was 28 on the day I met Benefiche
In the MileHiCon Con Suite we played Paxton, Ochs and Fish
And I only knew some old folksongs, and he could write so well
He's the first one that I filked with, and the first I aim to kill
 
So it's next another MileHiCon, then we had four good years
Then I moved to Colorado Springs, and we parted without tears
Then it's 3 years since I left the town, and my paycheck disappears
It was in a trade for Marty Burke, completed just last year.
 
And now every week I get a check from my employer in Detroit
And it's every week I cash the thing, and each month I come up short
Do you think that makes it all right, that I'm short by 3 percent?
Well, I guess I'll just keep working here; it sure helps to pay the rent.
 
And I never cared for Classical, Country I don't understand
And I'd never take Top 40, whether AM or FM
But now there's fifty thousand filks in this unhappy land
And fifty thousand Rock'n'Rolls being played by just one band
 
Well, my name is Harry Smothers and I've just gone (mumblety-mumble)
A new body in the filk that's going on till Kingdom come
Though I seldom write a new filk, I pray God I have new songs!
Now they say the filk is over, but I think it's just begun.