Pachelbel Rant from 2006 [Official High Quality Re-Post]

The original Pachelbel Rant in full resolution! I found the transcode file from the original mini DV tape!
Thank you to everyone who liked, shared, translated, and commented on the Rant over the years. It’s been so exciting to hear about how people have found the video-some through music class in school, some found it through friends, some found it by googling Pachelbel to find Canon in D (Ha! Take that, Johann!)
If you’re curious I’m still performing comedy music, I put out a live concert album in early 2019, I regularly perform in New York, the occasional cruise ship, and I write and produce music for myself and other artists. Check out RobPRocks.com for all the details, and check out the new album here: open.spotify.com/album/500usk...
Turn on closed captioning for the official transcript, here are the songs referenced:
2:21 Graduation (Friends Forever), Vitamin C
2:32 Cryin', Aerosmith
2:43 One Tin Soldier, Coven
3:35 Hook, Blues Traveler
3:45 Basket Case, Green Day
4:11 Push, Matchbox 20
4:15 Good, Better Than Ezra
4:17 Machine Head, Bush
4:21 With or Without You, U2
4:25 Torn, Natalie Imbruglia
4:28 Sk8r Boi, Avril Livigne
4:32 We’re Not Gonna Take It, Twisted Sister
4:36 Laverne & Shirley Theme Song
4:40 No Woman No Cry, Bob Marley
4:43 Let It Be, The Beatles

[@lemagreengreen]

Pachelbel's Canon in D is basically the cheat code for writing hit pop music

[@mattm7220]

The Konami Code of the charts

[@michakrzyzanowski8554]

hit pop music is all the same 3 chords

[@dwaynepenner2788]

That is exactly what blues travels hook says, only more cynically

[@jascaf1503]

@@michakrzyzanowski8554 g,c,d,e and bring out the capo for 90%... Throw in Am and Fm every once in awhile. Maybe a Bm or F#m; but can be capo'd out.

[@JHaven-lg7lj]

I just realised this today when someone’s speaker cut out at work before the vocals started - I kept humming it and humming until my brain clicked: Hang on, that’s Pachelbel isn’t it?!

[@spaydthesuperhero]

Me when I don't know a composer's name: "He was probably named Johann. They're ALL named Johann."

[@littlegeek5159]

heh it's funny because it's true

[@ashurean]

the music equivalent of everything evolving into crabs

[@VanNessy97]

Pachelbel: *composes Canon in D* Cellists: I had a dream my life would be... so different from this hell I'm living!

[@minnieyuyantung]

Fantine is the cellist Cosette 's dad is finally found!!!haha

[@Jigglypoof]

Remind me to come back in another 10 years for the 4K remaster.

[@williamswartwood86]

2 years if your're Naughty Dog.

[@ajmurtagh27]

Six years to go!

[@Uglysad]

I'll never not watch this video every time I come across it.

[@CynthiaFrawley]

#metoo

[@synbiostael]

same :D

[@LieutenantJoey]

Right there with you

[@SobrietyandSolace]

And keep showing all my friends. This was before Axis of Awesome did it, too.

[@gretchenwenzel2906]

It's the same reason I'll never not listen to Blues Traveler play "Hook".... THAT was just absolute genius and it's all but impossible to explain to someone other than a musician! It feels like you're home again and found a kindred spirit once in a blue moon when you come across somebody that "gets it." 😂🤣❤️

[@hellagia2151]

Fun fact: I took music appreciation over a decade ago. We were talking about influence/inspiration, and I showed her this clip (the original one). She ended up showing it to the entire class. Teacher approved!

[@autumnbonavita2326]

My music teacher played this to us that’s how I first found it and now I love it and rewatch it at least once a month

[@SirJebusHRM]

The year is 2023. It is 7am. I just randomly started shouting "I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL, PACHELBEL" while making breakfast.

[@tommy.eklund]

This video lives rent free in my head (as well as 4 Chord Song by the Axis of Awesome), I only just found this re-upload...

[@yesthisisrp25]

13 years later and still just as funny and true.

