So You Want to Write a Fugue?
Glenn Gould
So you want to write a fugue?
You’ve got the urge to write a fugue
You’ve got the nerve to write a fugue
So go ahead and write a fugue that we can sing
Pay no heed to what we’ve told you
Give no mind to what we’ve told you
Just forget all that we’ve told you
And the theory that you’ve read
For the only way to write one
Is just to plunge right in and write one
So just forget the rules and write one
Have a try, yes, try to write a fugue
So just ignore the rules and try
And the fun of it will get you
And the joy of it will fetch you
It’s a pleasure that is bound to satisfy
So why not have a try?
You’ll decide that John Sebastian
Must have been a very personable guy
But never be clever for the sake of being clever
For a canon in inversion is a dangerous diversion
And a bit of augmentation is a serious temptation
While a stretto diminution is an obvious solution
Never be clever for the sake of being clever
For the sake of showing off
It’s rather awesome, isn’t it?
And when you’ve finished writing it
I think you’ll find a great joy in it (hope so)
Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, they say
But still it is rather hard to start
Well, let us try
Right now? (yes, why not)
We’re going to write a fugue
We’re going to write a good one
We’re going to write a fugue right now!