ONE HIT WONDERLAND: "I Wish" by Skee-Lo

He wished he was a little bit taller, and that his career lasted a little bit longer.
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[@Sanglyon]

The joke is that he's so small the feather that looked normal in Forrest Gump appears ostrish-sized in his hands.

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

Ah! Obvious now you point it out.

[@MechaKluh]

I came down here to say this

[@emdiar6588]

While we're on the subject of ostrich feathers, Todd's explanation - ''Did an ostrich fly by? - suggests that his ornithological knowledge is somewhat lacking.

[@nonyabidness8676]

That's a very reasonable explanation. It could also be that they expected the larger feather to photograph better and show up on TV easier. TV sets didn't always have the greatest image.

[@SuperJNG18]

The thing that keeps the joke from working is they should’ve also made the park bench disproportionately big so his legs dangled off the edge or something. If the bench is normal-sized, it just looks like a giant feather, not like he’s so small the feather looks big.

[@ToddintheShadows]

For what it's worth, Skee-Lo is five foot four. Google told me his correct height when I wrote the episode, but now it's telling everyone he's five eight. In interviews he's said he's five four, Google is wrong now, unless he got his wish.

[@vaelethun]

Okay good, he's NOT taller than me. Whew. ...I still can't play ball worth shit though...:(

[@StruggleoftheOutsider]

Imagine what else Google could be wrong about.

[@StruggleoftheOutsider]

Also Discogs lists 2 versions of the 2nd album on 2 different labels, one of which is German and has several copies for sale.. starting around 4 bucks.

[@thepeasantsofdithmarschen3507]

I was so angry when I saw that it saying he was 5’8” and him being called short. Good to know he’s actually my height

[@seannoone2474]

​@@thepeasantsofdithmarschen3507 my brother it pisses me off how 5ft 8 people get pissy they are 2 inches off average try being 5ft 3 at 18 and get back to me

[@HeSheXie]

I always liked this song. It wasn't whiny or entitled. He never blamed the girls in his life for not liking him. It helped give the song staying power where other "woe is me" type songs fell flat as soon as my teen self stopped being such an angsty brat.

[@RenaldyCalixte]

It's the opposite of the Filler villain Noah in Yugioh.

[@OrgaNik_Music]

And it's just catchy as hell even if you don't pay attention to the lyrics

[@ironmaster6496]

​@@OrgaNik_Music the lyrics being good is a bonus

[@isaiahromero9861]

Exactly, its such a common topic that i can personally relate to but most songs about being insecure and lonely are just SO painfully cringe, but this one is somehow fun and wholesome

[@smailliw4]

Skee-Lo went to my middle school. He came back and held a concert for all us young-uns, probably my first "real concert". It was really real

[@nate567987]

nice

[@ChrisH77]

I always took the "I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a bat" as a brief swerve into sarcasm, a self-aware acknowledging the pointless nature of wishing in the "if wishes were horses..." vein before going on to a classic car impossibly out of his affordability.

[@hjalfi]

Yup. I've heard people adding 'Also, I want a pony' in similar contexts.

[@rolfanderson3925]

This was my exact thinking. It’s a magic trick and magic isn’t real, same with the wishes.

[@blodyholy_]

I think you hit the nail on the head with this assessment. I’ve always attributed the line to ‘wanting something you can’t have/magic’.

[@oaf-77]

And flap my arms and fly to the moon

[@fenixiliusstrife1253]

That seems like the most sensible explanation. Its a ridiculous wish, contrasting against all the seemingly more obtainable wishes.

[@theapocalyvid]

The reason this song works for me is that it feels not like some guy complaining that he doesn't get chicks, it's instead like your friend venting about how he doesn't get chicks. It feels like you're hanging out drinking a couple beers together and you're chatting with your buddy about the finer things in life neither of you got. It's not self-centered and judgey, it's commiserative and laid-back, which makes it go down much better.

[@schris3]

You've nailed it, Todd wasn't able to get why this loser song succeeded where many others failed.

[@fransbuijs808]

And it doesn't take itself too seriously. I think that's part of the appeal too.

[@almightycinder]

And he doesn't blame them, or get mad that they don't like him. He wishes he was different so they'd like him. He also isn't bitter at all the Giga Chads.

[@HeyItsAJOmega]

This makes total sense! Kinda reminds me of how the Ramones always said that they never wrote songs about cars or hot girls or whatever because, well, they didn't have any of those things xD but they still wrote songs like Rockaway Beach and Sheena Is A Punk Rocker, which were super catchy and just about good vibes and hanging out.

[@twig8523]

Yeah it strikes the perfect balance. Well made & produced/performed enough to not be corny.

[@Bardockfan150]

I've been watching Todd for years, and it's strange as all get out to hear him say things like "I can afford" and "my car is pretty nice." Good on you, Todd.

[@justanotheranimeprofilepic]

Same, I'm so used to the todd of a few years ago where selling review requests are what made sure he could get a new car when his broke down

[@fiercearmadillo6850]

Well deserved upgrade.

[@OWlsfordshire]

​@@fiercearmadillo6850 Yep, being an only fans manager pays off.

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

​@justanotheranimeprofilepic2154 and the recurring clip of the Blues Brothers car falling apart

[@RenaldyCalixte]

​@@justanotheranimeprofilepicMaybe Nebula has paid him a nice chunk of change? 🤷‍♂️?

[@xXMachineGunPhillyXx]

Maybe it’s just me, but hearing him get more confident with every successive single was pretty hilarious. He’s the hip hop personification of “I’ll have her home by 9” turning into “your daughter calls me daddy now.”

[@cs-gl3bq]

I started off my morning with this comment, I absolutely love that shit.

[@RenaldyCalixte]

Basically the same character arc as Harry Potter or Luke Skywalker.

[@OrgaNik_Music]

@@RenaldyCalixte what

[@RenaldyCalixte]

@@OrgaNik_Music I'm making an analogy.

[@santiagobauza4257]

Probably the coolest song ever written specifically about being uncool.

[@BreneWilson]

This song and also Young MC's Bust a Move lol

[@anentirehorse3882]

I personally attribute that title to "I'm Awesome" by Spose

[@comically]

Ugly Duckling’s (Just) A Little Samba might also be a worthy contender. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@PokerJoker811]

This comment thread is clearly going to devolve into the world's least cool playlist. So let's throw in Pretty Fly For A White Guy for good measure.

[@bespectacledheroine7292]

My contribution: Buddy Holly. 😆

[@ladyj.3020]

It feels like Skee-Lo could've claimed basically anything and there'd be no way to check. "Yeah, I've been staying busy... cured cancer, fought a dragon. Producing, mostly."

[@ddjsoyenby]

"i discovered god and got 40 wishes from him........*snorts* nothing big"

[@MichaelSmith-fq6hz]

Historians have the same problem when dealing with pre-modern history

[@ladyj.3020]

@@MichaelSmith-fq6hz You're not wrong, but I was not expecting to think of how the "I Wish" guy is like a Roman emperor slandered by his enemies

[@ryanciesiolka9435]

I'm still staying busy, just in a more... Domestic sense. Yesterday, I flushed out my radiator core.

[@jonothanthrace1530]

@@ladyj.3020 And now I want to hear a hip-hop concept album based on Herotodus.

[@BeeKay5150]

This song is one of those "dated in a good way" songs. Whenever you hear it, it feels like 1995. What I wouldn't give to have the occasional hip-hop hit like this again.

[@michaelmccarthy3139]

I’ll forever associate this song with Spring of ‘95. I was working on Skid Row and some of us piled into a car one night for a break and this song came on…it was perfect.

[@Avengersenpai]

90NICE by Juss Rye and Systematic by DJ Shadow are good ones with classic vibes. Don't know if they were big hits though.

[@troodon1096]

1995 isn't a year I care to remember, so that's not helping this in my estimation.

[@RenaldyCalixte]

​@@michaelmccarthy3139I was 6 years old at the time but my older brother who was 16 jammed to this song with his friends in high school. He had a house party at his condo with friends his age and 20 years later and this song got everyone dancing and away from the food and the card table.

[@katelynpringle5506]

Todd taking the extra 3 seconds to drag Family Guy is why he’s still my favorite silhouette on the internet.

[@RenaldyCalixte]

Family Guy fell off a cliff. Seth McFarlane is as fat and lazy as the title character Peter Griffin. Also is your last name really Pringle like the brand of potato chip?

[@angelorobledo1536]

His wife being labeled as 'Mrs. Skee-Lo' made me spit out my drink

[@iamcommonasmuck]

Should have been "Shee-Lo".

[@angelorobledo1536]

@@iamcommonasmuck so true

[@rubberchix]

No it didn't

[@rubberchix]

Why lie about this

[@TuesdaysArt]

​@@rubberchix19:12 Here it is

[@jackgillespie4594]

I always took "I wish I had a rabbit in a hat" as like, "yeah I wish I was literally a magician, me being able to do magic is about as likely as everything else happening". Genuinely thinking that "with a bat" was just to keep the meter and rhyme going

[@imaEnVideo]

Yeah that's my interpretation too

[@tonyb7615]

The rabbit was a "posse", someone always around he could be taller than since evidently that never happens. The bat was someone that would have his back. In the gangster rap days everybody had friends that acted like body guards. Now they just buy security.

[@PokerJoker811]

I don't see it as bitterness, I see it as him wishing he had "that magic", so to speak. The magic that other dudes have - the ones who are a little bit taller, the ones who are ballers, and the ones who have girls that look good (and presumably call them). It's the continuation of the entire message of the chorus - "I wish I was like the other guys and other rappers around me." It's probably not a coincidence that the car he wants is from the same year as the car Eazy-E cruised down the street in. The bat, I agree with you.

[@BKPrice]

Maybe the bat was to beat the rabbit to death after he pulled it out of the hat.

[@alwayscurious413]

I always see bugs bunny coming out of the hat with a baseball bat in hand - ready to go and do something mischievous and fun.. to me it’s a cartoon reference in my head. It’s all brilliant of course

[@gregmark1688]

LOL -- Nard did not wind up making Christian music for very long. He wound up back here in Dallas, screwed up on stuff and living in a really crappy apt complex down the street from where I used to live. He is considered jazz royalty on the local scene, though. He's a god-damned wizard on a keyboard. Hell, he was runner-up for the job in Parliament. Just for anyone who cares. (I got a video of him w/ a very short jazz jam on my channel if you're curious.)

