David Helfgott was the central subject of an Academy Award-winning docudrama, Shine, which came out around that time. It is a fascinating true story about a concert pianist who struggled with mental illness.
The lyric below is not even faintly politically correct. Nevertheless, it went down really well in NewsRevue and I also recall Mike Ward using it in the Actors’ Workshop New Year Revels in Halifax at the end of that year.
DAVID HELFGOTT IN CONCERT
(To the Tune “All By Myself – Rachmaninov Piano Concerto 2 Mov ii”)This has tremendous potential for weird piano business if your pianist feels so inclined.
VERSE 1
When I was young, I never needed anyone,
And taking baths were so much fun, filled up with dung;
I lost my mind, but since they made that film called “Shine”,
My strange career is back on line, I’m doing fine.CHORUS 1
Out of my tree,
I’m totally,
Out of my tree,
Round the bend.
Out of my mind,
Entirely,
Out of my mind,
My wits end.VERSE 2
I’d had enough, of Chopin and Rachmaninov,
Brahms, Liszt and Rimsky-Korsakov, my brain went duff;
In spite of my flaw, they’ve stuck me on a huge world tour,
All though piano’s not my for-, -te any more;CHORUS 2
I’m off my head,
I’m thoroughly,
Right off my head,
But I’ll still play;
I’m round the twist,
I’m utterly,
Right round the twist,
But you still pay.OPTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL OUTRO WITH REPEAT OF CHORUS 2
(opportunity for some piano business which a mere mortal like me couldn’t even contemplate)
In case you didn’t realise, Eric Carmen’s song All By Myself uses the theme from the second movement of Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto. Below is a video of Eric Carmen performing All By Myself, all by himself…except for a small army of backing musicians, of course: