"Weird Al" Yankovic Breaks Down His Most Iconic Tracks | GQ

[@SkulShurtugalTCG]

The fact that musicians consider being parodied by Weird Al to be a higher honor than winning a Grammy speaks volumes of this legend.

[@hellomark1]

That's when Kurt Cobain said he knew he had truly "made it." Also I guess the video parody absolutely killed the band

[@geraldfrost4710]

Madonna requesting a parody... it says a lot about both musicians.

[@anthonycelestre3529]

There used to be a video of nirvana watching the parody, starting on a couch and they were literally rolling on the floor laughing. Can’t seem to find the video anymore though, was gonna ask Al about it if I ever meet him

[@masterpython]

Wow and award statue, awe it's a Grammy

[@dysFUNctional93]

They all wanted that yankovic bump

[@ethansmith9065]

It amazes me that this man has remained relevant for 40 years doing what he does. Parody is a niche at best. This man has made Parody a career. That's magic.

[@zoeym4868]

Less than half of the songs on Al's 14 studio albums are parodies. Al is an incredible songwriter and musician. He's been touring world for about a year now, and he's not singing any parodies, only his originals, and his concerts are sold out crowds.

[@willwrite3675]

​@@zoeym4868 really

[@zoeym4868]

@@willwrite3675 Al also writes songs for movie, tv and commercials and he directs videos for other bands. Al is also an unbelievable performer. I've seen him in concert 5 times since 2015 and I will happily see him again when he comes around my way. He's written and produced 2 great movies. Do yourself a favor and check them out.

[@mattie.f00]

Idk about relevant lol

[@zoeym4868]

@@mattie.f00 Weird Al is relevent enough to tour the world this past year to sold out crowds and to have a biopic made about his life. That is extreme relevence.

[@sheridanamber]

Tony Hawk being in the Smells Like Nirvana video without Al knowing is the most Tony Hawk thing ever

[@secondchildhood1142]

to be fair, tony hawk was nobody at the time lol

[@intrepid1160]

The fact that he mentioned it on twitter is probably the most Tony Hawk thing ever

[@RepublicOfUs]

@@secondchildhood1142 By the time that song came out, he'd been a pro skater for a decade, and was already *incredibly* well known in the skate world. Not mainstream? Sure. "Nobody"? Nope.

[@404FinallyFound]

It seems no one actually recognizes Tony Hawk

[@skunker666]

@@secondchildhood1142 he’s been extremely famous for decades

[@DesertDawg-oq5fg]

I love the story of Paul McCartney fanboying out the moment Al arrived at a record party. He was fully prepared to walk in there and feel like an outcast and talk to no one, and within two minutes Paul McCartney is hugging him.

[@andresbarriga5305]

What a great story!!

[@Trim1013]

And yet he didn’t let Al do Chicken Potpie 😔

[@flasquemask]

@@Trim1013he would’ve but Paul is a vegetarian so he initially wanted to change it to “Tofu Chicken Pot Pie” but then just decided “nevermind”

[@PlayerToBeNamedLater1973]

And suddenly it didn't matter if nobody else at the party accepted him.

[@ltjgambrose]

It's insane to me that Weird Al is 63. He's still got so much manic, friendly energy.

[@RJLupin-zu9xv]

He still does the over-the-head kicks that you can see in the Gump video on stage at his concerts. If I'm in that sort of shape physically at 63, I'll be very happy.

[@Ganiscol]

63 really is no age these days if you took a little care of yourself for most of your previous life. He will likely be in a really good shape in 10 years. But the most important thing is indeed to stay sharp and young in your head.

[@mereanawi6194]

That's crazy, time flies

[@DavidInsome]

Bro there’s plenty of people at 63 who are like this he’s not the only one

[@RaccoonRevolution]

Clean living and staying active goes a long way. That's why I assume I'll be dead at 40.

[@jackcallahaniv3364]

When Al said “we lost A LOT of extras that day” I got concerned for the worst

[@Summergch]

I thought he was joking about it, being cheeky. Then he explained it and I looked like an idiot for thinking this man didn't mean every word he said

[@mryeezy9162]

Lmao same. 'There was a lion on set... we lost a lot of extras that day.' Such a great way to phrase it.

[@SilverionX]

I think he said it like that on purpose. The man is a master of words after all.

[@mryeezy9162]

@@SilverionX I have zero doubt

[@jamesphillipshort]

I thought the lion ate well, when he said it.

[@ujustgotpwnd3454]

The fact that Al does NOT legally need permission to make a parody yet he still won't if the artist doesn't approve because he doesn't want to offend their art is legendary.

[@lightninglj]

Being threatened by Coolio and his gang doesn't help much either

[@gixerahrnair]

@@lightninglj I mean, iirc, even before Coolio he's been doing that, but like he said, there was a miscommunication with Coolio's case

[@kellynolen498]

@@gixerahrnair yeah he was in contact wirh coolios agent or record company or something said he had permision so he changed his policy to only if he can get direct contact

[@Scorpy666]

@@lightninglj imagine believing coolio was gangster. Hahaahha

[@jaliebs3988]

i mean, he does need permission for a direct parody - the lyrics come under fair use, but the music doesn't

[@henriquebecker4453]

Weird Al was the friend everyone wanted to have in his 20s, the uncle everyone wanted to have in his 40s and now in his 60s he's the grampa everyone want to have.

[@JanG859]

weird

[@64_three]

​@@JanG859al

[@matohibiki]

It's about the only time the average person would respond to 'now my grandpa is going to sing and play the accordion for us' with cheering.

[@Dismem]

Fruity

[@Shark20167]

He was awesome in concert, he even hung around after to meet fans. Great guy, top tier performer

[@mokko759]

The sheer number of costume changes during his concerts is insane! I loved it.

[@ThatOpalGuy]

@@mokko759 you didn't see his latest tour.

[@mokko759]

@@ThatOpalGuy I did not but I have seen previous shows.