[@ProfesserLuigi]

Parliment? Is Dallas a town in the UK or is that referring to something else?

[@paranoidandroid192]

@@ProfesserLuigipresumably they’re referring to the George Clinton band?

[@sams.8188]

that's amazing

[@williamgeorge2580]

This is one of those magical songs where I have never found a person who hates it. Indifferent, sure. Hate? Nah. It transcended. "The Great American Rap Song". The dude should be proud of that one hit.

[@fusionspace175]

"Well Skee-Lo, you've had a hit record and a hit music video, have you decided on your third wish?" "Yes, genie. I wish I could just go back to obscurity, and have a normal life again." "It is granted."

[@ddjsoyenby]

"wise choice"

[@Kalulosu]

You either die a one-hit wonder, or live long enough to see yourself produce a trainwreckord

[@daigneauray7087]

@@Kalulosu Very good choice of words...

[@thatkidwiththehoodie]

@@Kalulosuniiiiiiiice ;)

[@ButtonMasherReal]

@@daigneauray7087 What did he say?

[@jenniferr8394]

I gotta note that writing about being a one-hit wonder made Mike Posner a TWO hit wonder.

[@RhythmGameAddict]

To be fair, in the songs being called out, the problem is more that the performers are trying to rebuff their status as One-Hit Wonders, which just comes across as unintentionally insecure. With Mike's song, being a One-Hit Wonder is portrayed as a thing they know they are and that it's just another way that fame doesn't get them meaningful connections because they're just a footnote in most people's heads (it seems deliberate that that verse is paired with lines about intimate relationships also failing).

[@stevethepocket]

Didn't "Bow-Chicka-Wow-Wow" chart? ... OK, yeah it did, and apparently there was another song of his, "Please Don't Go" that went higher than that. Neither one hit the top 10, but 16 and 30 is nothing to sneeze at.

[@nah....6151]

Posner is actually a very interesting guy. He seems to have gotten into a lot of holistic stuff and likes mountain climbing and things like that and talks about it all the time on social media. He seems to want to be more of a guru than a pop star these days

[@Posiman]

Todd said songs about not being being ohw. Songs about being one can be cool. "I Wonder" by Afroman was not a huge hit, but it's still a great song...

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

That's a rare reference to the guy helping on YourFavoriteMartian's Beer Goggles song.

[@MatthewBanks100]

Todd, Bernard Wright was actually one of the finest Jazz/Fusion pianists of his generation. I had the opportunity to play with him just before he died last year

[@Positive_Tea]

Bernard was the man! He gets lots of love from real heads.

[@parabellum5503]

He did gonna shit on Nerd...uncalled for.

[@KelseyHontz]

I appreciate Todd taking every opportunity he can to roast Lil Dicky lmao

[@nickgriffin8344]

In 8th grade my English teacher had us do a project based on this song. Basically, we had to decode the metaphors, allegories, etc. This was the only clean rap song she could give us lol

[@brendanb2982]

" Miss, what does " rabbit in a hat with a bat with a six four impala " mean? " Teacher: *drops her papers at her desk and cups her hands in her face* " ...no more questions alright, that's the fifth time I've been asked. "

[@doodlegirl44]

My 11th grade English teacher did something similar for literature analysis practice and understanding cultural context. She gave us weird Al songs.

[@cookiemocher388]

For the love of god, I wanna know how the English class interpretation of the rabbit in a hat with a bat line

[@elenagonzalez8463]

I remember I had do an assignment doing the same with this is america. The chokehold that song had on english classes lol

[@Anomaly188]

Was the Fresh Prince too on the nose?

[@gordonstearns2232]

The Childish Gambino comparison made me realize that Camp is almost as old now as I Wish was when Camp came out. That is mind-blowing

[@casperinian]

Can you please not do that to me.

[@Wired4Life2]

@@casperinian Stop being old.

[@danieldaniels7571]

You're going to keep getting older. Unless you die.

[@bece00]

Im 23 how are you making me feel old

[@jcudejko]

Sheeeeeesh Man you cold

[@toweringhorse2054]

I think the reason it works so well is he doesn’t seem resentful or angry about his situation. He’s aware of his inconveniences in life and just kinda talks about them in a “eh, would be nice” kinda way. I think it’s really relatable. I’m 6ft 2 and feel like I’m 5ft 2 right with this guy in his issues when this song comes on. It’s fun

[@KahlessTheUnforgettable]

I was a senior I high school when this came out. It didn’t seem unusual to us at all. This song went hand in hand with Pharcyde, Souls of Mischief, Urban Dance Squad, Tres Delinquentes, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, etc. And yes, out west “a bat” was slang for a bottle of Bacardi. Great work on this Todd. EDIT: He ABSOLUTELY did DJ on MTV summer beach house. I remember seeing it and me and my friends wondering if he had something new coming out.

[@RenaldyCalixte]

My older brother was a Sophmore in high school and all those artists you mentioned were some of his favorites. I was 6 years old when this song came out.

[@modestlobster6041]

Been watching Todd since 2013 and it makes me genuinely happy to hear he has a nice car now after all these years when he used to joke a lot about driving a run-down piece of crap. Proud of you man.

