The name when the lyrics of a piece of music are rewritten to something different. In Knightmare terms, this involves changing them to something Knightmare related.

Possibly the first Knightmare filks occurred in Series 7 of the show in 1993, both sung by Sylvester Hands. Here he sung a rewritten version of the song 'Greensleeves', and also 'Ten Dead Goblins' to the tune of 'Ten Green Bottles'. In the latter case the only lyrics the drunken Hands sung before passing out were 'Ten dead goblins, sitting on the wall'. While it's possible that fans may have thought up their own filks before this episode was transmitted, none are known to this author.

By the end of 2002, people were starting to write their own filks on the recently relaunched Knightmare Forum. One early example is 'The Challenge Days of Christmas', rewritten to the tune of the Christmas carol 'The 12 Days of Christmas' by several members from the 18th to 22nd November 2002. See the thread here.

Things really took off, though, on the 5th November 2003, when Emii posted her 'Dungeoneerian Rhapsody' in a thread entitled 'I had a silly idea...'. Many filks have followed, the main contributors being Emii and Drassil in the early days, and since branching out into plenty more. As of October 2008 the thread has reached 24 pages, is the third biggest thread in terms of posts, and the third biggest in terms of views (6000+).

In December 2005, one filk - Drassil's Do They Know It's Quest Mess? - was sung by Wall Aid 11, a group of several Knightmare community members that included the author himself. A follow-up was mooted in 2006 using group-written lyrics to the song 'Perfect Day', but no further progress seems to have been made - an official follow-up did appear in December 2007, though, with the song 'All I Want Is Knightmare To View' (based on the song 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' by Mariah Carey), sung by Sing Back Knightmare.

Filks are often erroneously called songfics. This is the name given to when a song is turned into a piece of fiction, and is not known to have been done by any KM fans so far.

On the 14th March 2006, Billy Hicks and Mashibinbin compiled a list of all the songs that have been filked in the thread so far, discounting short extracts. It is reproduced and updated here, together with stats.

The song name is listed first, followed by the artist name in (brackets). If there is a number after the artist, it means it's the nth song filked from that artist to that point. So (Queen 2) means it's the second song filked by Queen. The year is then shown, again with a number at the end if one or more songs from that year have been done beforehand, although this may not be entirely accurate as sometimes years of songs are hard to pin down.

==2003==
Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) 1975
Fame (Irene Cara) 1982
Flashdance...What a Feeling (Irene Cara 2) 1983
Baby One More Time (Britney Spears) 1999
Bright Eyes (Art Garfunkel) 1979
Monster Mash (Bobby 'Boris' Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers) 1962
One Vision (Queen 2) 1985
A Kind of Magic (Queen 3) 1986
We're Off to See the Wizard (The Wizard of Oz soundtrack) 1939
If I Only Had a Brain/a Heart/the Nerve (The Wizard of Oz soundtrack 2) 1939 2
Genie in a Bottle (Christina Aguilera) 1999 2
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me (Culture Club) 1982 2
The Timewarp (The Rocky Horror Show soundtrack) 1973
The Lady in Red (Chris De Burgh) 1986 2
Blue (Da Ba Dee) (Eiffel 65) 1999 3
Another One Bites the Dust (Queen 4) 1980
Defenders of the Earth (Defenders of the Earth theme) 1986 3
Secret Lemonade Drinker (R. Whites advert) 1973 2
Do They Know It's Christmas? (Band Aid) 1984
Another Brick In The Wall Part II (Pink Floyd) 1979 2
I Want It All (Queen 5) 1989
Elvenpath (Nightwish) 1997
White Christmas (Irving Berlin) 1940
I Am I Feel (Alisha's Attic) 1996
Wild World (Cat Stevens) 1970
Stars (Les Miserables soundtrack) 1982 3
Wonderboy (Tenacious D) 2002
Last Christmas (Wham) 1984 2