[@ThatOpalGuy]

@@mokko759 he sat and performed. no costume changes. it was still an epic show, however. sadly it was the first, and likely last time, i have seen Al

[@Hoosierdaddy14]

Great concert but after we waited outside his bus to get autographs and for 2 hours nothing but groupies went in lol. He never came out so we split....hes definitely got his youth lol

[@isaacgraham5727]

I’m surprised he doesn’t mention the greatest thing about “Dare to be Stupid” which is that Mark Mothersbaugh was *insanely* envious about it and never truly forgave him for writing “the perfect Devo song” as he put it.

[@stephenlow1841]

Or that it was on the Transformers: The Movie soundtrack :)

[@PrisonMike196]

@@stephenlow1841 Wait, really?

[@deanprowell7947]

@@PrisonMike196 Yep. The soundtrack for The Transformers: The Movie includes such bangers as "Dare", "The Touch", "Instruments of Destruction", and *"Dare to be Stupid"*

[@TheMemeLord700]

I was suprised "the saga begins" was not featured

[@shaunclifton5281]

YES ! I'm so glad you said that. They used to show Mark saying exactly that in an interview. 👍

[@yournamehere9024]

I like that he has kept his drummer all these years. It speaks well of him.

[@zoeym4868]

Not just his drummer, his manager, his entire band and almost his entire stage crew. These people have stuck with Al for over 40 years for a reason.

[@lawofsirfignewton7881]

Doesn't hurt that they're all tremendously talented. I agree wholeheartedly that Al is a stand up guy, but his band is just electric.

[@hazardeur]

did you see his performance on another one rides the bus? who wouldn't keep that drummer?

[@zackfolkestad8746]

I love how nerdy and genuinely happy he is. I hope that I get to meet him one day. He seems like such an awesome person to be around!

[@soliousdragon1232]

The fact he heard he was going to have a pony based off him in My Little Pony, and immediately wanted to be the voice of said pony is an amazing

[@Rocket1377]

I love the fact that his song "Dare to be Stupid" was used as the theme for a character in The Transformers: The Movie, and years later he ended up voicing that same Transformers character for a new cartoon. The song wasn't even written for the movie, but is now synonymous with Transformers.

[@nigeldean3726]

He's been in a bunch of cartoons

[@dantreadwell7421]

@@Rocket1377 the Dinobots, if I recall correctly.

[@dantreadwell7421]

Ahh yes, Cheese Sandwich. That was absolutely perfect.

[@superblaster2]

@@dantreadwell7421 It was the Junkions, not the Dinobots.

[@estebanramirez1178]

He’s the only man to refer to himself as quirky and have everyone around him agree instead of cringe.

[@integralyogin]

ahahhahahahaha, true enough.

[@conradshtock3039]

He’s the proper ‘quirky’, not that modern female version of “quirky.”

[@GhoulishTeatime]

@@conradshtock3039oof the amount of red flags in this statement is crazy 💀💀💀

[@conradshtock3039]

@@GhoulishTeatime yeah, sorry about that.

[@barronmaurice3179]

@@GhoulishTeatimeyou def one

[@diedampfbrasse98]

a great man once said "He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life." ... I wish noone has ever the misfortune to get tired of the genius Weird Al, this man will get you trough any hardship with just a song or two and yet he gives us many many more just in case. Thanks "Weird Al" Yankovic

[@bfdecem]

A very wise 4 fingered man

[@XaxtonRevolution2]

He may be entertaining, but he’s not a genius. He’s a household name, but only default. anyone can do what he did*; he is the only one whose foot was put in the door. The only good song is that I’ve heard of his was, “Perform this Way.”

[@sophiet1576]

@@XaxtonRevolution2 Al's released 14 studio albums and less than half of them are parodies. Al is an incredible composer and his original songs are amazing. Al also writes songs for movies, tv and commercials. And...Al is an actual genius. He was in high school when he was 12 and graduated as the Valedictorion. He went to college when he was 16 and got his degree in architecture.

[@TheRedHaze3]

@@XaxtonRevolution2 This may just be the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

[@CaptainArrrgh]

Yeah, I pity the fool who don’t like Al

[@jazznickel]

"Another One Rides the Bus" was his first song I ever heard. It came a record inside my Mad Magazine. The record was a soft flexible page that you cut out and it actually played on a record player!! True Story! I had that record for years.

[@petertrudelljr]

I got a record out of Mad Magazine... was a song called "Makin' Out"... remember one of the lyric couples was "All the Oakland Raiders are makin' out... even Space Invaders were makin' out..."

[@Dylan-Frost]

Okay now that is cool

[@FinnTheGentleman]

flexi-discs! I wasnt alive for that era but my dad was a huge fan of Bloom County and one of the booklets came with one!

[@FHRiley-yk9by]

​@@petertrudelljrMakin Out is the worst song ever lol, I cannot stand that song haha!

[@Outshinedsg]

When "Amish Paradise" came out, I was in middle school. Very coincidentally, we had a school field trip planned to Lancaster County, PA to visit an Amish area. The teachers wanted us to experience a different culture and way of life. The charter bus was blasting this song the entire way there. Was a very memorable trip and I still love the song.

[@RadioactiveSherbet]

I'm sure any locals that came within earshot of that bus were quite befuddled...

[@eTiMaGo]

My first introduction to Weird Al was at a school dance, the DJ played Amish Paradise and everyone just STOPPED dancing to listen and laugh, it was amazing :D

[@mark9294]

What, like on repeat? Didn’t it get annoying?

[@chromicapop4595]

😂😂😂that is amazing

[@Thor-Orion]

They make great beef jerky.

[@donaldburgio1126]

Weird Al should, without a doubt, be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

[@ami2evil]

Too Heavy...

[@andrewpeterson8527]

Without a doubt

[@cindyreeves5048]

Agreed

[@AbsoluteEgg]

agreade

[@melikatalks7676]

The Rocky road hall of fame

[@Methus3lah]

Weird Al is one of those rare performers that’s able to be funny without resorting to being mean

[@joanna8967]

or vulgar.

