Stridulations

This plaintive ditty was first sung to me in August 2000 by a queen ant who had found (and then lost) the love of her life at this event. It's got all the elements of a good blues: Love gone wrong, booze, regrets, baseball, post-nuptial flight de-alation, claustral nest founding, and lots of lines with way too many syllables crammed into 'em. Warning: I've been known to perform it in public given a working keyboard instrument and a suitably bug-crazy audience.


COMERICA PARK FLYIN' QUEEN ANT BLUES

I woke up this morning
Had a sudden urge to fly
I woke up this morning
Had a sudden urge to fly
Better watch out for that windshield
Or I'll be fixin' to go SPLAT! and die.

I got me a drone
The kind you'd follow anywhere
I got me a drone, baby
Yeah, I'd follow him anywhere.
He took me out to the ballgame
Everybody 'round us stop and stare ....

They were runnin' round in circles
And headin' for the door
I said, what's the matter with ya, two eyes?
Ain'tcha never seen no flying ants before?
They don't understand me
How can people be so mean?
They give me the blues so bad
Flying ant blues fit for a queen.

My drone done left me
Mama said it's for the best
My drone done left me
My sisters say he's just like all the rest.
I'm pullin' off my wings now
Ain't never gonna leave my nest.

Sitting here in my brood chamber
Looking at these same old walls
I miss the umpire calling
Miss them walks and strikes and balls
Nobody understands me
Strangest thing these compound eyes have ever seen.
They give me the blues so bad
Flying ant blues fit for a queen.

Gonna call all my workers
They can feed me and make my bed
Gonna say, come to mama, all you workers
Gonna make 'em feed me and make my bed
Gonna tell 'em, forget that melted ice cream ....
Gonna have them bring me some straight whiskey instead.


(Copyright 2000, 2006 by Julie and the anonymous matriarch of a formicid family)