Okay, picture this: You’re listening to your favorite song with your friends and you collectively realize none of you know this one particular verse. So, instead of singing “ So here’s my number, so call me maybe,” its sounds like “I love pancakes, can you add syrup maybe?”.

Before you know it, you’ve made a completely different song about why breakfast is the best meal ever. It even may sound something like this: “Bacon, eggs, bacon, eggs, bacon, eggs, I’m still hung up on that Sunny D,”  to the tune of ‘thank u, next’ by Ariana Grande, and you and your friends are all laughing your heads off.

You have just created a parody. This happens when you change the lyrics of any given song to whatever you please, or whatever sounds appropriate instead of the lyrics already created by the artist. This can be good or bad.

“Sometimes parodies can get out of hand, and mess up the true meaning of the song,” said Konnor V., a seventh grader.

He’s right. But sometimes, when done well, students at Day Creek seemed to really enjoy parodies.

“(I prefer) parodies because they are ridiculously hilarious. I really like parodies,” said Samantha O., who is in seventh grade.

There can be some downsides to parodies. Some people think that it is just plain old copying.

“(It can be copying) if you use a lot of the same stuff that they use, then it’s copying, but if you change most of the words, then it’s not,” said Cannon S., a seventh grader.

Although parodies seem like a silly thing to do with your friends and family on a lazy Sunday afternoon, there are some people who are very successful in making these hilarious songs. Jon Cozart is an American musician who goes by the name of Paint on YouTube. He has made many parodies, including “After Ever After” 1, 2, & 3, mocking Disney’s ‘happily ever after’ endings, successfully turning them upside down. And, our parents grew up with a guy named Weird Al that used to make fun of famous stars like Michael Jackson, and he created “Eat It” as opposed to Jackson’s version, “Beat It”.

While regular music is deep and possibly depressing, parodies bring happiness and joy. They are hilarious and can lift anyone’s mood on a bad day. So if you feeling a little gloomy, go on Youtube and enjoy a little parody. Bobby McFerrin’s advice seems like something you would most likely want to follow and he says,”…don’t worry, be happy.”