[@TheOMGHe]

Except for his fake interview with Kevin Federline. That's one of the few times you really feel he doesn't like the person in real live :D

[@EEEEEEEE]

‎E‎

[@GattToDaChoppa]

@@TheOMGHe the eminem one killed me

[@TheOMGHe]

@@GattToDaChoppa IMO still tame compared to the Federline one

[@LaurieSwenson]

I love how down-to-earth Al is and how much joy he seems to have in what he does. Watching him on The Tonight Show was really fun as Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jimmy Fallon were geeking out over Weird Al and the "Hamilton Polka." Al feels genuine and a super nice guy every time I see him in appearances.

[@sheilasmith7890]

My husband showed Amish Paradise to one of the Amish workers on the job site and he laughed at it and loved it!

[@darlenebuck7825]

good to know even Amish people have a sense of humor and good to know the Amish guy found humor in the song.👍

[@tacticex5300]

@@kykise1395 how are you gonna say that after the Amish guy laughed, unless you're Amish you shouldn't be talking.

[@tacticex5300]

@@kykise1395 It never said the guy works for him so he could most definitely make a big deal of it if he wanted to

[@skycastrum5803]

@@kykise1395 Your presumptiveness is about as offensive as what you’re claiming. You presume it’s offensive to the guy. You presume there’s a power difference. You presume he’s hiding how offended he is. You aren’t there. Would be a good idea to be less judgmental when you have so few facts. It’ll make life a lot more pleasant.

[@MacBailey]

@@kykise1395 We are talking about a Weird Al song. Parody is being a bit disrespectful and offensive and adding some truth and humor in to the mix so that we can laugh at our selves. Maybe it's just me, but then I AM white an nerdy...

[@TFFgeek]

Lots of respect for Weird Al. A guy who still makes bank with his quirky hobby, and staying very humble and respectfull. Also amazed at how many details he can still remember, even after 40+ years.

[@snowrocket]

Part of it is he didn't and doesn't use drugs. That's why he was not dead at...wait for it..27. Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and some others, all dead at 27. It's called "the 27 club".

[@cameronpritchett8300]

He never ruined his mind with drugs or alcohol .

[@mazder360]

I love that for the Polka Face video he just told the animators "have fun!" A true artist, knowing that those artists would come up with something fun and unique he might never even think of

[@ricolorenz7307]

This is insane. I attribute my varied music taste today to my love for weird al i had as a child. Such a diverse array of music, all child friendly, and with easy to learn lyrics. He's a legend.

[@janjanbinks1710]

English isn't my first language. I remember my English teacher telling us to listen to American/British music so we can learn new words and better pronunciation in a fun way and she always let us listen to Weird Al's parodies. Thanks to him I speak English more fluidly and I've explored genres and songs I wouldn't be able to find normally

[@ashleybrown4754]

The man can play ANY style of music and he's an icon. Idk how he's not in the Rock and Roll H.O.F. yet but he needs to be.

[@JohnnySplattWadd]

Rock and roll HOF lost credibility with me when they inducted Dolly Parton who insisted she was not a rock and roller at all at the induction ceremony. Michael Jackson & Madonna are a few more pop performers who are not rockers that were inducted.

[@gst013]

I'd say who cares...Weird Al is too good for the stuffy RnR HOF anyways.

[@burn_learnearn_welding7101]

@@JohnnySplattWadd rock n roll H.O.F is more of an entire music H.O.F. there's so many genres of music there's no reason to have every music genre it's own H.O.F

[@MattLathrum]

@@burn_learnearn_welding7101 Considering all the styles of music Al has sung, that's even more reason to induct him.

[@Babbling_Wizard]

@@JohnnySplattWadd Eminem was in them

[@MadHatta555]

I could listen to him describe the process for every one of his songs 😭 he seems like a genuinely nice and friendly dude.

[@daniel.robynberkefeld6335]

yes

[@reddominos]

@@daniel.robynberkefeld6335 yes

[@Tyler.254]

Lol yeah that’s literally what this video is. If you watch the video, you’re listening to him describe the process for every one of his songs

[@reddominos]

@@Tyler.254 not all of them

[@breakingglass27]

​@@Tyler.254wow, that's crazy that Weird Al has only made 13 songs in all these years

[@marcoszambrano7287]

Al is as authentic as a person can get. Absolutely unapologetic, honest, funny and smart, because to be really funny (in the pure comedic essentials) you have to be quite smart.

[@divinggiants8760]

Saw him in concert when I was young. Most amazing showman. Played all his hits and changed costumes for each song including the fat suit.

[@gotdangedcommiesitellyahwa6298]

Wow. That's some real dedication.

[@Deep_Dish]

Yeah, so many costumes! Has to be a record or something!

[@BiggusNickus]

Going to see him live in Tilburg, NL next year. Can't wait!

[@mightymorphingpo]

@@BiggusNickus backstreet boys song Ebay

[@dantreadwell7421]

Getting into and out of that suit is insane how fast he goes on it. Saw him at our state fair many many years ago, awesome show.

[@SquirtleEatsAll]

Key and Peele being in white and nerdy is the same experience as Penn and Teller in tricky

[@jamaintjelly2772]

I also noticed that and it kind of blew my mind aswell

[@kevind3974]

Or Toni hawk being in smells like nervana. You see them and just go hold up I know you

[@veenoir1991]

​@@kevind3974Riley hawk and frances Cobain are dating so...that's cool haha. Rando kind of related factoid

[@TheDanLevy]

Yup! I rewatched that video a couple years ago and was so surprised. Now going to go watch the Run DMC video b/c I totally didn’t know Penn & Teller are in it

[@Sephiroth144]

Or *BLANK* being in Rockwell's Somebody's Watching Me (providing backup lyrics)

[@talondarkfire]

Growing up in a household that only allowed Christian music to be played, Weird Al was somehow considered 'safe' for which I'm greatly appreciative of. Smells Like Nirvana was my introduction to Nirvana and all things grunge, which to this day is still one of my favorite genres.