[@denormative]

Was going to say the same thing. That and I'm shocked it's been 13 years already; I feel old. O.O

[@SobrietyandSolace]

@@denormative Jesus, so do I !!!!!!!!

[@186bingo]

@@denormative Same!! Where does the time go?

[@paul_k_7351]

Maybe even more true the way our music has degenerated since then 😂

[@victoria7t]

​@@paul_k_7351 That has nothing to do with why this is still true. This is still true because musical notes are not infinite so there's only so much you can do with them.

[@ewestner]

Once you've listened to this video 10 or 12 times like I have, you'll start hearing Pachelbel EVERYWHERE. It's a curse.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

have you heard of the 4-chord song?

[@EnnoGorilla]

The ice cream truck just went by our house playing Pachelbel in that classical ice cream van style, and I had to look up this video to show it to everyone who didn't realize that this was a sign of the end times.

[@vorshack8968]

I always thought ice cream trucks would be cooler if they played Flight of the Valkyries.

[@danielg4DonkeyHotei]

@@vorshack8968 Somebody really should make a whole KZbin channel of that stuff

[@bigdaisyjam]

My husband was a “Popsicle Joe” in the 80’s. His truck played “Little Brown Jug”, but he tuned out the mind-numbing ding ding ding after a while. Not sure it would be possible with Pachelbel!

[@bland9876]

I always loved my melted and refreshed chocotacos

[@paulpadillo4591]

This bit never gets old. Even from someone who had to play that damn canon for a million weddings, funerals, dance companies . . . make it stop! Brilliant comedy, sir. Brilliant.

[@TK-593]

I went to a wedding of my wife's friend 2 days after seeing this for the first time. We sit down and guess what starts playing. I tried to contain it but I just started laughing maniacally, gasping for air. She said what's so funny and I didn't even bother trying to explain.

[@StephenGillie]

This guy's never played the 2nd trombone part of Pomp and Circumstance. Those quarter notes don't change - you're playing F natural for 44 measures.

[@zachrichards2435]

oh my god, and it just keeps repeating!

[@ethanL337]

I'm also a trombonist. I first saw this video in 2006. I saw Rob Paravonian live in 2007. And I did not even think of the 2nd trombone in Pomp and Circumstance until right now.....well done!

[@PhoenyxRysing]

Oh, jeez--I remember one time I played at graduation and we had to play the repeating part probably a half-dozen times before everyone got seated... Those poor trombones! If I was getting bored as a flute player, I can't imagine how mind-numbing it was for them!

[@sofiabonelli6806]

I haven't encountered Pomp and Circumstance since I left high school back in 1995. I have to hear it every time I go to a student's graduation, but I haven't had to look at the music in decades. Unfortunately Pachelbel is all over the damn place. If you play in a string quartet, you cannot escape this damn thing. Amongst many of my cellist friends just the name Pachelbel is near "he who shall not be named status"

[@tomhudson4719]

Your fault for being 2nd trombone L0L

[@yakk0dotorg]

As a former cellist I post this everywhere during the Christmas season. Please think of the cellists!

[@gretchenwenzel2906]

No one thinks of the cellist! I found out the same is true with being a drummer! Guitar and sax?... Definitely was given a little bit more respect with that! LMAO

[@iankunx]

In chorus class in high school we did a vocal arrangement of Canon in D back in like... 2002. I felt so bad for the basses because GUESS WHICH PART THEY GOT. They got hosed on Carol of the Bells too(Which I also hate despite being a Soprano)

[@christianfarmer]

Is there any way to rewrite that part?

[@streetfightinmanrs]

Had to show my wife this after Ed Sheeran defended himself in court doing the same thing flowing through notes that are used in a lot of songs. 16 years later and the Pachabel rant is still valid.

[@joesretrostuff]

Man haven't seen this in a lifetime. Still as funny and relevant as ever - the Ed Sheeran lawsuit as a case in point!

[@cbpd89]

Your honor, I would like to submit the following KZbin video from 2006 into evidence.

[@chrisf2636]

Don’t forget 4 chords by Axis of Awesome.

