"Weird Al" fans

[Darth Geek]

Watch this:

https://instagram.com/p/y8QHiWmuyb/

I saw that on his twitter when he posted it, but I didn't watch the video so I didn't really get the reference. That was hilarious!

[Miku Fan]

Agree with Darth.

[soguru]

Melanie is such a great song, and as far as I know it's an original song Weird Al wrote? I think it's one of his best songs ever actually.

[MSTJedi]

Melanie is such a great song, and as far as I know it's an original song Weird Al wrote? I think it's one of his best songs ever actually.

He does various songs that are "in the style of" and a few that are totally original in addition to his parodies. As far as I know, that's an original song. And funny enough, my 8 year old daughter loves that song, even though she doesn't really get all the implications. Either that, or she has a lot more twisted of a sense of humor than I realize.

One of my favorite originals of Weird Al's is "Everything You Know is Wrong". It speaks to my questioning nature, I think.

[Pak-Man]

While researching it for the Top 50 Al Songs list (PLUG!), I came across this song, which some believe to be an inspiration. Others disagree. It does sound similar...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/GaDHXsjSJWg" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/GaDHXsjSJWg</a>

[soguru]

Hmmm... might have been, in the same way Devo was an inspiration for Dare to Be Stupid. I forgot who it was but I seem to recall somebody saying they hated Weird Al for making that song. That just leads to confusion because I totally don't understand how anybody can be the least bit resentful towards Al. The guy is just so sweet and nice, not to mention funny as hell.

[Pak-Man]

I think a lot of people assume about Al what they assume about MST3K/Rifftrax. "You're making fun of it, so you must hate it!"

Al has said (About his original songs, in-particular) that if he didn't like the style he was writing in, it would be tedious to write. So the style-parodies are a good indicator of the music he likes to listen to. (And I can totally see him enjoying Devo, They Might Be Giants, The B-52s, The Beach Boys, Oingo Boingo...)

[soguru]

did Al ever talk about the story for the use of Dare to be Stupid in The Transformers movie?

[Darth Geek]

did Al ever talk about the story for the use of Dare to be Stupid in The Transformers movie?

I thought he wrote the song for the movie.

[soguru]

I thought he wrote the song for the movie.

Did he? I distinctly remember knowing it was a Weird Al song when it first came on in the movie. Actually I think Dare to be Stupid was on his 1984 album of the same name.

[tgeorgic]

Hmmm... might have been, in the same way Devo was an inspiration for Dare to Be Stupid. I forgot who it was but I seem to recall somebody saying they hated Weird Al for making that song. That just leads to confusion because I totally don't understand how anybody can be the least bit resentful towards Al. The guy is just so sweet and nice, not to mention funny as hell.

It was Mark Mothersbaugh that said he hated Al for that song but he wasn't being serious.  He said the reason he hated him was that Al got the exact sound Devo was always trying to achieve but they felt they never quite got it and Al got it on his first try.

[soguru]

It was Mark Mothersbaugh that said he hated Al for that song but he wasn't being serious.  He said the reason he hated him was that Al got the exact sound Devo was always trying to achieve but they felt they never quite got it and Al got it on his first try.

I guess that's kind of why I like Devo and songs like Smart Patrol/Mr DNA.

[Johnny Unusual]

Yeah, Devo's Modus Operandi is about the Devolution of humanity (often using slogans, chants, and such), both in the dumbing down of culture, but also the inescapable flaws of human nature that we all suffer from.  For example Gates of Steel is about the idea that we theoretically know how to do things better or what our faults are but we can't be fixed (at least not easily) like a machine can.  Devo sounds crazy and wacky (and there's definitely black humour too it) but it's got an angry point of view.

What makes Al's Devo spoof perfect in the philosophy of Devo is it basically makes a song that turns Devo into exactly what many people see it as: a series of slogans and lines.  He devolved Devo!  No wonder Mark's jealous.  In fact, the album "Uh Oh, It's Devo" (their last "great" album until Something for Everybody) toyed with that by mocking the criticism against them of being clowns and fascist by intentionally playing into the view while undermining it.  But it never truly did what Dare to be Stupid did.

It was Mark Mothersbaugh that said he hated Al for that song but he wasn't being serious.  He said the reason he hated him was that Al got the exact sound Devo was always trying to achieve but they felt they never quite got it and Al got it on his first try.

I guess that's kind of why I like Devo and songs like Smart Patrol/Mr DNA.

It's because you have taste, son.

[soguru]

It's because you have taste, son.

Thank you!!! 

[TheUnabeefer]

I dunno if it's been mentioned up there at all, but Melanie is a "style parody" of Elvis Costello.

Because I'm a nerd, I made a list years ago, and (not including polkas) his original songs ACTUALLY out-number his straight-up parodies by just a few songs. Otherwise, they're typically split 50/50.  (And this list was NOT including unreleased or rare songs like Pacman, It's Still Billy Joel To Me, Take Me To The Liver, Won't Eat Prunes Again, etc...)

Despite being a fan since just before Polka Party (the first album I ever owned my own copy of) I think Hardware Store might be just about one of the most perfect songs he's ever done. Listen to that shit on headphones, particularly the bridge.