[@BethanyNash]

We are somehow living a parallel life! My dad had an insane list of strict rules and I could only listen to Christian music, classical music...or weird Al. Lol. Super thankful for being able to listen to him and same for me in regards to nirvana and grunge!

[@greygryphon6881]

Same!!

[@EB14885]

Same!

[@TheOneAndOnlyFen]

Was the same in my family.

[@basedfishoil4912]

Yep, same.

[@iletyoucallmestevesy]

Honestly, you could make a 3 hour video where he talks about every single one of this songs and I would grab the popcorn

[@claymccoy]

Three hours is not enough time...

[@Sunprism]

Fun Fact: Chamillionare Genuinely praised the technical proficiency of Weird Al's raps for White and Nerdy

[@chrisd6736]

Dude is a national treasure. We need more weird Al’s in the world.

[@sexydictator3241]

You mean, like, clone Weird Al a bunch of times? 😄

[@austinstover7575]

​@@sexydictator3241I think Im a clone now

[@grepenoop]

We have Rucka Rucka ali now, dont worry

[@WillowWonder]

He is my hero! All my life I hoped to become something like him. Sometimes I still dream I may become something similar :) no one can ever match Weird Al, but I hope to keep his energy going for decades to come

[@stresswaves01]

If I had a nickel for every time I talked about a mass cloning of Weird Al with a friend, I'd have one nickel, which isn't much but it's weird that it happened once.

[@zacharyjohnson5569]

I grew up with my dad making parodies to songs all the time to be entertaining. And him being a musician, naturally, we listened to Weird Al quite I but. I even had the honor of seeing him live when I was fairly young. I find great joy in listening to Weird Al as it reminds me of my dad and his silly humor. Literally brings me back to either hearing his songs or hearing my dad come up with his own dumb parodies lmao.

[@snackpirate_]

Bro… I think your dad is weird Al

[@MarelyAsleep]

Ever see Weird Al and your Dad in the same room?

[@CraftAero]

"Jingle Bells, Batman smells..." Given my age and Weird Al's age, I'm gonna guess he heard that "song" in the early 70's. If Gr.4 me could play the accordion, my life may have been very different.

[@gregoryspatisserie9858]

Lovely story, thank you for sharing. It's nice to see something nice.

[@gotdangedcommiesitellyahwa6298]

@@CraftAero "Robin laid an egg!" Yup, us kids had a way of twisting song lyrics. We also had one about flushing the teacher down the toilet.

[@jayraebee997]

"Hardware Store " is one of my absolute favorites! I had the lyrics down perfectly, but i always ran out of breath, lol.

[@pattaschner6377]

I still can't get all the items down, but I keep trying! Although I can do the last verse and into the chorus of Everything You Know Is Wrong

[@BullyMaguire4ever]

“Automatic circumciser!”

[@odeegrotsniffer4166]

Weird Al is a national treasure.

[@mat2093]

Saw him this year. Can confirm

[@saifulridzaimi]

*international treasure

[@scottf5791]

Why do people keep saying this?

[@mat2093]

@@scottf5791 because it's true

[@salmonsandwich3183]

@@mat2093 He's not funny enough to be a comedian, and he's not talented enough to be a musician. Literally the opposite of a national treasure

[@jonathanvanderpol1435]

Really surprised his "American Pie" parody "The Saga Begins" didn't make the cut for this "most iconic tracks". It is my favorite, and I always show it to people who are unfamiliar with Weird Al and like Star Wars.

[@andrewkandasamy]

Same, I'm sad Ebay didn't make it on there. That song always had me rolling.

[@tessfishy]

I learned The Saga Begins before American Pie!

[@the_king_of_kings_3413]

Yeah, I think that was my fourth Al song and I loved every bit of it as both the crazed kid and the the Star Wars nerd.

[@kosmoboo]

They used to play it in the mornings before the morning news. I didn't know American Pie or Star Wars, but I sure knew The Saga Begins.

[@andrewfornes5320]

I love that song. I remember it was my first introduction into Star Wars. I watched all the films after that.

[@filmtoppings]

Man's managed to stay trending for 5 decades. He's the definition of iconic

[@ws4jb]

It’s crazy, he’s now just as famous As nearly anybody he parodied.

[@DamienDarkside]

@@ws4jb Among the famous, he is famous. To be covered by Weird Al in the music industry is considered to be one of the highest honors. I'm not joking, multiple artists have stated that they only felt like they had "made it" was because of a Weird Al parody, not because of the record deals and money.

[@craigjs]

Saw him in Concert this year doing most of his originals and honestly I could not have been more thrilled with the result. it was absolutely excellent.

[@Alexaq268]

Did he do Albuquerque

[@craigjs]

@@Alexaq268 Yes he did. It was absolutely epic.

[@Alexaq268]

@@craigjs Yessss

[@craigjs]

@@Alexaq268 He also did a cover of "Werewolves of London" which I didn't know I needed in my life but my life is now better for it.

[@Alexaq268]

@@craigjs Ooooh

[@JackKastor]

I did not want this video to end. Al is so pure and naturally funny, compelling to listen to.

[@mojoyote5924]

Yes, I was hoping to see 'Word Crimes,' being an English teacher and all. But it was fun to hear about all the other hits of course.

[@respawnedlife]

I know I was waiting for him to discuss The Saga Begins.

[@aMulliganStew]

I was holding out for Germs

[@conbon6]

Christmas at Ground Zero for me

[@okagron]

Everything You Know Is Wrong for me.

[@cleveryoutubename4445]

Saw him in 1996 in Victoria BC during the Bad Hair Day tour. Phenomenal show, Weird Al then sat out back and signed every autograph for anyone who wanted one, he had to have been there for another 2 hours or so. He had quick conversations with everyone, he is an absolute gem of a human being. Still have my signed T-shirt, got it framed last year.

[@EverettJWashington]

Crazy, that's awesome! We lived in the same area (Whistler at that time)!! I missed that tour but would have loved to gone to "Bad Hair Day" . I'd be 16 at the time (43 now). To me, Weird Al just seems cool and personable, and incredible when creating videos and on stage :)

[@BeagleBageler]

Oh man, I wish I would’ve been able to see that! I didn’t exist for another decade or so sadly.