[@SuperJNG18]

Wow, I've been watching him for ten years too, and I was a freshman in high school back then, and I FOUND A GREY HAIR IN THE SINK THE OTHER MORNING-

[@jacobbennett4736]

@@SuperJNG18 Same here Been watching for 11 years since 8th Grade in 2012 I was 13 when I watched my first video of his and now I'm fucking 25 lol Where did the time go

[@kingof-iq4nl]

@@jacobbennett4736 Since 2014 here, glad i'm not the only one who's been wtaching him for that long XD

[@bharrison9573]

I wonder what kind of car Todd considers nice?

[@uglyaniimals]

@@bharrison9573 a 66 impala, clearly

[@jubs4383]

I think this song worked so well for Skee-lo is because it’s hard to make this kind of song work twice. I think the issue with a lot of more modern sadboy rap is that they do it so much people just get tired of hearing about your self pity. The amazing sample also does wonders as Todd mentions

[@ddjsoyenby]

as someone who does like a lot of sadboy rap i agree and a lot of sadboy rap is more outwardly bitter and whiny here he's venting about his frustrations without blaming others.

[@johnindigo5477]

This is why it was hard for me to get into juice world when he was alive. I liked his music but it felt like there was no range.

[@jamesbailey6257]

I was about to type up a comment about how Yung Lean and DG def don't do the same thing/have a pretty dedicated fanbase but then I realized you're probably talking about random cringey pop rappers who base their personality on being sad

[@lewisclark1122]

Also, Skee-lo delivered his song with a touch of witty self depreciation, which made it fun. That's also part of what made Eminem's 'My Name Is...' a hit. He's putting himself down in a fun way Nothing is fun about most recent sadboy rap.

[@briane596able]

There was no market for emo rap then… what this song was a career starter, if he had a catalog and an anchor concept he would have been made. But he’s that lightening in a bottle hit on his hands, right place at the right time. And that’s fine to if you manage your royalties have a business mind set. (See Young MC)

[@paroxysm6867]

Self-deprecation is practically an anomaly in rap so I always appreciated I Wish for that reason, but it also helps that the song is an absolute banger.

[@oaf-77]

Meanwhile, Alt Rock

[@ddjsoyenby]

same.

[@siliziwencanywa1138]

Deprecation. Agreed completely otherwise...

[@S...O___S...]

The rabbit was always the best part of the song to me, spesifically _becasue_ it follows such obvious wishes. I've always read it as the creeping exisitenial dread of unfullfilling materialism. Skee-lo starts by wishing for a "rabbit in a hat" which is homonyms with being able to "perform magic" which is what the rest of the list is "wishing for"... but then, if one could do litteral magic, why stop there? I see the remainder of the chorus sprialling into madness as Skee-lo is given the gift of self reflection- Let's say he was a little taller, or could ball, or had a good looking girl, would any of that really make him okay with still being himself?

[@ceddiebear]

It felt that "having magic powers" to him is in the same wishable level as more height and basketball skills.

[@Zellwand]

@@ceddiebear A “rabbit in a hat” is a “trick”, and “trick” is a slang term for a prostitute (or just an easy girl). A “bat” refers to the logo of Bacardi rum.

[@ceddiebear]

@@Zellwand Todd said that explanation in his video though. I'm just popping in a personal theory.

[@Zellwand]

My bad@@ceddiebear

[@argleblargle8083]

I said this in my own comment but - - what if it's just a non-swearing dick joke? Rabbit in a hat is a creative way to say grower not a shower. All the sudden the magical appearance of the rabbit carrying a big stick. Your thought process is definitely more high brow than mine haha. But I thought you had an interesting take.

[@thedrewdog]

Skee-Lo's entire debut album is an underrated classic, "Top Of The Stairs" and "The Burger Song"were certified classics, and it STILL had a G-Funk sound.

[@phquaryn]

Completely forgot about the Burger Song until I watched this video. Why wasn't that a hit?

[@qty1315]

You know, it wasn't that long ago that Todd said: "With every single artist I cover on here I'll mention their other songs that weren't hits, and someone in the comment section will label one of those songs as a classic that was their favourite song as a kid, and they have a story about how they listened to it every day and think it's the best song ever, and also it saved their life and saved their parent's marriage." Not every old song is a classic, or should be considered a classic, and honestly it kinda looks bad for both you and Skee-Lo to say: "Yeah, you remember Skee-Lo? He had so many classics, like The Burger Song. All my friends love Skee-Lo's other hit Top Of The Stairs." I mean, in a way that just feels really condescending towards the artist. "No no, it's okay Skee-Lo, you aren't a one-hit wonder. I really like The Burger Song."

[@thedrewdog]

@@qty1315 .....Okay?

[@RhythmGameAddict]

@@qty1315 I don't think Todd meant that in a mean way though, just that a piece about a niche subject tends to bring out the people who dug into the artist more at the time or just chanced on more of their stuff and formed a bond to it. Like, classic is sometimes used just as a statement of personal perceived quality in retrospect, and that's how it seemed to be on Drew's first comment.

[@LLAP2266]

Personally I love “Come Back to me” I Loved this album ever since high school. Finally Todd did a video on Skee Lo

[@trooper9249]

I discovered this song a couple years ago. And in all that time, I never once questioned the "I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a bat" lyric until Todd brought it up.