==2004==
Mambo No 5 (A Little Bit Of ...) (Lou Bega) 1999 4
Love Shack (B-52s) 1990
Daydream Believer (Monkees) 1967
St Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion) (John Parr) 1985 2
Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel) 1986 4
It's Raining Men (Weather Girls) 1984 3
The Wheels on the Bus (Traditional) N/A
Once I Caught a Fish Alive (Traditional) N/A
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (Jane Taylor) 1806
The Lion Sleeps Tonight (The Tokens) 1961
Mickey (Toni Basil) 1982 4
The Flintstones (The Flintstones theme) 1960
Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Elton John & Kiki Dee) 1976
We Are the Champions (Queen 6) 1977
You're the Top (Cole Porter) 1934
99 Red Balloons (Nena) 1984 4
Dancing Queen (ABBA) 1976 2
Addicted to Bass (Puretone) 2002 2
Enter Sandman (Metallica) 1991
Changes (David Bowie) 1972
We Didn't Start The Fire (Billy Joel) 1989 2
Fat Bottomed Girls (Queen 7) 1978
Bicycle Race (Queen 1978 2
The Show Must Go On (Queen 9) 1991 2
U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D (Starlight Express soundtrack) 1984 5
Space Oddity (David Bowie 2) 1969
Going Through the Motions (Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode 'Once More, With Feeling') 2001
One Step Beyond (Madness) 1979 3
Our House (Madness 2) 1982 5
Into the Sunset (The Dreamstone soundtrack) 1990 2
Never Ending Story (Limahl) 1984 6
As Someday it May Happen (The Mikado soundtrack) 1885
Astro Farm (Astro Farm theme) 1992
Sit Down (James) 1991 3
The Major General's Song (The Pirates of Penzance soundtrack) 1879
The Nightmare Song (Iolanthe soundtrack) 1882
This is Halloween (The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack) 1993
Mulder and Scully (Catatonia) 1998
Dance Commander (Electric Six) 2003
It's a Sin (Pet Shop Boys) 1987

==2005==
Gold (Spandau Ballet) 1983 2
Go West (Village People) 1979 4
Radio Ga Ga (Queen 10) 1984 7
Hungry Eyes (Dirty Dancing soundtrack) 1987 2
Making Your Mind Up (Bucks Fizz) 1981
Video Killed the Radio Star (Buggles) 1979 5
Life Burns (Apocalyptica) 2005
Streets of London (Ralph McTell) 1974
Is this the Way to Amarillo? (Tony Christie) 1971
I'm Sorry (All-4-One) 1995
Perfect Day (Lou Reed) 1972 2
You Can't Hurry Love (The Supremes) 1966
It's Still Rock and Roll To Me (Billy Joel) 1980 2
Let It Be (The Beatles) 1970 2
My Gallant Crew, Good Morning (HMS Pinafore soundtrack) 1878
I Don't Know How to Love Him (Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack) 1970 3
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me (Dusty Springfield) 1966 2
I Don't Like Mondays (Boomtown Rats) 1979 6
Trouble in Paradise (The Crests) 1960 2
Be My Baby (The Ronettes) 1963
Mad World (Tears for Fears) 1982 6
Sexbomb/Extra (Tom Jones/Halifax) 2000
Toys 'R' Us (Toys 'R' Us advert) 1989 3
Snooker Loopy (Matchroom Mob with Chas & Dave) 1986 5
Let Me Live (Queen 11) 1996 2
Thriller (Michael Jackson) 1983 3
For He is an Englishman (HMS Pinafore soundtrack 2) 1878 2
I'm Still Standing (Elton John 2) 1983 4
Karma Chameleon (Culture Club 2) 1983 5
Ladies Night (Kool & The Gang) 1979 7
Sometimes (Erasure) 1986 6
Nineteen (Paul Hardcastle) 1985 3
Y.M.C.A. (Village People 2) 1978 3
The Timewarp (The Rocky Horror Show soundtrack) 1973 (again)
Winter Wonderland (Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith) 1934 2
Good King Wenceslas (Mason Neale) 1853
All I Want for Christmas is You (Mariah Carey) 1994
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (Elmo and Patsy Shropshire) 1979 8
No Limit (2 Unlimited) 1993 2
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Judy Garland) 1944
Everybody (Backstreet's Back) (Backstreet Boys) 1997 2
Last Christmas (Wham) 1984 (again)
Spider-Man (Spider-Man theme) 1967 2
Merry Christmas Everyone (Shakin' Stevens) 1985 4
Sleigh Ride (Mitchell Parish) 1950