[@cleveryoutubename4445]

@@BeagleBageler He still tours, missed him last year in Calgary because I was on vacation.

[@moonfire41]

Hes one of the few celebrities I admire enough to WANT anything signed.

[@Tyler.254]

It’s nice to see other people supporting my pfp 🤘🏻

[@leogreck9984]

The man literally made a career on mishearing lyrics and making music out of that. And it worked. Good stuff.

[@mrmagoo8510]

Less than half of the songs on Al's 14 studio albums are parodies. Al is an amazing composer and lyricist.

[@snowfloofcathug]

Mondegreens

[@wolfgangricklefs5781]

about mishearing. I am german. Wanna know what I first understood instead of "another one bites the dust"? "Woher weisst du das" which translates to "how do you know that" but the one in the music shop knew immediately which song i wanted.

[@leogreck9984]

@@wolfgangricklefs5781 Im german aswell. Gibt zahlreiche englische songtexte die nach was völlig anderem auf deutsch klingen. "Du must besoffen bestellen" zum beispiel

[@oldrrocr]

Had an accordion player in my very first band. He really had musical talent (and got our first gig.) I have both Gansta's paradise and Amish Paradise on my playlist, and frankly I don't know until he starts singing which one it is. Thanks Al!!

[@stephenturner3291]

I love his personality.. It's like you're his best friend even if he just met you

[@batacumba]

Weird Al is one of the only celebrities I’ve seen in the wild. He was walking around La Jolla with his wife, he was very polite. He’s such a wholesome treasure.

[@Catmoment67892]

California?

[@batacumba]

@@Catmoment67892 yep.

[@surgecab22]

Al mentions that Albuquerque is a long song. 9 minutes into it, there's a part where he says he loses his train of thought. I saw him do the song in concert once, and at that point they STARTED THE WHOLE SONG OVER!! Love that guy!

[@DstrtdMnd]

I saw him do it like that, but I ALSO saw him where he restarted the ENTIRE show. Did Fun Zone and half of First World Problems before remembering his spot. It wound up being around 20min total

[@aceshighdueceslow]

when I saw him live, at the end of the show I wondered what he would do for an encore because no one was leaving. Albuquerque was the encore and everyone freaked out, but I don't remember him restarting when he lost his train of thought, I DO remember him listing off almost every donut that you could buy at Tim Horton's and I thought that was equally amazing

[@bradpriebe9218]

There are very few artists as creative or with as long a career as Weird Al.

[@brushylake4606]

His career is still going strong long after some of those he parodied have gone away.

[@JK-jw3po]

@@brushylake4606 He seems pretty down to earth, if his lifestyle is at least semi close to that it doesn't really surprise me. Some saying about bright burning stars burn out the fastest comes to my mind here.

[@planetoforts]

The only who can rival in creativity is Tom Lerher.

[@emmetlorenz4393]

He has had an incredible life

[@user-up1us9jf1o]

It’s genius in the sense that styles of music come and go but if all you do is parody today’s most famous songs you will always be relevant.

[@ChargeJN]

11:00 "I really thought nobody's gonna listen to this more than once" Tell that to all the people who willingly sat through the 12 hour Albuquerque gauntlet

[@tobymax10]

I never realized how dedicated he was to getting permission and making sure to be respectful to the original musicians. Makes me love him even more

[@mrmagoo8510]

And Al pays every artist he parodies.

[@tobymax10]

Didn’t know that either. Just an all around great guy

[@markfryer9880]

Playing a Weird Al song invariably results in the original song getting more air time as well, so that the artists win twice.

[@seantlewis376]

In the late 1970s, I was the perfect age for Dr. Demento. It was my favorite weekly radio, every Sunday at 7pm. It was the classic novelty songs, a few originals by the good Dr. himself, and then there was Weird Al. It was great stuff for kids who aren't quite children and not quite teenagers. I was stuck forever after that.

[@RatsoFatso]

I still sing Fish Heads !

[@martysmith2756]

I suspect we're the same age within a year or two. Lucky you, though; in St. Louis the Doctor was on at 9 (if memory serves) and I had to negotiate a treaty with Mom that I was allowed to stay up till 11 on Demento night. Then for a while I didn't have my own radio (for some reason) and had to go listen in Mom's parked car every week. But it was worth it to able to dissect that week's show with my small-but-dedicated cadre of fellow dorks the next day at school.

[@TheMoonEcat]

Dead puppies, dead puppies, dead puppies aren't much fun....

[@CraftAero]

@@TheMoonEcat It's funny 'cause it's true, dead puppies aren't much fun. Fish heads on the other hand... My "mix-tapes" were really bizarre in that era. "My Dad told me he missed me... well, duh, I bent the rifle sights." Sundays @11pm in my 'hood (circa 1984).

[@musicmamma]

It was my favorite show in early 80s as a nerdy, underweight teen. I loved all the goofy songs.

[@jj-if6it]

I still get White & Nerdy stuck in my head, I can never hear the original the same way again haha

[@LukusCannon]

2:56 had no clue Key & Peele was in the video

[@kumbandit]

IKR???

[@CertifiedDoc]

That's how I am with a lot of these parodies. I can't hear American Pie without expecting Weird Al's lyrics.

[@zachweaver9537]

Don Mclean will sometimes sing the parody's lyrics to American Pie when he's performing it. lol

[@snowrocket]

"What original?" is my response because I STILL never have heard it. I don't listen to rap or hip hop because...wait for it..I'm too white and nerdy!

[@ImSquiggs]

Amish Paradise was my introduction to the genre of rap as a kid haha… heard the original Coolio track with some friends a few years later and it led me nicely into the genre to already love the musical end so much. Thanks Weird Al for inexplicably opening the door of hip-hop to me

[@randylahey8207]

Listen to the real original, Stevie Wonder's Pastime Paradise. That's what upset most people, Coolio getting worked up about a song that wasn't even his...