[@florinivan6907]

'punk music is a joke its really just baroque' the biggest burn that punk ever got

[@acelibrarian]

Heard someone once say that metal music is just Beach Boys with a driving beat.

[@Kulgur]

The comedian John Finnemore added music to Pachelbel's Canon (in a sketch about Pachelbel being tired of always being asked to play his Canon). Worth listening to. “Round and around like an endless game of pass the parcel, All of the grace of a bison in a bouncy castle…”

[@jacobktan]

Still one of the best videos on KZbin.

[@stephenemmett9753]

I came here from "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance. Altogether now over this: "When I was, a young boy, my father, took me into a-- ladadadadadada..."

[@Tylendal242]

This beautiful rant was brought to my attention after pointing out that the Goldenrod City theme in Pokémon is just Pachelbel's Canon in D.

[@arthurfilion5992]

Omg… You’re right… FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!

[@ShootingStarNeo]

Thanks, I hate it.

[@kamikazesenpai21]

Same with the SS Anne/Oceanic Mesuem.

[@maxwellzhao7390]

"There's no way to be cool when your instrument is larger than you" piano players: :eyes:

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

laughs in playing metal on a church organ

[@patrickmeyer2802]

My regular instrument is literally bigger than my house lol.

[@StormsandSaugeye]

:eyes: Did you read my mind?

[@opalgoblin]

You heard him.

[@Humppasonni1972]

I used to watch this and Axes of Awesome - 4 chords-version of this weekly to cheer myself :) Still works even in better quality :D

[@DaedalusYoung]

They're not the same chord progression. Four Chords is a 4 chord progression, this is an 8 chord progression.

[@soulsurvivor8293]

​@@DaedalusYoung4 Chords can be transposed from 8 half notes mate. Which is the entire the point of the Pachelbel Rant, songwriters have taken the 8 mind-numbingly repetitive notes and made a simple 4 chord progression out of it. The simple and repetitive nature of the Chords is what makes the song's so memorable. Adding notes, half notes and altering the tempo doesn't change the base half note progression. After all, the cello in Pachelbel's Cannon is used as a rhythmic scale for the other instruments to drape their melodies over. Thus the chords are constructed using the 8 half note progression as the basis of the rhythm and pitch of the chords. They can be varied in a number of ways, but all follow the same rhythm and pitch progression. Anything from adding notes, a key change (For example the Drop D fad back in the late 90's and early 00's) to even changing the tempo. Each era uses the chords of the last as their base and build from there. It's simply that they are all based on an 8 half note cello progression from over 200 years ago in the same way evolution works, each generation branching from the last. You go back far enough, you get a converging point of origin; The cello progression from Pachelbel's Cannon. It's quite likely that even Pachelbel's Cannon's progression is based on earlier works from other composers. And theirs from the minstrels & folk music before them. It's actually quite beautiful when you think about it, Rob's personal suffering & trauma from Pachelbel's Cannon aside.

[@honeybeebebe3623]

the fact that his first name actually WAS johann

[@alansmithee419]

He probably knew, and just turned it into a joke (because indeed, quite a few of the classic composers were named Johann). Wikipedia has a page called "list of composers by name," just try to find a name more common than Johann using the search function (ctrl F)

[@ClarkCox]

Yes; he knew that (that was the joke)

[@devinpaul9026]

Shades of that old Garfield joke about all astronauts being named Buzz. "What do you make of these readings, Buzz?" "Well Buzz, I agree with Buzz over there..."

[@aidtim1350]

Thats the entire goddamned joke mate

[@hagamapama]

Johan is just the German version of the name John. It's like Joseph, Mary, David, etc, people with those names are literally everywhere.

[@mattm7220]

I can't remember exactly how I found this song originally, but I've been coming back to it, and showing it to other people since 2006. So glad that KZbin finally recommended a higher quality version so I can 'like' the video 2nd time.

