"Another One Rides the Bus"....."Grapefruit Diet"...."Muh-muh-muh-my bologna"....."I've churned butter once or twice"....
Genius.
Also, that's awful what happened to his parents.
― PB, Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:20 (eighteen years ago) link
I met him in a swamp down in DagobahWhere it bubbles all the time like a giant carbonated sodaS O D A, soda
I saw the little runt sitting there on a logI asked him his name and in a raspy voice he said "Yoda"Y O D A, YodaYo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Well, I've been around, but I ain't never seenA guy who looks like a muppet, but he's wrinkled and greenOh, my YodaYo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Well, I'm not dumb, but I can't understandHow he can lift me in the air just by raising his handOh, my YodaYo-yo-yo-yo Yoda Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Well, I left home just a week beforeAnd I've never ever been a Jedi beforeBut Obi Wan, he set me straight, of courseHe said, "Go to Yoda and he'll show you the Force"
Well I'm not the kind that would argue with BenSo it looks like I'm gonna start all over againThough with my YodaYo-yo-yo-yo Yoda Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
YodaYo-yo-yo-yo Yoda Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
So I used the ForceI picked up a boxI lifted some rocksWhile I stood on my headWell, I won't forget what Yoda said
He said, "Luke, stay away from the darker sideAnd if you start to go astray, let the Force be your guide"Oh, my YodaYo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
"I know Darth Vader's really got you annoyedBut remember, if you kill him, then you'll be unemployed"Oh, my YodaYo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Well, I heard my friends really got in a messSo I'm gonna have to leave Yoda I guessBut I know that I'll be coming back some dayI'll be playing this part 'till I'm old and gray
The long-term contract I had to signSays I'll be making these movies till the end of timeWith my YodaYo-yo-yo-yo Yoda Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yoda Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda Yo-yo-yo-yo YodaYoda Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
― 57 7th (calstars), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:27 (eighteen years ago) link
Mr. Popeilby Al Yankovic
I need a VegematicI need a Pocket FishermanI need a handy applianceThat'll scramble an egg while it's still inside its shell
Operators are standing byHow does that make you feelHelp meMr. Popeil
I wanna shine some penniesI wanna mend some leatherI wanna Krazy-Glue my head to the bottom of a big steel girder
Please, no C.O.D.'sDon't miss out on this dealAh, help meMr. Popeil
Help meMr. PopeilMr. PopeilMr. Popeil
WoahIt slices, it dicesLook at that tomatoYou could even cut a tin can with itBut you wouldn't want to
Mr. Popeil, I'm in troubleNeed your assistance on the doubleOh no, now how am I gonna makeMy old vinyl car top look like newMr. PopeilTell me, what am I supposed to do
Mr. PopeilMr. Popeil
Now how much would you payBut wait, there's moreIt's not sold in any store
Now how much would you payDon't answer yetJust look what else you get
Now how much would you payIf you order todayYou get a Ginsu knife and a smokeless Ashtray
Now how much would you payNow how much would you payMr. Popeil, Mr. PopeilMr. Popeil, Mr. PopeilMr. Popeil, Mr. PopeilMr. Popeil, Mr. Popeil
Make me buy a Garden WeaselMake me buy a Bamboo SteamerMake me take advantageOf this amazing TV offerCall our toll-free numberWe'll make you such a deal
Aw, help meMr. Popeil, I want itMr. Popeil, well, I need itMr. Popeil, I got to got to got to have itMr. PopeilMr. PopeilHey
― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Thursday, 18 August 2005 15:32 (eighteen years ago) link
― dan. (dan.), Thursday, 18 August 2005 15:39 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 18 August 2005 15:41 (eighteen years ago) link
His UHF is one of the ultimate movies for 10-12 yr old dorks.
― kingfish fucked up his login (kingfish 2.0), Thursday, 18 August 2005 15:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― 57 7th (calstars), Thursday, 18 August 2005 16:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 18 August 2005 16:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 18 August 2005 20:14 (eighteen years ago) link
Those who have cited In 3-D are right on, I still listen to that to this day and love it. The s/t and large chunks of Dare To Be Stupid and Polka Party are solid also.