[@spddiesel]

A bat is a weed pipe that's sorta like a one-hitter or a chillum that looks like a baseball bat.

[@dylanmcdermott1110]

Todd obsesses over weird details sometimes.

[@trooper9249]

@@dylanmcdermott1110 I'm not knocking Todd. I just never thought of it before.

[@dylanmcdermott1110]

@@trooper9249 I'm not knocking him either, I think it just comes with the nature of the job.

[@Octaviusp47]

I think he could just be saying he wishes he was a magician to make everything come true but idk

[@syria0110]

I love how Todd incorporates the "industry rule #4,080" part in a few of these OHW

[@sirgemini5743]

which is why i want him to do let it rock by kevin rudolf. i could see the "industry rule number 4,080" running gag in the episode.

[@cremetangerine82]

It's either that or "Nirvana Killed My Career".

[@RenaldyCalixte]

​​@@cremetangerine82Is Nirvana the Chicago Bulls of the rock genre? And is Kurt Cobain Michael Jordan in the world of 90s rock? (In case you are unfamiliar with sports the Chicago Bulls led by basketball legend Michael Jordan hurt the careers of other talented basketball players and teams such as Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, John Stockton and Reggie Miller preventing them from winning a championship).

[@hiimemily]

​@@sirgemini5743 Ah yes, one of Todd's inaugural Best List entries! I rewatched that 2009 list recently and wondered whatever happened to that guy.

[@sirgemini5743]

@@hiimemily i also want him to talk about it because it's one of those misunderstood songs like born in the usa, pink houses, marry you, i will always love you, and (my favorite) can't feel my face.

[@RichV20]

In 1995, this was treated like a sunny, Novelty hit. Montell Jordan "This Is How We Do It". Coolio's "Fantastic Voyage" had the same vibe a year earlier, but he went serious for the Dangerous Minds soundtrack which dominated the summer of 1995. People wanted a taste of these sunny, light hip-hop songs in 1995, but still always went back to the grittiness of Death Row, Biggie, Dangerous Minds soundtrack etc. By the time of 1997, with 2Pac and Biggie both being slain, people were done and needed something light. That's why Puff Daddy and Will Smith exploded in 1997 with their light, cheery, goofball hip-hop. It was a complete 180. Grunge was also dead at that point and Spice Girls, Hanson, light Euro-pop filled a new void. With the American economy booming from the recession of the early 90s and the LA Riots and OJ trial far in the rear view, people just wanted to relax and party and chill with all races as the new millennium approached. Skee-Lo would have probably been able to carve out a few more hits if he released his sequel in the summer of 1997 with his fun time hits. He was just a little early in 1995.

[@NJGuy1973]

Chuck Klosterman, is that you?

[@handicappedhoods]

I worked at a shoe store that sold shoes designed for short men. There was a playlist that we played every day with a bunch of classical, jazz and blues. Also this song.

[@nicholaswoollhead6830]

Big Feet by Fatts Waller?

[@terriersturf4734]

todd has an uncanny ability to make me click on a video about a song I’ve never heard of before with genuine excitement

[@trinaq]

Agreed, even though this song was well before my time, I still grew up with it.

[@DigiRangerScott]

Or one you’ve heard of but never realized the true title (as opposed to what you think it’s called) or the artist

[@aidyn7758]

you never heard of this song before??? jesus lol

[@hankcyrus9776]

I just know the song because Buckley referenced it in 2012 when talking about Cher Lloyd

[@kevinclark6934]

you never heard this turd? I envy you.

[@Z10ZeeTen]

Genuinely surprised that Todd didn’t mention Skee-Lo’s cover of “The Tale of Mr. Morton” from Schoolhouse Rock

[@TheVinsman]

This is the comment I was looking for. I was waiting the whole video for Todd to mention it, what a bummer.

[@ramensage]

It's honestly one of my favorites.

[@PainterVierax]

I feel the research preparation has been rushed on this video.

[@JoshuaFagan]

I first heard this song when I was like 8 or 9, and I always thought the "rabbit in a hat with a bat" was one of those lines you just hear wrong when you're a kid, and you only learn the real lyrics later. I was shocked a few years ago when I discovered that was the actual line.

[@BrandonCroker]

Skee Lo sounds more like an arcade classic than an actual stage name.

[@ZbJeeBies]

you ever wonder if skee-lo played skip-bo? 😂

[@ekmad]

This song is all about that beat. It's so effortlessly cool

[@joshhale9355]

I love this song so much. Such a cool, laid back flow with a funky beat talking about stuff I can relate to. I’m a short guy, and I have said “I wish I was a little bit taller, that’d be cool” nothing crazy, just a little taller. It’s just a very chill song and that hook, I’ve had that stuck in my head ever since I first heard it. Just an absolute banger about not being the cool guy that anyone can vibe with.

[@swaggosaurus77]

todd dissing family guy truly warms my heart

[@philly_sports1558]

Muggsy Bogues proved that you could be a baller even if you weren’t a little bit taller.

[@pronkb000]

Spud Webb walked so Muggsy could run.

[@ShirDeutch]

I wasn't a big hip hop guy in the 90s but I did buy this album and really liked it. Listening to it nowadays - it totally holds up. People saying that the production is bad are out of their minds, the whole album sounds great.

[@danieldaniels7571]

Agreed.