[@LaurenDISorder]

RiP COOLIO He was a true Warrior.

[@danspencer9745]

Yeah, hey, Al, I'm gonna need this song breakdown for every track on every album please. Thanks.

[@MrDuneedon]

Was really hoping to hear some backstory on "Mr. Frump In The Iron Lung" in this video. ;-)

[@Bluemilk92]

Yeah, hey, Al, I'm gonna need you to stay leashed in my basement and preform for me non-stop.

[@davidstefano2709]

I just want his autobiography to be a parody of McCartney’s Lyrics A-Z. Same format, photography, everything.

[@Belkris]

I came here to say something similar.

[@DekkarJr]

yea XD my favs are some of his originals that arent parodies of anything. I think Everything You Know Is Wrong is one of them ( could be wrong )

[@SkyWriter25]

An artist has not “arrived” until they have been parodied by Weird Al.

[@zimriel]

...and then Kurt is tired of life

[@kestelllaurie3224]

Aka the Yankovic bump

[@OGpenguinBTW]

Nirvana realised they did when the were parodied

[@EEEEEEEE]

E‎‎

[@traceythompson1092]

What folks need to get is that for Mr. Yankovic it's not necessarily about the artist he parodies, per se, it's about how the original song hits the world's zeitgeist.

[@Thelongmanable]

*_Weird Al has to have watched more hours of MTV than anyone else in the world..._*

[@TheGoodReverendSatan]

It was the 80s.. None of us had a choice lol

[@missnaomi613]

Back in the days when they showed music videos...

[@DrFranklynAnderson]

I looked up footage of the original MTV when researching the ‘80s once. The Gen-Xers are right-it was pretty great!

[@clydedog1618]

I could have watched another 2 hours of this. I grew up a huge Weird Al fan, his videos made my entire family laugh, and for that i'll forever be thankful

[@codyuntch4850]

I heard 'eat it' in fourth grade before I ever heard 'beat it'. I thought Al's version was the original for years!!

[@Kizitty]

Same! But with Another one rides the bus.

[@CyberKnight1]

Eat It is the original. Michael Jackson ripped him off to make Beat It. This is covered in the totally true and not at all made up documentary that released this year.

[@VivziePaw]

Same!!

[@41-Haiku]

I had this experience with "Spam" and "Yoda".

[@Kasper702]

Have you seen the Weird AL movie? Eat it did come out first.

[@7HmanThe]

One of my friends met Weird Al once, and it came up that she was herself an accordion player, and he asked if she was any good. She responded with a joke that she was amazed to find he'd never heard before: "The thing about being an accordion player is you're the best one your friends know"

[@TheHutchy01]

Both Yankovics, John Linell, and your friend is pretty much the full list.

[@julienwuu4055]

He’s such a genuinely sympathetic person. How could you not like him? A lot of stars are said to be down to earth, but he is definitely the most real star out there. Just a humble geek who is happy and thankful to be in the situation he is in. And after 40 years in showbiz with zero scandals, drugs or alcohol, he’s a youthful 63 year old with lots of great years to come.

[@djgaben6187]

Him and Keanu for me

[@kentskeie2381]

Risking death for a parody music video is true dedication

[@brushylake4606]

He was going to troll his fans with "Albuquerque". He forgot for just a moment how "Weird" his fans are. The fans trolled him right back, not only by listening to it and loving it, but demanding he play it live. I love that.

[@WhitneyAvalon]

Unquestionably the best of all time.

[@manisingh4892]

He's the BOAT

[@wolfelkan8183]

If you want to watch this video in the order the songs were released: 00:26 1979 My Bologna 03:04 1983 Another One Rides The Bus 06:36 1983 I Love Rocky Road 04:00 1984 Eat It 09:40 1985 Dare To Be Stupid 14:24 1986 Like A Surgeon 11:26 1988 Fat 07:59 1992 Smells Like Nirvana 05:03 1996 Amish Paradise 10:33 1999 Albuquerque 15:45 2003 Hardware Store 02:08 2006 White And Nerdy 13:13 2011 Polka Face

[@dannyvalencia5224]

Super helpful! Thank you!

[@Jedigrandmaster6637]

You got I love rocky road and eat it mixed up, but you were close

[@strangebrew1231]

Yeah I wonder why they did the years out of order

[@andruism7]

Whenever you wonder if this is the darkest timeline, just remember that there is a reality out there where Alfred Yankovic chose to become an architect instead.

[@leokimvideo]

Thank God Weird Al is a DEVO fan, shows he's a man of very good tastes

[@user-gs2ou7gp2v]

If you knew the sheer amount of movies mark mothersbaugh has done....and yo gabba gabba? Come on now.....god i miss watching that with my kids

[@leokimvideo]

@@user-gs2ou7gp2v I would get a laugh when Mark on Yo Gabba Gabba would say, Ok, let's draw a Potato. That was all DEVO talk

[@n0denz]

You can tell by the way he eats those mashed potatoes.

[@crazyralph6386]

@@n0denzlike an OG spud boy 😂

[@WMABeaker]

Get this man in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame already!

[@OscarFowler]

Or the Rocky Road Hall of Fame

[@CalifornianCuttlefish]

I love how weird al always radiates "Fun Dad" vibes

[@EnergeticSpark63]

hey

[@CalifornianCuttlefish]

hey hey @@EnergeticSpark63

[@eadecamp]

"All About the Pentiums" was done in 1999 and, as an admin since 1985, I can say it's stood the test of time. Nice cameo by Drew Carey.

[@abelgerli]

My heart is 51% on Amish Paradise hard second Fat. But Amish Paradise has so many timeless twists love it.

[@xavieriswavier]

Amish paradise is such a classic it’s just as good as the original which is a classic.

[@adamp2029]

@@xavieriswavier maybe as good as Coolio’s. Not as good as Stevie’s actual original.

