Thursday, November 15, 2012

Song for Dad

Again, due to what would have been my Dad’s birthday this weekend, and the long span without power, internet or sanitary conditions thanx to Sandy the Frankenstorm:


Here’s a tune I dedicated to my Dad in 1999. He helped with most technical details.

Ballad of the Millennium Bug
(To the tune of “Yellow Submarine”)

Near my cube, one early morn’
Sat a man, who knew no C
And he told us of the time
When they used core memory

He’s programmed for many years
All his hair, has turned to grey
Only he can calm our fears
As we come to Y2K

He works hard fixing COBOL subroutines
He used to have a screen, with letters all in green
He works hard fixing COBOL subroutines
Typed cards back in his teens, on old keypunch machines

All the dates across the board
Saved as two digits, Oh my Lord!
Magnetic tapes spin all day
(old computer clicking and pinging noises to instrumental tune)

He stays late reading COBOL subroutines
The code is never lean, No comments to be seen
He stays late reading COBOL subroutines
Reads software magazines, On trains to Brook-a-leen

He remembers UNIVAC
And to vacuum tubes he does go back
Before the birth of the PC
He was fluent in ...assem-ba-ly

He gets paid coding COBOL subroutines
Consulting fees have been, quite high above the mean
He gets paid coding COBOL subroutines
We treat him like a dean, his paychecks are obscene

He works hard fixing COBOL subroutines
His desk is always clean, it has a perfect sheen
(fading)
He works hard fixing COBOL subroutines
COBOL subroutines, COBOL subroutines

2 comments:

Kim Luer said...

THIS IS TOTALLY AWESOME!!!!!

Jeff McGinley said...

As was he. Many thanx.