[@encore3707]

nard is a legendary-tier album. there are so many tracks on there that have been sampled in great songs.

[@codidurbin5700]

Skee-Lo did an amazing cover of "The Tale of Mr. Morton" for the 1996 compilation album "Schoolhouse Rock Rocks!"

[@amesstarline5482]

I always read the "Rabbit in a hat with a bat" as a play on the magic trick of a "rabbit in a hat". Who probably has a bat, and the bat's mobile is a 64 Impala.. or whatever that was. I guess you can call it the rap equivalent of "Your Woman" with the niche sample choice, the one-hit status, and the solo production. And like "Your Woman", "I Wish" is a great listen- beyond me being a short one. It really shows that a sample can be a good instrument i f you know how to time it, and Skee-lo makes it feel like the 'wait to call' feeling before he's like 'Hello'. Not complaining, but calling to share his want. But he's not begging. He's like "that would be neat- it's not how it is, but it's neat, right?"

[@judgesaturn507]

I guess they're both songs that wouldn't sound that out of place on TikTok in 2023.

[@amesstarline5482]

@@judgesaturn507 Now time to wait for a sequel to Neil Cicierega's Numbers that includes Skee-Lo's "Hello?".

[@judgesaturn507]

@@amesstarline5482 Surprised he didn't put it in there already, feels perfect for his style

[@tonyb7615]

Rabbit was a posse hype man but shorter so skee lo wouldn't be the shortest guy, looked taller by comparrison. Them having a bat signified his posse being like body guards like the gang bangers would have, and being armed. 64 impala is a classic car, 1964 Chevy. The ones the gangster rap guys drive around in like in a snoop dog music video. He's not a gangster rapper but he's rapping about wanting all the things gangster rappers had.

[@JenSell1626]

It can’t be it but another “bat” you carried in your “dugout” for sneaking weed but I’ve heard it used now, if regionally. I can’t remember if it’s a synonym for “jimmy.”

[@DanTheDolphinYT]

As someone who is pretty tall, I have to say that I’ve never wished I was a little bit taller, but I have indeed used this song to poke fun at my short friends.

[@pervertedalchemist9944]

That song had an unintended consequence and people didn't realize it, LMAO!

[@LuminalSpoon]

I wish I didn't have back ache.

[@styfen]

Enjoy it during the younger portion of your life Dan. Taller people have a worse quality of life during the back half of their years. In particular retire to a place where it's hard for you to fall, cause tall people's bones on average S U C K when they age.

[@rolfanderson3925]

Lmao same. Fuckin manlets 😂😂😂.

[@ekmad]

"I wish I was a little bit normal sized"

[@FlashTimberwolf]

I love 90s hip-hop and "I Wish" is one of my favorite songs from that era.

[@MaxOfFewTrades]

Todd once again managing to make deeply interested and invested in both a song and artist I've never heard of before. Man's got a hell of a gift.

[@GrantH]

Man, for YEARS I've been wondering if you'd ever do an episode on this song. Definitely one of the biggest one-hit wonders in rap history.

[@johnindigo5477]

I've been waiting since rap critics review 2 years ago

[@spddiesel]

Wow, so much in this one. "The Burger Song" lyrics were written by McDonald's marketing department for a commercial and free promotional 45 that was distributed in newspapers. If you had a record where the singers finished the whole song without screwing up you won a car or something. I wanna say this was around '85 or '86. Our local paper didn't participate but we got one in the Sunday Sun-Times. Didn't win.

[@azcoyote]

The McDonald's jingle was actually 1988, and it was based on Reunions "Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)."

[@MarceloOmegaAGDM]

his instrumentals and beats are so good.

[@post_obamacore]

He performed during the half time show of a Sacramento Kings game during the regular season this past year, and it was basically 15 minutes of him repeating the hook to "I Wish" over and over

[@JamesGilbert_]

Todd is quite literally the only channel who, upon making a retrospective on a piece of media from over twenty years ago I haven't heard of, will make me still watch.

[@philly_sports1558]

I love the thumbnail for this video. The drawing of Todd just looks so smug and proud of himself 😂

[@bradwolf07]

Skee-Lo looks and sounds like a genuinely good guy you could hang out with. I Wish sounds like the friend needing to vent a little bit before you go out for Burger or something.

[@SemiIocon]

I like that Todd will semi-regularly use clips by German TV for these episodes. It feels like a few cents of my broadcast license ended up in this video as well.

[@yasin_GD]

german archival footage is very available i guess ÖRR ftw

[@Skycladatdusk78]

Strong memories of 1995-96 with this one, always wondered why he fell off so fast. Great episode!

[@Skycladatdusk78]

@ghost mall Late 80s to around 2000 is my favorite era for rap.

[@timstronghp]

just remembered about this song recently when Mark Hoppus of blink-182 did part of it on the bridge of Dammit at Coachella. Perfect timing as always Todd

[@drksideofthewal]

“I took a pill in Ibiza” is probably the only good song about being a one hit wonder.

[@drakkenmensch]

This song is extremely relatable for wishing your life was better in addition to having an incredibly catchy hook.

[@ZOB4]

Great song, excellent choice for OHW. Any day Todd drops a video is a good day.

[@Thomasmemoryscentral]

Now if Todd continues his 90's one hit wonders coverage, can we see possibly Lens Steal My Sunshine next?

