[Brian Allgar]

Perhaps the most famous example is Claude Francois's song 'Comme d'habitude', which became ... 'My way'. The tune is that of the original, but the words have absolutely nothing in common.

I'm afraid I agree with Roger about the 'challenges', including the first one.

[Julie Steiner]

Scroll down to the literal prose translation of "'O sole mio" (performed here by Enrico Caruso) and compare that to the lyrics of "It's Now or Never" (performed here by Elvis Presley).

The sentiments of the two versions could not be more opposed: basically, "You are the center of my personal universe" vs. an anthem of instant gratification.

[Edited to say: Unless, of course, you're cynical enough to think that all love songs are about getting into someone's pants, no matter what the words literally say.]

[David Rosenthal]

Originally Posted by Roger Slater

I had a go at the first challenge, but the other two strike me as totally impossible to pull off and I fear that I would merely waste hours of my time for nothing if I were to make a serious attempt.

I had the same reaction to the second two challenges. I may try #1, but I doubt I have the time.

Honestly, I had a similar reaction to the whole bake-off this year. Not so much that it seemed particularly impossible, but that it was something that would take more time and effort than I had. In the past, my bake-off entries have been things I worked on for some period of time and completed within the previous year. Maybe if I knew about this year's theme a year ago, I might have started to work on something. But I only saw the announcement a month ago, and there is no way I could finish something new with any seriousness in such a short time.

I look forward to reading the entries though. Should be interesting.

David R.

[Marion Shore]

The thing about song lyrics is that they are so much more forgiving than translations of poetry, since the music does so much to carry the words. In that way I think this is easier and refreshingly different from previous competitions – certainly less restrictive than last year's, IMHO. Anyway, I don't think you should worry so much about the final product; just relax and have fun.

I do agree that #2 and #3 are enormously difficult, and I wish the offerings had been a little more user-friendly.

[Birthe Myers]

I give up. I started the ay ay ay ay, my sweet honey, little honey bunny, seven syllables and then five - I stayed up late and rhymed the wrong lines. I would need months to do this, and I am not sure my result would be worth all that energy. I have made up songs to melodies, that is not hard, but these songs are very hard and I am filled with admiration for the accomplished poets who have made amazing english poems to difficult music. The Latin rhythm keeps eluding me, and that is the easiest of the three - I think.
It is an exhausting kind of fun. Thank you organizers Alex and Martin.

[Roger Slater]

Birthe, I think the way to do it is by taking far greater liberties than your literary conscience at first allows you. Just think of everything in the original lyrics as either expendable or replaceable, trying only to keep to the general gist and tone of the original. I'd say this is especially true for "My Wolf," where what's important isn't really the specific, granular details of the chosen words, but the fact that (it seems) it always sounds a bit lewd if you address someone as food that you want to cook (especially if you do so accompanied by a cutely flirtatious melody).