Off The Charts: The Song-Poem Story - Annie Oakley

A feature-length documentary about the sometimes unsettling (but always fascinating) world of the song-poem industry. In this little-known subculture, ordinary people send in their heartfelt (but often bizarre) poems to companies that (for a fee) turn them into full-fledged musical productions. Advertising in the back of magazines, these companies lure the would-be songwriters with promises of fame and fortune. This peculiar concoction of American commerce, musicianship, and poetic longing created oddly compelling songs that are unlike anything you've ever heard. Off the Charts: The Song-Poem Story explores the lives and dreams of the songwriters and musicians who operate within this strange world. Click here to buy this on DVD (lots of great extras included).