==2006==
We are the World (USA for Africa) 1985 5
Ducktales (Ducktales theme) 1987 3
I Won't Say (I'm in Love) (Hercules soundtrack) 1997 3
I'll Be There For You (Rembrandts) 1995 2
We're Going to Ibiza (Vengaboys) 1999 5
From Russia with Love (Matt Monro) 1963 2
Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat (Guys and Dolls soundtrack) 1950 2
Firestarter (The Prodigy) 1996 3
Singing in the Rain (Arthur Freed) 1929
Halfway to Paradise (Billy Fury) 1961 2
A Whole New World (Aladdin soundtrack) 1992 2
The Wanderer (The Beach Boys) 1964
The Young Ones (Cliff Richard and the Shadows) 1962 2
Summer Holiday (Cliff Richard 2 & The Shadows 2 & The Norrie Paramor Strings) 1963 3
Build Me Up Buttercup (The Foundations) 1968
Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper) 1983 6
Donna (Richie Valens) 1959
Take Good Care Of My Baby (Bobby Vee) 1961 3
Flash (Queen 12) 1980 3
American Pie (Don McLean) 1972 3
Dream Lover (Bobby Darin) 1959 2
Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochran) 1958
Sheila's Wheels (Sheila's Wheels advert) 2005 2
Alright (Supergrass) 1995 3
It Doesn't Matter Anymore (Buddy Holly) 1959 3
Perfect Day (Lou Reed) 1972 (again)
Me Myself And I (De La Soul) 1989 4
Copacabana (Barry Manilow) 1978 4
In Summer (Billy Fury 2) 1963 4
Three Lions (Baddiel, Skinner and The Lighting Seeds) 1996 4
Parklife (Blur) 1994 2
A Town Called Malice (The Jam) 1982 7
Hazard (Richard Marx) 1992 3
Who Are You (The Who) 1978 5
Springtime for Hitler (The Producers soundtrack) 1968 2
Call Me (Blondie) 1980 4
Rock the Casbah (The Clash) 1982 8
Casper the Friendly Ghost (Casper the Friendly Ghost theme) 1950 3

==2007==
Who's Your Daddy? (Lordi) 2006
As Time Goes By (Casablanca soundtrack) 1931
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (Starship) 1987 4
Summer of '69 (Bryan Adams) 1984 8
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me (Dusty Springfield) 1966 (again)
We Do (The Stonecutters' Song) ('The Simpsons' episode 'Homer the Great') 1995 4
Ebeneezer Goode (The Shamen) 1992 4
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana) 1991 4
Living in a Box (Living in a Box) 1987 5
Walk the Dinosaur (Was (Not Was)) 1987 6
Dizzy (Tommy Roe) 1969 2
La Bamba (Los Lobos) 1987 7
LazyTown (LazyTown theme) 2004
Valerie (Steve Winwood) 1982 9
1999 (Prince) 1982 10
We Will Rock You (Queen 13) 1977 2
St Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion) (John Parr) 1985 (again)
These Dreams (Heart) 1985 6
Ride On Time (Black Box) 1989 5
For He's A Jolly Good Fellow (N/A) N/A
U Can't Touch This (MC Hammer) 1990 3
The Girl Is Mine (Michael Jackson 2 and Paul McCartney) 1982 11
Song For Whoever (The Beautiful South) 1989 6

==2008==
Never Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley) 1987 8
Rio Bravo (Dean Martin) 1959 4
S.O.S (ABBA 2) 1975 2
Robert De Niro's Waiting (Bananarama) 1984 9
Pinball Wizard (The Who 2) 1969 3
Country House (Blur 2) 1995 5
You're The Voice (John Farnham) 1987 9

As can be seen, since 2006 there has been quite a drop in the amount of filks being written, but new ones still occasionally appear to this day.

The artist with the most filks is, by a huge margin, Queen. They've had thirteen filks, with everyone else only managing two or less. Incredibly, The Beatles only have one filk to their name despite many million-selling hits.

Out of the total filks done, four are from adverts, eight are from television shows, and twelve are from films. The oldest song filked is from 1806 (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star), although the original version of 'La Bamba' goes back over 300 years, and the newest from 2006 (Lordi's 'Who's Your Daddy'). The most popular filked year is 1982, with 11; second most is 1987 with 9. 1984 has had 10, but this includes two version of Wham's 'Last Christmas' making them joint second with 9.

The most popular decade is easily the 1980s, with 58 filks. Compare that to the 2000s which has a lowly 9, although this suffers in that the decade hasn't finished yet.

(Originally posted on 2006-01-09 00:41:48)

login to vote