James Brown Is Dead

"James Brown Is Dead" by L.A. Style is a song on the Lancaster Canon during which many break out the glowsticks and begin raving. String raving is also popular.

During LAN.05.2, there was a vote as to whether to keep it on the Canon. The ballot for the vote also contained a question about whether to put "Tunak Tunak Tun" on the Canon. There was some confusion as to whether both "Tunak Tunak Tun" and "James Brown Is Dead" were competing for the same spot, and some students who wanted to see Tunak on the Canon thought that they had to vote against keeping "James Brown Is Dead." Despite this, a majority the student body voted to keep "James Brown Is Dead" (and to add "Tunak Tunak Tun").

James Brown actually died on December 25, 2006.

History

Tarpy (Jessi) Miller was incredibly fond of this song and would rave to it at every dance and pester the DJ to play said song. The winter after her nomore year, she killed herself. "James Brown is Dead" has remained as part of the Canon as a memorial.

It was put up to vote because various RAs had suggested that it didn't seem to arouse quite as much enthusiasm as the rest of the Canon, and there were very few CTYers left who remembered the origin of the song. However, it still remains in the Canon as both a memorial and a song that has adopted its own traditions and memories since its initiation into the Canon. In particular, LAN.2 has developed a "King James" position which is passed during the playing of James Brown is Dead at the last dance.

External Links

• Some history of the song as Canon, by Belle Saxton, maintained by Gabe Slamovits