[@vladimiramatejova1796]

we played pachelbel almost at every wedding and i still like the piece and had it on my own wedding. but i play the accordion which means I played the melody with my right hand and the chords with my left hand. for me it was relaxing playing those chords, my fingers moved on their own and i could focus on the right hand and everything around me, watching the bride come down the aisle and evaluate her dress. but i can relate to the feeling as in most songs we performed i was stuck with 4 chords the whole time and i was mostly thinking about lunch. it was one of the reasons i left the band. i wanted at least some solo as the four chords were driving me crazy but the lead would take them all. not a good organisation there.

[@biologicallyawptimized]

but actually you were still thinking about the bride's dress

[@singingearthwitch]

Haha. Thanks for making this available. I remember seeing it when it came out and now I’m discussing music theory with my 14 yo cellist. 🤣

[@mzmadmike]

"Enjoy the rest of the show," while every song sticks Pachelbel in your head.

[@Kimdino1]

The fate of a truly great melody. Everyone will keep using it.

[@frqv]

Fuer Elise anyone? :-D

[@Pablo360able]

It's really the harmony in this case. Though the melody does sometimes cameo.

[@ChennaJCook]

I went to a Fine Arts high school and we watched this in English class one day sophomore year. Six years later I still laugh at this!

[@kontzel]

I've never played the cello. But this song gives me so much joy at your expense. ;) Much comfort to all cello players in the world.

[@wbball15]

2023. Thanks for the memories, Rob.

[@RADIOBURELA-FM]

I've listened to this dozens of times since 2006, and was today years old when I discovered thanks to the subtitles that during the Blues Traveler part he sings "Amber Lynn" (pornstar from the 80s) instead of "Anne Boleyn"!

[@fabiomarcondes8681]

One more song to the list, Maroon 5 Memories

[@jazztheory]

I'm so glad my teacher showed me this

[@jandunder]

Look at Memories by Maroon 5 now, they did also quite well with it :-D

[@Greyshirk]

So my friend was composing some music and unknowingly made Pachelbels cannon so I tried playing it on the piano and realized that that song through messing up keys sounded like Memories

[@ghtoasty4068]

no they didn't, that song sucks

[@LuBearr]

and thanks to this skit that I watched 10+ years ago, the first thing I heard when that song came on the radio was pachelbel's melody lmao

[@nevoyu]

They even have an acoustic version where they play canon in d...

[@MsMeredtih]

It's what brought me back to this video today. :)

[@marygrant8715]

Back in the early 80s I was teaching string music at elementary schools in rural Ontario. While the students were playing Pachelbel Canon, I suddenly realized it sounded like One Tine Soldier. We put the two pieces together with the school choir with a slight adjustment to the end of one of the phrases, and performed it for Remembrance Day. It was beautiful. It wasn't until a decade or so later that it was noticed the chords for the canon were being used for a zillion pop songs. That is the magic of classical music :). Hilarious routine, thanks RobPRocks!

[@Bizarrrrrrroman]

This was originally posted my senior year of high school, the first year of high school I wouldn't be playing Pachelbel's Canon for graduation. Guess which instrument I played? This bit will always have a home in the back of my head.

[@HalfDuck]

Woah, crazy to see such a classic YT video in higher quality all these years later, Gj on preserving the tape

[@HomeTeamGameDev]

This is one of my favorite things on the internet, thank you for the HD version!

[@jesschristiansen2523]

This just never gets old.

[@christianb9077]

Well, given that we're talking the 1790s here, it already was back in 2006. :)

[@SamuelXavierS]

A lot has changed in my life since the first time I watched this video, but i still play the cello.

[@psyachu]

Oh wow, I missed this video 2 years in a row. It usually comes up to me again around Christmas time. This time it popped up in my feed early and I just started looking around and found this high res gem. But it's always good to come back to this. I've watched this since 2007 when I first got internet faster than dial-up and could finally watch youtube videos.

[@thegrassisbluer09]

I was a single digit age when I first saw your Premium Blend, and I don't think I've ever seen particle board without thinking about your songs.

[@albertoghe5929]

It's like having myopia laser correction after all these years. Thank you for the full resolution of this über-classic!

[@russetwolf13]

The meta irony of including The Hook by Blues Traveler in a song complaining about Pachebel's Canon, itself a song complaining about the Canon.