[@keikodesuu]

I remember when I was a kid back in the 90s and my dad had a VHS of Weird Al's music videos and he said Amish Paradise was his favorite so naturally I grew up thinking it was my favorite too haha! Now I'm in my 30s and of course I have this in my phone's playlist

[@jaysonshinn9104]

Stuck in the drive thru should be here

[@chesspunk489]

Those are my two favorites as well

[@paulpinecone2464]

He studied to be an architect. I want a house built by Weird Al. With a deck made by Harrison Ford.

[@CableFlame]

Furniture by Nick Offerman?

[@matthewb.7172]

Might want to rethink that. Harrison will think it’s a runway.

[@Rowebot15]

And Jesus can be the roofer

[@HOTD108_]

@@Rowebot15 I can't say I've ever seen any of his movies or music videos? Is he a new up-and-comer or something?

[@MrOddball63]

@@HOTD108_ Dunno much about him either but I understand that he has a very active PR department...

[@zoetercy9208]

The greatest thing about Al is that he embraces who he is, no matter what. People can pick on him because he's different, but he never lets that make him change. He's true to himself and is an example to all of us to have the courage to be as weird as we want to be.

[@snowrocket]

Mmm, yeah, sort of. But he's GOOD, harmless weird, not evil weird like a guy being mean to your daughter or pet. I'll take good, harmless weird all day.

[@ghostwriter1415]

@@snowrocket me too. I like the way you worded that. People that mean no harm should be treated decently, even if their craft is not your cup of tea. Love & respect to you snowrocket

[@snowrocket]

@@ghostwriter1415 Thank you.

[@shawnmuenks3285]

Huge fan. I have all your albums, I find it cool that I sing your parody and lyrics always when the original tracks play. Huge respect to the original artists but I really like your twist. Keep it going and thanks for all the years of being you. Yours truly, Shawn.

[@samuelludwig6302]

No matter where I go, the comments on a Weird Al piece of social media are always so pure and positive. Thanks for cultivating a great group of people, Al.

[@Lavarpsu10]

I'm SO HAPPY they included questions/commentary about Albuquerque. Best Weird Al song, don't @ me. The live version is even better - Al actually starts the song over at the point towards the end where he loses his train of thought, and it's like 17 minutes long. Incredible.

[@Xphinity]

@lavarpsu10

[@chrissnieckus7259]

so many great moments, if only his mother didn't force feed him sauerkraut...

[@wncwaterfalls]

dont @ you? Why would anyone when you are correct?

[@fugithegreat]

Or when he goes off for like 5 minutes straight asking for different donut flavors lol

[@danmccarthy4700]

Albuquerque is a GODSEND on long road trips.

[@pyroshayniac1090]

I love this man, he is iconic to my childhood, and getting to see him in concert in real life was one of the best days of my life. He walked right down among the audience with no fear at all.

[@mrcoolpants3956]

kinda wish someone got him to talk about his newer music like "party in the cia" and "foil" those are great "handy" and "tattoos" as well

[@johnblack3204]

I discovered Weird Al as a small child because of Radio Disney. I remember being under the age of five and calling into the station and getting them to play I Love Rocky Road on air once. My first album that I bought was Dare to be Stupid. I have seen Weird Al three times in concert and I was there when he got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. To say that he has impacted my life would be an understatement and I'm always delighted to see him talk more about the songs that I've grown up listening to.

[@billc.2627]

The Man, the Myth, the Legend, Weird Al Yankovic! I have been a huge fan of his since I was a kid and have been lucky to see him perform live. As the great Homer Simpson once said. "He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life."

[@Jabberwok28]

I am glad that someone else recognizes the occasional wisdom of Homer J Simpson.

[@chickadee677]

My favorite Weird Al song is Velvet Elvis. I saw him perform this live and the harmonies blew me away. Nobody writes harmonies like Al, and to see him sing it with his band mates in concert, is glorious. BTW, his band of 40+ years, is unbelievable.

[@feebypeels2883]

I just recently got into Jim West's solo stuff. He's been recording traditional Hawaiian slack key music for years. Incredibly talented.

[@michaelbread5906]

Interestingly if you think about it, Weird Al may be the most popular fanfiction artist of all time.

[@A_Wild_Dyzzy]

What I love about Albuquerque is that it’s this massive run-on rambling story made up of completely absurd situations. But the character in the song is telling his story like everything is a completely normal occurrence. All of this put together with a fantastic composition is I think what drew so many people to that song.

[@achristiananarchist2509]

I grew up in Albuquerque and I always thought the random array of references to the city were interesting. Up until Breaking Bad came out, when it gained the unkind but not entirely unfair association with meth, the main references to Albuquerque I remember are 1) the place Bugs Bunny always makes a wrong turn, 2) the setting of Weird Al's weirdest song, and 3) the place Springfield's baseball team ran away to in The Simpsons (after which we actually changed the real name of our real baseball team to "The Isotopes"). It's kind of like Kalamazoo or Timbuktu or some other places that people only vaguely know actually exists, and mine for silly sounding names, so all the references to it in media are completely weird and random.

[@timloader]

I went and saw Weird Al in concert recently, and had never heard that song before, and it was longer than the original - he stretched out the types of donuts that were not available, and started the song again and repeated the first few mins when he got to the part when he lost his place! Needless to say, several songs I heard at that concert have been added to my library 😊

[@flaviushobbs]

I was born in Albuquerque, so I naturally gravitated to this song.

[@taagolarts3787]

@@timloaderThat sounds like such a fun show!

[@Arphemius]

@@achristiananarchist2509 "the unkind but not entirely unfair association with meth" This is one of the funniest phrases I've ever heard.

[@matthewszymanski7037]

When the parodies are better and more memorable than the originals, you know his music will never die.

[@georgec7782]

I can't sing American Pie anymore without singing his version

[@mattgarrison8185]

I will never forget how to spell Albuquerque thanks to Weird Al's song.

[@ghintz2156]

Yes. A - L - B - U....QUERQUE!

[@mikam_dev]

A - L - B - U … … QUERQUE!!!