[@ianloren-dc7bv]

@@Thomasmemoryscentral that would dope as hell OR David Naughtons "Makin' it " from the late 70's

[@Thomasmemoryscentral]

@@ianloren-dc7bv Is Layla by Derek And The Dominoes able to qualify? A short lived band featuring Eric Clapton and the band's only big hit

[@ianloren-dc7bv]

@@Thomasmemoryscentral I would think so, since it was a one-shot one album type deal, similar to the Duran Duran side project called Arcadia and their album ,"So red The Rose"

[@Bacopa68]

The ultimate one hit wonder of the nineties was "Barely Breathing" by Duncan Sheik. Some weird folk-rock effort by no one hit the alternative charts, moved to the pop and Adult Contemporary charts, and blasted what was left of AOR. And then he disappeared.

[@almightycinder]

Sugar Ray made an album called 14:59, implying that their 15 minutes of fame wasnt up yet. It kept them from being a one hit wonder.

[@WREDog]

Glad to see this video is back up.

[@tonyyoung2854]

The one thing I remember Skee-Lo for, besides “I Wish”, was that he featured on a School House Rock cover album, where a bunch of (at the time) popular bands/singers did covers of songs from the series. Skee-Lo’s contribution was “Mr. Morton”. I used to love that CD.

[@DarkCrowe]

That’s one hell of a memory you just unlocked in me.

[@stryke-jn3kv]

i was not having a good time as a teenager when this came out. This resonated so hard with me at the time that it still hurts on the insides to this day. Probably one of the most emotionally impactful songs of my entire life. I wish...

[@yudhabagaskara98]

For the next OHW he should review one of the one hit wonders from 2012/13 such as I Love It, Safe and Sound, Let Her Go and Say Something

[@judgesaturn507]

Yeah, absolutely. I think enough time has passed.

[@ddjsoyenby]

heartbeats or rude could be awesome.

[@judgesaturn507]

@@ddjsoyenby I wanna see Classic by MKTO. Their 'failed follow-up single' is actually really good.

[@HolyGoddessMotherAnne]

​@@judgesaturn507I would like that too.

[@lukewright9031]

@@ddjsoyenby If you're talking of the song "rude", I'm pretty sure he covered it.

[@THE_BATLORD]

'Nard is a fantastic funky jazz album for what it's worth. Rest in Power Bernard Wright. The album also contains the song Haboglabotribin' which is the sample Snoop Dogg used for his cover of Ladi Dadi.

[@2buxaslice]

Dude! He was on a Schoolhouse Rock album where he did a cover of Mr. Morton. I love Skee-Lo. Glad you mentioned the Burger Song.

[@waypastlame]

I introduce this song to new people at every opportunity. I absolutely love it. One of my fav 90s songs

[@angelorobledo1536]

The beat goes. so so hard. genius sample flip, makes the whole song

[@MMajchrowski]

The 90’s was great in that everything wasn’t a pissing contest about how unrealistically great everyone’s life was! We had this song, Loser by Beck, Creep by Radiohead & Positive K did NOT get the girl in I Got A Man. Truly a different time to be alive!!! 😂😂😂.

[@GokuMcDuck]

Is it My imagination that Creep got more popular in the early 2000s?

[@BuckeyeStormsProductions]

"A Childish Gambino song that went back in time..." So true. I came back to this song a few years back after having not heard it probably over a decade, and remember thinking, this song sounds more at home now than it did in the mid 90s.

[@ARTV-]

The lyrics to this song live rent free in my head

[@MehrzaadMir]

I've heard this song's lyrics referenced so often but I always assumed it was a TV show or a bit. Didn't realize it was a song.

[@CategoricalImperative]

This dude attended my middle school, and returned to perform this song for the school…. We all lost our sh*t!

[@jaredgraywest]

Skee-Lo contributed a track to Schoolhouse Rock Rocks! It was a compilation of (mostly) alternative artists covering songs from the 1970s educational shorts.

[@pascalbruins5114]

That bassline is just too tasty

[@mrdavis8814]

The transition into that Tribe sample was was smooth!

[@johnlacey1453]

I saw Chuck D. give a lecture at University of Tennessee, Knoxville in the late 1990’s and he touched on the idea that 90s gangsta rap was a way for the powers that be to harm the black community. A shift away from political, Afro centric, or empowering ideas to something more crass. Chuck blew my mind 😳

[@dre8463]

As much as I loved those artists and albums at the time (NWA, Ice Cube, Ice T, Dre, Snoop, Bone Thugs, Eazy etc), it definitely left a dark impact on the youth at the time, it was noticeable. The music was fun to listen to...but music does effect the subconscious more than people acknowledge.

[@kingofsting19]

So the premise of the song is that Skee-Lo's ultimate wish is to find love, and thus all the things he wishes for are things that he thinks will make women like him, like being taller or having a nice car. To that end, the rabbit in the hat with a bat isn't *merely* a cute rhyme, but both also furthers this premise. The rabbit is a cute animal, pulling it out of a hat is a magic trick, and a bat is a piece of sports equipment that implies you're athletic, all of which being things guys commonly use to try to impress girls.

