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+ | "'''I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General'''" was a satirical song from the operetta ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]'' by [[Gilbert and Sullivan]]. It depicted a [[military]] leader, a [[major general]] who was well-educated in every field except the ones that a military leader ought to be knowledgeable about. |
| + | [[Una]] considered the song to be part of her "freaky" to be kept to herself, but in [[2254]] nonetheless sang part of the song when she was stuck in a [[turbolift]] with [[Spock]]. After a short pause, Spock continued with two slightly paraphrased lines of the responding chorus, before being interrupted by [[Lieutenant]] [[Amin]]'s rescue. Una then ordered Spock to forget the incident. ({{ST|Q&A}}) |
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| ⚫ | In [[2368]], [[Beverly Crusher]] convinced [[Lieutenant |
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| − | :''Beverly may have thought that Geordi was a good candidate to play this role because of his frequently demonstrated ability to spout polysyllabic technical terms convincingly. (See lyrics below.)'' |
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| − | ==Lyrics== |
+ | == Lyrics (excerpt)== |
| + | <poem> |
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| + | ''I know the [[king]]s of [[England]], and I quote the fights historical'' |
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| − | '' '''Major-General:''' ''<br> |
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| − | ''I |
+ | ''I know the [[scientific name]]s of beings [[animalcule|animalculous]]:'' |
| − | '' |
+ | ''In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,'' |
| − | ''I |
+ | ''I am the very model of a modern Major-General.'' |
| + | </poem> |
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| + | Chorus, as paraphrased by Spock: |
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| + | <poem> |
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| + | </poem> |
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| + | == Background == |
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| − | '' '''Chorus:'''''<br> |
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| + | The actual line in the chorus is "In short, in matters vegetable, animal and mineral/ '''He is''' the very model of a modern Major-General." |
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| − | ''With many cheerful facts, etc.''<br> |
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| + | The Major-General's song was included in {{e|Q&A}} because [[Rebecca Romijn]], who plays [[Una|Number One]], enjoys singing [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] songs. ({{el|www.cbs.com/shows/star-trek-short-treks/video/020B7845-C631-C0F1-89B5-93BD6D2F945A/inside-short-treks-how-rebecca-romijn-helped-sneak-gilbert-and-sullivan-into-star-trek/|Inside Short Treks: How Rebecca Romijn Helped Sneak Gilbert and Sullivan into Star Trek|www.cbs.com|CBS All Access}}) |
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| − | '' '''Major-General:''' ''<br> |
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| − | ''I know the scientific names of beings animalculous:''<br> |
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| + | == External link == |
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| − | '' '''Chorus:''' ''<br> |
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| + | * {{wikipedia-quote|Major-General's Song}} |
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| − | ''In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,''<br> |
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| − | '' '''Major-General:''' ''<br> |
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| − | ''I know our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's;''<br> |
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| − | ''I answer hard acrostics, I've a pretty taste for paradox,''<br> |
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| − | ''I quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus,''<br> |
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| − | ''In conics I can floor peculiarities parabolous;''<br> |
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| − | ''I can tell undoubted Raphaels from Gerard Dows and Zoffanies,''<br> |
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| − | ''I know the croaking chorus from the '''Frogs''' of Aristophanes!''<br> |
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| − | ''Then I can hum a fugue of which I've heard the music's din afore,''<br> |
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| − | ''And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense [[HMS Pinafore|'''Pinafore''']].''<br> |
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| − | '' '''Chorus:''' ''<br> |
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| − | ''And whistle all the airs, etc.''<br> |
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| − | '' '''Major-General:''' ''<br> |
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| − | ''Then I can write a washing bill in Babylonic cuneiform,''<br> |
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| − | ''And tell you ev'ry detail of Caractacus's [[uniform]]:''<br> |
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| − | ''In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,''<br> |
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| − | '' '''Chorus:''' ''<br> |
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| − | ''He is the very model of a modern Major-General.'' <br> |
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| − | '' '''Major-General:''' '' <br> |
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| − | ''In fact, when I know what is meant by "mamelon" and "ravelin",''<br> |
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| − | ''When I can tell at sight a Mauser [[rifle]] from a javelin,''<br> |
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| − | ''When such affairs as sorties and surprises I'm more wary at,''<br> |
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| − | ''And when I know precisely what is meant by "commissariat",''<br> |
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| − | ''When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern gunnery,''<br> |
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| − | ''When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunnery—''<br> |
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| − | ''In short, when I've a smattering of elemental strategy,''<br> |
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| − | ''You'll say a better Major-General has never sat a gee.''<br> |
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| − | '' '''Chorus:''' ''<br> |
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| − | ''You'll say a better Major-General, etc.''<br> |
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| − | '' '''Major-General:''' ''<br> |
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| − | ''For my military knowledge, though I'm plucky and adventury,''<br> |
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| − | ''Has only been brought down to the beginning of the century;''<br> |
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| − | ''But still, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,''<br> |
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| − | ''I am the very model of a modern Major-General.''<br> |
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| − | '' '''Chorus:''' ''<br> |
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| − | ''But still, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,''<br> |
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| − | ''He is the very model of a modern Major-General.''<br> |
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Revision as of 18:37, 11 March 2020
"I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General" was a satirical song from the operetta The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan. It depicted a military leader, a major general who was well-educated in every field except the ones that a military leader ought to be knowledgeable about.
Una considered the song to be part of her "freaky" to be kept to herself, but in 2254 nonetheless sang part of the song when she was stuck in a turbolift with Spock. After a short pause, Spock continued with two slightly paraphrased lines of the responding chorus, before being interrupted by Lieutenant Amin's rescue. Una then ordered Spock to forget the incident. (ST: "Q&A")
In 2368, Beverly Crusher convinced a reluctant Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge to attempt the Major-General's song. However, La Forge called it "silly" and could only bring himself to sing the first two lines. (TNG: "Disaster")
Lyrics (excerpt)
I am the very model of a modern Major-General,
I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;
I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news,
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus;
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous:
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.
Chorus, as paraphrased by Spock:
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
you are the very model of a modern Major-General.
Background
The actual line in the chorus is "In short, in matters vegetable, animal and mineral/ He is the very model of a modern Major-General."
The Major-General's song was included in "Q&A" because Rebecca Romijn, who plays Number One, enjoys singing Gilbert and Sullivan songs. (Inside Short Treks: How Rebecca Romijn Helped Sneak Gilbert and Sullivan into Star Trek at CBS All Access)