[@IAmLucipurr]

Man this is still one of my favorite videos on the internet. Especially since i related so much to it as a violinist when I was growing up.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

That you so much for the updated HD version.

[@samvakarian]

Good to see this still alive on KZbin!

[@EarwigQueen]

Amazing to see again, thank you for the quality upload!

[@z-beeblebrox]

Nice! 13 years from now, I look forward to seeing you upload the 720p version! :D

[@charliebuccellato9954]

I played cello, this still haunts me

[@MrJimmy9800]

I don't know how many times I've watched this video or the original, but it never ceases to bring me a smile. Absolutely love it!

[@brianstjohn6076]

Thanks for re-posting! I show this to my music appreciation classes each semester. Great work, my man.

[@fruz1378]

This just does not get old !

[@mhfromnh1421]

don't look back in anger, Rob.

[@Xavier_Coogat_the_Mambo_King]

Nice! The video that introduced me to Rob. Guy is a comedic genius, deserves to be way bigger than he is

[@SkyP9812]

I am a simple guy: I see someone hating on Pachelbel, I like

[@harryjamessmithmusic7762]

You're great. I love your original music and shows. It was helping me very efficiently to fight my depression for many years and it's so fun and creative. I like that. Thanks for sharing and all the best!

[@Windrunner007]

Whenever I hear Axis of Awesome’s bit about 4-chord pop songs, I always think “man, paravonian’s pachelbel bit was way funnier.”

[@punkyagogo]

For real! Anytime people bring up AoA, I can’t help cringing a bit. This was the OG.

[@Windrunner007]

This is better both in comedy and in content. AoA’s entire bit was to say “hey these songs sure do use the same chords!” and then just launch into a bunch of them but Paravonian (which i just realized i typoed in my first comment lol) actually did solid standup around it.

[@russetwolf13]

And he include the Hook, the famous Blues Traveler song that also complained about the Canon back in 94'.

[@OtherTheDave]

I’ve got a friend who always plays it in C to mess with the perfect pitch people.

[@georgedascenzo292]

Epic! That is great!!

[@JohnBolon]

She should play it in eb instead.

[@OtherTheDave]

@@JohnBolon Haha, I’ll mention it next time I talk to him.

[@tiffyw92]

I haven't heard this rant in forever and I still remember most of how it went. As a former violinist and cellist, I have a complicated relationship with this song. As much as I love the beautiful melody, our middle school teacher was ruthless and pushed us to practice it over and over, just our sections by ourselves (and I was second violinist because I hated having to practice this song. Our section played the melody as well as you'd imagine too). In contrast, he never bothered with the cellists because, well... yeah. So for a while I envied them, who got to relax whenever we had to play it over. And then the next summer at music camp, I decided to try cello because it is a very beautiful, majestic instrument. (It was one among several, mind you. I was a busy Asian kid.) And as goes with ANY orchestral music class, we had to play Canon in D. Unfortunately, because it was summer music camp and the teachers were too underpaid, no one got any free time to relax whenever the violinists had to rerun it. I still regret that I didn't continue my cello classes past high school. Same goes for violin, sadly. But no matter what, I'm never touching this song as a cellist again.

[@dawnkindnesscountsmost5991]

I am thanking *_everyone_* who has played the worst, most boring part of any piece of music that was made boring by the composer because they were dissed by someone who played the same instrument that you do. The value of the contributions you've made to provide music in this world is immeasurable and priceless, and each of you has my gratitude through eternity.

[@sterlingpratt4901]

I reference this video constantly, thank you for the HD upload 🤩🖤

[@SirStephenSW5334]

One of my favorites from you.

[@Ontoe]

Wow, it's great to see this in high(er) resolution after so many years! Thank you for posting!

[@user__214]

Love it, man! I saw the original video probably around the time it came out, and I've been showing it to friends ever since! A literal classic.

I swear this is so true. I can't escape Pachelbel too... Following me for years....

[@rodrigo-santander]

I've seen your video every year! it's so good. Thanks for uploading a better quality version

[@dantreadwell7421]

Pretty much every time I hear the piece I have this running through my head.