[@anonymouscoward9917]

I have been waiting for this particular OHW for ages and somehow I manage to get to it right as it's uploaded. I specifically love this song as a one-wonder not only because it's the anthem of being uncool, but also because its author ironically disappeared after it blew up. Anyway, as someone who's been watching these reviews since around 2012, just have to say that your videos have only been getting better and better Todd, and it's always great to see what you have next.

[@jooree7696]

As a 5'4" guy i feel this song

[@azn1011]

same

[@Rogueofmv]

Trying to finish the video but I'm transfixed by that jungle/breakcore remix of "I Wish" that's being played during the Baywatch clip

[@crumpettrashgoblin]

Ah yes my favorite Baywatch Nights star Skee-Lo.

[@dmug]

Holy shit I manifested this video. Two nights ago I was thinking Todd should cover this. What a great song, performed this at my senior talent show. Album was pretty good.

[@jorgerosado2087]

What an amazing track. Been a fan ever since I first heard it. Now we wait for the eventual episode on Pac-Man Fever.

[@Gatorade69]

No. Please no. I can't stand that song.

[@dyldragon1]

Still been waiting for Flava In Ya Ear

[@ZapperRS]

That song sucks

[@HolyGoddessMotherAnne]

I'm still waiting for the episode on I Got 5 On It.

[@antibishonen]

Ah yes, Buckner and Garcia; known for arcade novelty songs. Definitely appropriate should Todd get invited at a gaming con again. Personally, Do the Donkey Kong is much better. Bummed when the Video Game Crash of '83 happened...

[@ras.al.dolezal]

Skee-Lo finds a genie and now we're all trapped in a weekendless existence from every day being Friday. All of us sitting around "excited for the weekend" like grandpa in the old folks home always talking about "going home tomorrow."

[@shawnheatherly]

I love that the entire follow-up segment is basically just, "Allegedly."

[@cartmann94]

It’s amazing that this song has some similarities to that R&B classic “This is how we do it”. Both were huge hits in ‘95. Both have a distinctive lack of swearing and references to LA. Oh, and both singers had ambitions for vehicles from 1964.

[@samuelstensgaard4828]

I hope Todd covers that song some day, absolutely insane sample

[@DirtiestDMusic]

Never clicked faster. I've been waiting a long time for this one. As a 5'9" man in a 6'+ world, this song has always been extremely relatable. (At least I'm taller than Skee-Lo.)

[@txcavi]

THIS SONG DOMINATED my teenage years. I STILL love this song.

[@GokuMcDuck]

This song marked the start of my teen years.

[@RenaldyCalixte]

​@@GokuMcDuckI was 6 when this song came out but when I was older my older brother introduced me to this song. He's 10 years older than me.

[@brianveysey4176]

In the mid 2000s he was teaching audio engineering at I want to say ASU. According to my friend who went there at least

[@TheRoadrunnerFromHell]

I thought this was going to be about a cover of Steve Wonder's song (the one Will Smith sampbled) that inadvertedly got huge but has been forgotten so fast it vanished and not even the internet referenced it anywhere.

[@ibn1989]

Are you talking about Wild, Wild West? That song is timeless man.

[@TheRoadrunnerFromHell]

@@ibn1989 Indeed

[@ekmad]

@@ibn1989 Can't hear that song now without hearing "Wow Wow" by Neil Cicierega

[@brendanb2982]

​@@ekmad SOME PEOPLE CALL ME THE SPACE COWBOY

[@trinaq]

I love that this is a rap song which contains no swearing, and that you can play around children. Skee Lo even says "Hello" at the beginning, demonstrating nice manners!

[@lauracooper897]

Wanting to be taller is a top three concern for children so it's very relatable for them.

[@zoetropeyzy]

@@lauracooper897 With the top one concern being not having a rabbit in a hat with a bat, obviously

[@andressotil4671]

This is something Caillou´s beta-dad would say

[@TheDarthsteve316]

Skee Lo ain't gotta cuss in his raps to sell records. Well I do.

[@momhorror]

i had a bad night at work, seeing that there's a new one-hit wonderland is a nice surprise

[@beckimartinelli5568]

Does anybody else remember the" Schoolhouse Rock Rocks!" album? It featured a ton of 90s one hit wonders like Blind Melon and Biz Markie. Skee Lo did The Tale Of Mr Morton and that was my only knowledge of the guy for years.

[@chipbloch7775]

I literally said “I’d love a OHW on ‘I Wish’” yesterday. Get out of my head, Todd!

[@SLSmith_96]

I don't know if it's just because of the time period it was released in or what, but It's actually crazy how much this song seems more or less like hip-hop's verison of "Loser" by Beck.

[@pervertedalchemist9944]

And released a year apart, no less!

[@peterj.francisdunleadebarr4367]

Or even Radiohead's Creep, from a few years before

[@judgesaturn507]

I kinda hear that.

[@hectormejia7757]

​@@peterj.francisdunleadebarr4367I see no similarities honestly

[@karabearcomics]

I've suggested them before, but I'm doing it again: I think future topics for One Hit Wonderland can be "White Bird" by It's a Beautiful Day, "Rubber Biscuit" by the Chips, and "Hell" by Squirrel Nut Zippers. The first is what I'm most interested in, but all three could be fun videos.

[@the_newt_nest]

How is it that I always get in the mood to watch Todd right before he releases a new one? I was watching OHW just this afternoon.