There are two secret weapons to Al: 1) his backing band is shockingly tight and dead-on, and occasionally generates hotter performances than the originals (cf, the Survivor one) 2) the non-parody songs. If they weren't "funny" tunes on records full of parodies, you can bet a lot more people would be talking about the following excellent rock and roll songs: "Dare To Be Stupid," "Mr. Popeil," "Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters From A Planet Near Mars," "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead," "Nature Trail To Hell," "You Make Me," "Velvet Elvis," "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota," "Trigger Happy," "Frank's 2000 Inch TV," "Waffle King," and maybe "Everything You Know Is Wrong."
I would buy a compilation of that exact track order, I think.
TS: Rick Derringer on "Eat It" versus Eddie Van Halen on "Beat It."
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 6 October 2005 03:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― Marmot 4-Tay: Hold these goddamn chickens! (marmotwolof), Thursday, 27 July 2006 19:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 27 July 2006 21:00 (seventeen years ago) link
Add "Slime Creatures From Outer Space", which is the best Thomas Dolby record not made by Thomas Dolby, to that list.
― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Thursday, 27 July 2006 21:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― Mr. Bribsly (drich), Friday, 28 July 2006 00:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Friday, 28 July 2006 01:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 03:33 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 03:40 (seventeen years ago) link
“You don't want to err on the side of Weird Al Yankovic. The idea of being weird is as quaint as a gaslight lamp, of course. Like calling mental institutions Laughing Academies. I suppose that's an example of humor obscuring truth. I use it more like psychological realism. I don’t take pleasure in Ingmar Bergman movies or bleak music that aggressively exterminates hope, like Nico albums. All humor falls between Weird Al and Nico.”
― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 03:51 (seventeen years ago) link
― max (maxreax), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 04:21 (seventeen years ago) link
― max (maxreax), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 04:24 (seventeen years ago) link
― your daughter is one (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 04:28 (seventeen years ago) link
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 04:36 (seventeen years ago) link
― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 04:46 (seventeen years ago) link
― Brian O'Neill (NYCNative), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 05:43 (seventeen years ago) link
― curmudgeon (DC Steve), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 10:37 (seventeen years ago) link
― ramon fernandez (ramon fernandez), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 12:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:09 (seventeen years ago) link
"Ricky"? "I Love Rocky Road"? "Another One Rides The Bus"?
― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:19 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:21 (seventeen years ago) link
One thing I don't believe I'll ever get sick of if I live to be 100 years old: Weird Al gigantic pop hits of the day polka medleys. Polkamania is awesome. The gimmmick that keeps on giving! (And some of that shit like the Killers and Franz F sounds BETTER as polkas!)
― M@tt He1geson: Real Name, No Gimmicks (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:41 (seventeen years ago) link
I vaguely remember a Grammys-themed special Weird Al did for syndicated TV as a one-off back in 1985 or so. Much Prince mocking, as well as Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon as a guest star, scarily.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:43 (seventeen years ago) link
new album's pretty good, although a Cake pastiche might be the worst idea he's ever had. I do love "Confessions Part III", though.
― Alex in Baltimore (Alex in Baltimore), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:46 (seventeen years ago) link
I caught some VH1 in a hotel last week and there was some sort of "this week's countdown" going on - Al was in the top five!
― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 14:36 (seventeen years ago) link
― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:06 (seventeen years ago) link
― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:08 (seventeen years ago) link
It's on Even Worse.
Also think that "Smells Like Nirvana" is very actively about Nirvana, probably to the point of killing it. It does seem to be a gradually accelerating trend in his work though...
― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:20 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alex in Baltimore (Alex in Baltimore), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:27 (seventeen years ago) link
"My Bologna" was a Dr. Demento staple, and crossed over to mainstream Bay Area radio, while Yoda was still a sketch in Jim Henson's workshop. Approximately.
― Vornado (Vornado), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:45 (seventeen years ago) link
― Rowlando for the kidz (Sam Rowlands), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 16:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 19 October 2006 10:40 (seventeen years ago) link
― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Thursday, 19 October 2006 10:48 (seventeen years ago) link
― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Thursday, 19 October 2006 11:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― Sadly, he will be the next Alexis Petridish. (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 19 October 2006 11:12 (seventeen years ago) link
Unless he was 15 when he did "My Bologna", he's um, several years older than 45 . . .
― Vornado (Vornado), Thursday, 19 October 2006 14:04 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alex in Baltimore (Alex in Baltimore), Thursday, 19 October 2006 14:24 (seventeen years ago) link