[@DaniRadriendil]

I said A! L! B! U! ...KHERKI!

[@EraVenator]

. . . I can only spell the first part . . .

[@Kfaircloth13457]

Don't forget, he hates sauerkraut!

[@davebruno6819]

I have listened to Weird Al since the Dr. Dimento days. The songs bring joy & smiles to the faces of people that get the humor. Thank you, Al!!

[@RainaEmms]

The fact that Albuquerque is on this list brought such a smile to my face. I still remember almost getting into a car wreck listening to this song for the first time and laughing so hard. It may not be his greatest song but it has deep personal connection for me and my wife.

[@wendywheeler9344]

Weird Al in concert with his FULL BAND (he's been doing a stripped-down version lately I haven't seen) is AMAZING. The skills of the musicians to play all those genres! The video clips, the skits, the costumes, the big acts! And Al has been working all these years on his voice -- it's deep and in his chest and resonant! (He started nasal & high in his youth but that's not him now) And, despite his age, he can still kick a leg above his head!

[@sophiet1576]

I've been to Al's original's only concerts and they are incredible. So great to see Al and his band showcase their amazing talent. Al's an extrodinary songwriter.

[@candacebarlow9296]

I've seen him in concert twice and he's the only artist I would see again and again

[@jshipp5469]

Al’s handling of coolio has always been respectful and honest.

[@damianwilliams3828]

I slipped Albuquerque into our wedding reception playlist, she was not amused

[@majist0]

I cried when Alan Rickman died. Legit cried. When Weird Al ever passes away, I will cry like nobody has ever seen before. Absolute legend.

[@reeverfalls2069]

Well hopefully he’s got at least another 3 decades with us. I’m legitimately going to be heart broken when he passes as well.

[@ThumosTheUnbroken]

We will play Another One Rides The Bus at his funeral

[@colorin81colorado]

I'm your 300th thumbs up! Alan Rickman was indeed an amazing actor!

[@die-sas7462]

i must die first, I don't want to feel that pain :'(

[@ricorofficial]

that's an interesting comment

[@Zii_Vii]

Man.... I love weird Al. Growing up he made so many of us nerds feel like it was ok and even cool to be a nerd. I can't think of a better example at the moment, but Weird Al might be THE coolest nerd ever. He's at least in the top 27.

[@markfryer9880]

I saw what you did there! This is your 27th Warning! Don't do it again!

[@DyingBobby]

"Albuquerque nobody is going to listen to more than once" I listened to that song as a kid 1000 times and memorized every word

[@StoffelDilligas]

"A..... A..... L ...... L ...... B....... B........ U....... U........ ..............QUERQUE"

[@daniel.robynberkefeld6335]

lol

[@bbjygm]

The Saga Begins for me

[@ShadowAngel-lt8nw]

And that's why everybody, including your parents, call you "special"

[@SheDrawsSometimes]

@@bbjygmsame lmao

[@Stardust_7273]

Weird Al as an architect would have been a major, major loss to this world. So glad he ended up being discovered! He's a national treasure. Love you forever, Al!

[@BrynDonovanWriter]

I agree and yet I kinda want to see one of his wacky genius buildings

[@dodoheadofCentury]

I remember waiting for 1-2 hours every day for the KZbin video of white and nerdy to load on dial up so we could watch it when I was a kid.

[@NoFirstNoLastName]

He is such a cool dude. I don’t think a bad word can be said about him. Also, for 63, he is pretty youthful and energized. He looks like a healthy form of his age, embracing aging, but he doesn’t have the tired wear and tear of habits breaking him down.

[@sequoia1171]

I was the perfect age when weird Al really hit the scene with like a surgeon and eat it and fat. Absolute fascination for the 9-year-old boy's mind LOL. One of my favorite songs though didn't get mentioned here, and that's the "king of suede" the production values and instrumentation and arrangements on that song are incredible

[@becomingsentient1208]

Is my size up there?

[@OscarFowler]

Agreed - King of Suede is one of those Al songs that I prefer over the original. It's pretty brilliant.

[@sirot5561]

Yessss, all such classics! I also always loved “she drives like crazy” 😂

[@modernorpheus]

Al and his band are fantastic. Every album is like a time capsule of that era; they perfectly mimic the artists and genres that were big back then. I learned more about pop culture by following up on the things he references than I have through any books or movies.

[@AlleyandGrey]

I think "All About The Pentiums" is his best. I love the line "You think your Commadore 86 is so neato. What kinda chip you got in there? A Dorito?".. Great parody of an era gone by...

[@taracollins5597]

I still roll with laughter at Weird Al's "Taco Grande", a parody of Gerardo's "Rico Suave". Your post made me think of it. :)

[@smegulate9826]

*64! There is no Commodore 86 😂

[@crusherbmx]

I saw him in concert 15 years ago, it was his first concert in Canada in a long time apparently, he led off with "Canadian Idiot" then explaining that he wasn't sure how we'd react so he wanted to get it over with...I guess he doesn't know us that well, he should have left it for an encore because WE LOVED IT!

[@switchunboxing]

Wow, he’s just as confident, goofy, and nerdy as his music! It’s so interesting to witness a person being that way. Amazing! A key to his success definitely

[@InYourFloorboards12345]

11:20 I remember I went to a weird Al concert once. He prolonged the Albuquerque song by saying so many names of donuts, then he started all over after getting off track. Before the concert my dad expressed his wishes to hear just one wacka-wacka-doo-doo-yeah, and instead we got to hear two.

[@JohnzillaTheHun]

haha he did the same thing around 2006 at the California State Fair as his encore, Had to have been about 20 mins long

[@RedmayneDeadmayne]

Hearing him say "nobody is going to listen to this more than once" about Albequerque is insane, ive listened to it over a million times since its release

[@Alexaq268]

Real

[@Alexaq268]

I. HATE. SAURKRAUT❗️❗️❗️

[@TheHutchy01]

His most recent Polka excited me, not just because it's new Al which is amazing, but because RWappin was one of the animators and y'know his Alberquerque was where I first found Al.