WCAG Theme Song Lyrics and Description

Intro by "Sharky" the ScreenReader: [Spoken]

Description

Video starts with David MacDonald getting out of a vehicle with his guitar bag, getting ready to start recording the video. Shots of singing and playing are interspersed with clips of people with physical disabilities using their computers with Assistive technology. A woman who is blind using a refreshable braille device and a screen readers, a man with a head pointer who is in a wheel chair. A woman with a Bliss Board and head pointer. A man who uses his feet to operate the computer and there is a screen mounted on his wheel chair, so he can communicate. Some shots include attendants. There are various shots of David singing and rapping on the corner of a busy street with his guitar and playing. Also there are shots of David playing a keyboard and guitar in a recording studio. See credits at bottom of this page for more.

Lyrics

Sharky: "W-C-A-G, WCAG, I'm a cool DJ, SHARKY, SH-SH-SH-SHARKY, Hey I'm going crazy with this cool beat, I have much better rythym since you installed that new quantizing program. Do you want to dance?

David: No Sharky, we've got to get going on this song, you can dance while I sing but don't pull yourself out of the wall socket again.

[Singing]

we're gonna to write a new specification
it's gonna work with the tool of verification
make the accessible
gonna make it testable
WCAG, WCAG

gonna make the web understandable
make it perceivable write it tangible
when its interoperable
the web will be unstoppable
WCAG, WCAG

We wanna show you the WCAG
We wanna show you what this world can be
We wanna show you the WCAG
It's not a heavy load
to open up your code
and write the WCAG, WCAG

[Spoken]

Sharky: Hey David, I heard a guy on TV say that he's the fastest rapper in the world, but I blow him away, watch this...[Sharky raps at 250 words a minute, then back to normal speed]...I'm a cool DJ, Sharky, WCAG...How's that David, am I a cool rapper now?

David: Sharky, I couldn't understand a word you said.

Sharky: Most of my blind friends understand everything when I speak at that speed, would ... you... like... me...to...speak...really...slow...for...you...David?

David: Very funny, c'mon let's do this verse.

[Singing]

We're gonna make the web a better place
For every ability and every race
Even if you're surfing from outer space
you've got the WCAG, WCAG

Repeat Chorus

David Raps (uhh sort of):
So let me tell you what the WCAG is
And what the WCAG's not
The WCAG is a set of tools
Comes with a set of rules
Helps your web site
Come to life
For people with other abilities
And sensabilities
So when they hit you online
They can have a good time
Don't matter if they're blind
Or if they have to sign
Or if their hands start to shake
With every move they make
They can easily figure out
What you are talking about
When you follow the principles that we're gonna lay out

Sharky:
Principle 1: Content must be Perceivable
Principle 2: Interface elements in the content must by Operable
Principle 3: Content and controls must be Understandable
Principle 4: Content must be Robust, enough to work with current and future technologies

[spoken]

Sharky: Hey David, your music is much more funky since you moved out of the suburbs and started hanging out downtown on street corners. I like the other theme song but it sounded a bit too unplugged and I've never been crazy about an unplugged sound, I like techno geek music where computers do everything and humans don't play any instruments. Ithink it is a lot more organic when music is played buy genuine computers. When humans play it sounds so unemotionable and fake.

David: We'll that's just because you're a bunch of ones and zeros there big guy.

Sharky: David, that was very mean of you to say that, you know I've always been very sensitive out my binary genetic coding, it's always been a source of great emotional insecurity for me.

David: Oh, c'mon Sharky, you know I love you man, and besides, you are an awesome rapper, man you should go into American Idol.

Sharky: I'm going to be a star, I can see the headlines now, Sharky wins American Idol for people with disabilities.

©By David MacDonald 2005-2008

Credits

All instruments, audio mixing, programming of JAWS and vocals by David MacDonald. Camera by David MacDonald and Armando Prini. People in the video are Jorge Almeida, Russel Ceccini, Justin Clark, Steven Sisson, Trina Guy, Kim Kilpatrick, Shelly Morris Stephen Phillips. Special thanks to Armando Prini at SATB studio, Stephen Phillips, and Computer Wise.