"Python Wizard," with apologies to The Who

[John Keisling]

After too much time coding Python scripts and reading Mark Lutz's
Python books, I was inspired to write the following lyrics. For those
too young to remember, the tune is that of "Pinball Wizard," by The
Who. May it bring you as much joy as it brought me!


I cut my teeth on BASIC
At scripting I'm no pawn
From C++ to Java
My code goes on and on
But I ain't seen nothing like this
In any place I've gone
That modeling and sim guy
Sure codes some mean Python!

He knows his dictionaries
His exceptions never pass
His polymorphic methods
Extend each superclass
He uses indentation
Its lines are clearly drawn
That modeling and sim guy
Sure codes some mean Python!

He's a Python wizard
His code just never wrecks
A Python wizard
He knows simple beats complex

How do you think he does it?
(I don't know)
What makes him so good?

He codes with TkInter
He can render treble clefs
He uses lamdba functions
With *args in their defs
Defines his module search path
Of tuples he's the don
That modeling and sim guy
Sure codes some mean Python!

I thought I was
The scripting language king
But I just handed
My Python crown to him

He links in to libraries
All optimized in C
He always uses docstrings
For readability
He knows file iterators
He bids all bugs begone
That modeling and sim guy
Sure codes some mean Python!

 

[Matty Sarro]

I don't know whether to LOL or mourn the part of me that just died inside

j/k j/k
clever song, and it made me laugh

 

[Tim Daneliuk]

After too much time coding Python scripts and reading Mark Lutz's
Python books, I was inspired to write the following lyrics. For those
too young to remember, the tune is that of "Pinball Wizard," by The
Who. May it bring you as much joy as it brought me!

<SNIP>

You realize that you must now reprise this with,
"I'm your wicked Uncle Guido" ... right?

 

[Tim Daneliuk]

<SNIP>

You realize that you must now reprise this with,
"I'm your wicked Uncle Guido" ... right?

While were on the subject:

"T-t-t-alking 'bout my generator ...."

 

[Phlip]

That modeling and sim guy

Sure codes some mean Python!

C-;

And he changes key on the fly, too!

 

[John Keisling]

While were on the subject:

  "T-t-t-alking 'bout my generator ...."

Brilliant! LOL!

 

[Ethan Furman]

After too much time coding Python scripts and reading Mark Lutz's
Python books, I was inspired to write the following lyrics. For those
too young to remember, the tune is that of "Pinball Wizard," by The
Who. May it bring you as much joy as it brought me!

Absolutely hilarious! Thanks!

~Ethan~

 

[Steven D'Aprano]

After too much time coding Python scripts and reading Mark Lutz's
Python books, I was inspired to write the following lyrics. For those
too young to remember, the tune is that of "Pinball Wizard," by The
Who. May it bring you as much joy as it brought me!

[...]


I wouldn't know a good song parody if it kicked me in the head, but my wife
is a (retired) professional musician with a history of writing parodies.
She's not impressed by the work of most "filk singers" and supposed
parodies, most of which are seventeen kinds of crap... but she gives you
full marks. And trust me on this, she does not give compliments lightly.

She says you got the rhyming scheme and number of syllables spot on.
Technically, "That modeling and sim guy" needs to be slurred to make it
fit, "That mod'ling and sim guy", but that's acceptable.

(Most parodies get the syllable count wrong -- if a lyric goes
dum-de-dum-de-dum, the parody ends up like dum-dum-de-dum-de-dum or
dum-de-dum-de.)

Have a +1 from me and the missus.

 

[bruno.desthuilliers]

After too much time coding Python scripts and reading Mark Lutz's
Python books, I was inspired to write the following lyrics.

Brillant. This deserves to become a cpython easter egg along with
import this or from __future__ import braces.

 

[Chris Angelico]

Brillant. This deserves to become a cpython easter egg along with
import this or from __future__ import braces.

Propose: from eastereggs import wizard

ChrisA

 

[rusi]

Well written, funny, educative. Thanks
But whats 'the modeling and sym guy' reference?

 

[rantingrick]

Well written, funny, educative. Thanks
But whats 'the modeling and sym guy' reference?

I believe it's "esoteric".

 

[John Keisling]

After too much time coding Python scripts and reading Mark Lutz's
Python books, I was inspired to write the following lyrics. For those
too young to remember, the tune is that of "Pinball Wizard," by The
Who. May it bring you as much joy as it brought me!

[...]

I wouldn't know a good song parody if it kicked me in the head, but my wife
is a (retired) professional musician with a history of writing parodies.
She's not impressed by the work of most "filk singers" and supposed
parodies, most of which are seventeen kinds of crap... but she gives you
full marks. And trust me on this, she does not give compliments lightly.

She says you got the rhyming scheme and number of syllables spot on.
Technically, "That modeling and sim guy" needs to be slurred to make it
fit, "That mod'ling and sim guy", but that's acceptable.

(Most parodies get the syllable count wrong -- if a lyric goes
dum-de-dum-de-dum, the parody ends up like dum-dum-de-dum-de-dum or
dum-de-dum-de.)

Have a +1 from me and the missus.

I very much appreciate that, coming from someone who clearly values
well-written poetry and lyrics as much as I do! I double majored in
math and English, and I always liked structured poetry. It's very
important to match not only the syllable count, but the meter too. I
also pride myself on never using the same rhyme twice in a song, which
even the original does not manage to do (they used "fall" twice).

Very glad you and the missus enjoyed it!

 

[John Keisling]

Propose: from eastereggs import wizard

ChrisA

I would be honored beyond words to have this become a Python Easter
egg! Does anyone know how to make that happen?

 

[John Keisling]

I believe it's "esoteric".

I actually had myself in mind, with tongue in cheek, of course! I work
in modeling and simulation and write Python scripts to automate data
visualization and analysis.

Of course, that line could also refer to a few of my co-workers.

Glad you all enjoyed the song!

 

[Chris Angelico]

I very much appreciate that, coming from someone who clearly values
well-written poetry and lyrics as much as I do! I double majored in
math and English, and I always liked structured poetry. It's very
important to match not only the syllable count, but the meter too. I
also pride myself on never using the same rhyme twice in a song, which
even the original does not manage to do (they used "fall" twice).

Having not known the original, I can't properly appreciate the parody,
but I wholeheartedly concur with the above. Especially when you
transmit your alternate words by email (as opposed to singing it
yourself and posting on Youtube, for instance), you need them to scan
perfectly so the reader isn't thrown off by anything. The other big
pitfall is polysyllabic rhymes, quite common in Gilbert & Sullivan but
probably not an issue here. (For instance, if the original rhymes
"modern gunnery" with "in a nunnery", then you have to replace that
with three-syllable words whose last two syllables are identical and
whose first syllables rhyme. Not an easy task!)

This appears to be an excellent parody, but others are better
positioned to proclaim its quality than I.

Chris Angelico

 

[rantingrick]

Having not known the original, I can't properly appreciate the parody,

It's only a click away Chris... here let me youtube that for you...

Here's one for my would be nemisis(es)