A double bassist has written lyrics for Ravel’s Boléro – and they’re just hilarious

20 February 2019, 17:22 | Updated: 22 February 2019, 13:54

This Grade A music geek has written lyrics for the double bass part of Ravel’s Boléro – and they’re completely perfect.

Poor double bassists: they get the rough end of the deal in Ravel’s orchestral masterpiece – always alternating between the tonic and the dominant. But here’s a surprisingly cathartic video from a double bassist in the Baltimore Symphony.

Jonathan Jensen has recently become a viral sensation thanks to his unique version of Boléro… with added lyrics.

The video has gained more than 500,000 views and 7,000 shares since being published last Thursday.

His lyrics are as follows:

This is the piece that has the most boring part
Ever written for the bass
You play a C and then a G
And then a C and then another G
On and on for pages

Why does every other instrument get something better to do
If it’s not a melody at least there’s enough variety
To keep them awake
Ah, but then I thank my lucky stars when I think
How much worse it would be to play the drum.

It’s surprisingly poetic.