[@JohnnyCiocca]

17 years later, still hilarious

[@gretchenwenzel2906]

LMAO.... He forgot to mention trying to get your cello on and off the bus every Thursday, almost always led to a broken bridge that you had to have the teacher help you fix when you got to your lesson at school that day. I was tickled pink to switch over to Sax....well... Until Mindy Isaac thought it was so pretty that she wanted to hold it a minute and immediately dropped it on the floor causing a huge dent in the bottom and thatt first day that I brought it to school. It wasn't a rental, either. Mama was not pleased. The whole Pachelbel is so insanely funny... I thought I was the only one that made the connection!😂🤣😂

[@MichaelaRtoS]

Maroon 5 watched this and said, "Hold my beer."

[@MopedOfJustice]

Thanks for uploading this!

[@KickyFut]

I was in a recorder ensemble a few years ago, and we played Pachelbel. I was on a contrabass recorder that was taller than me! Those 8 notes sounded so cool when played on such a large instrument!

[@GroovingPict]

Pachelbel invented modern pop in the pre-classical era; he was a god damn genius

[@piponope]

Hope this makes it to the frontpage of youtube😁

[@dexlives]

Thanks for the transcription and citation list!

[@iWhacko]

awesome! been checking the song regularly since the first time I heard it around 2007

[@ecksdog]

Love this. One of the first videos I saw on KZbin.

[@draeath]

Thanks for uploading this when you found the original! Nice!

[@Rystefn]

Classic. 100% still holds up.

[@Desert2GardenLV]

Oh God, finally a video I can get into. This is so good. Just the right amount of Pachelbel

[@ahammersen1323]

So much joy every time I watch this.

[@mugmee5136]

Want more Pachelbel-formatted hit songs? Here's a brief sample: "Why does my heart go on beating? Why do these eyes of mine cry?" "There was a time when I was so broken-hearted..." "You should see what a lovely, lovely world this'd be" "Where is the sun that shone on my head?" "Oh yeah I'll tell you something, I think you'll understand" "Victooooooria, Victooooooria" "Rain and tears, all this shame" "It was easy then to tell right from wrong, easy then to tell weak from strong" "Free of thoughts unpure and of thoughts unkind" "You wander around on your own little cloud..." "Yes, I've been broken-hearted, blue since the day we parted" "All together now, all together now"

[@robhall3311]

I'd never heard this before - well done, Sir, well done!

[@KyrianXVII]

This. Was the best thing. I could have ever woken up to.

[@Raguleader]

He'll see Pachelbel in Hell because Pachelbel being there with him is how he'll know he's in Hell.

[@chelebeaqueen]

...gotta love being "in a world" where one can type the words 'pachabel canon in every song' and immediately find this video - a hazy memory of a one-time viewing not so long ago, but long enough to be hazy... 🎶"...'but don't look back in anger', i heard you say..."🎶 😉😉🙃🫠

[@tyler1234321]

I was just telling a buddy about this a few weeks back. Still a classic!

[@Dreadwroth]

Speaking as a former first row violinist, I love your stuff

[@Erinski]

Had to come back and rewatch after Ed Sheeran's court case. He seriously could've shown this in court to support his argument. Thankfully, he won.

[@Puggalug]

Thank you KZbin algorithm. I wish I had discovered this video 13 years ago when it first came out.

[@mzlww]

Had to look this up when it randomly popped in my head…still funny

[@HedeccaTamer]

I revisit this video a lot And everytime I hear a song with these chords, I mentally add it to the montage

[@FeartheCyr611]

Memories!

[@raylf3141]

This and Axis of Awesome 4 Chords immediately come to my mind the instant my sisters kids start talking about "the greatest music" from the current top 40 teeny boppers.

[@gunnerblade]

Non grainy Rob has arrived !!!!!!

[@JustSad66]

I played violin but too young for senior orchestra… me and others in primary school were the kitchen sink .department in the senior. I played cymbals and tambourine mainly. Great Gate of Kiev, oh my… how long did i have to wait for those crashes!!

[@alazeta0al9]

This should never fall forgotten