Eating it with Weird Al Yankovic

"Weird" Al Yankovic parodying Michael Jackson in the '80s.

Source: https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-music-videos-28407/weird-al-yankovic-eat-it-28424/

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Eat it. Another One Rides the Bus. I love Rocky Road. Like a Surgeon. Fat, I’m fat.

I am not actually having a stroke, those are the names of just some of the songs that made “Weird” Al Yankovic a household name in the ‘80s.

It always amazed me how he could come up with such clever parodies.

I was thinking about him last night when my spouse and I watched “Weird: the Al Yankovic Story.”

It wasn’t really a documentary, or even based on true events. It was a parody of his life just like his songs are parodies of hit songs.

Still, he was another interesting part of the ‘80s, and I have of my own memories to go with that.

Can you do that?
I had two thoughts the first time I heard this new song. it opened the same way as Michael Jackson’s hit “Beat it”, but had way different lyrics and a much more nasally singer. “Wow, is that ever creative”, was one thought. The other was, “Can he even do that?”

I always wondered if Weird Al Yankovic was violating any copyright laws with his parodies.

Just recently I discovered Weird Al did ask for permission, and would actually not do a parody if he did not receive permission.

In the beginning
Although “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” is a parody, it does share some actual history of the career of Weird Al.

He actually did get his start on Dr. Demento’s radio show. The first parody airing and garnering a favourable response was his take on “My Sharona” by The Knack. He called his version “My Bologna”.

He later followed up with “Another One Rides the Bus”, a parody of “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen. That was popular enough in 1981 it got him his first television appearance on “The Tomorrow Show” with Tom Snyder.

In 1982, he recorded “I Love Rocky Road”, a parody of “I love Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. A year later he released “Ricky”, which parodied “Mickey” by Toni Basil.

Then, in 1984, he released his second album ‘”’Weird’ Al Yankovic in 3-D”.

It would change everything.

Three dimensional
The first single from ‘”’Weird’ Al Yankovic in 3-D” was “Eat it”, a parody of Michael Jackson’s megahit “Beat it”.

This is where I pick up “Weird” Al’s trail.

The song’s video was a parody of Jackson’s and, aided by exposure on MTV, “Eat it” went all the way to number 12 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart. It was his highest charting single until 2006. It also peaked at number five in Canada, and topped the charts in Australia.

There were two other songs I recall from ‘”’Weird’ Al Yankovic in 3-D”.

One was “I Lost on Jeopardy”, a parody of “Jeopardy” by the Greg Kihn Band, which my friend Chris Vining told me about long before I actually heard it. He lived in town and had cable so he watched a lot of MuchMusic where he saw stuff like this. “I Lost on Jeopardy” peaked at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

The other was “This is the Life” which I saw only once on a video show, likely “Video Hits” because I tuned in part way through it.

Daring
“Weird” Al’s next album “Dare to be Stupid” came out in 1985. The first single was “Like a Surgeon”, a parody of Madonna’s “Like A Virgin”, that had a very funny video. While doing surgey, “Weird” Al pulls all kinds of stuff out of a patient’s stomach including a clock and a rubber chicken. The song went all the way to number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100, but that would be the album’s only charting single.

Other releases, which I don’t recall hearing, but Wikipedia reveals are “I Want a New Duck”, a parody of “I Want a New Drug” by Huey Lewis and the News: and “One More Minute” which parodies an Elvis Presley doo-wap.

There was also “Hooked on Polkas” which is a polka medley parodying songs including “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top, “What’s Love Got to do With it” by Tina Turner, “Method of Modern Love” by Hall and Oates, “Owner of a Lonely Heart” by Yes, “We’re Not Gonna Take it” by Twisted Sister, “99 Luftballoons” by Nena, “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins, “The Reflex” by Duran Duran, “Bang Your Head (Metal Health)” by Quiet Riot,” and “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

He also released the title track “Dare to be Stupid” which was an original song.

Next up
“Weird” Al kept on recording, releasing his fourth album “Polka Party!” in 1986. Again, I did not hear any of the singles, but read he released two – “Living with a Hernia” parodying James Brown’s “Living in America”, and “Christmas at Ground Zero”, an original song.

Neither charted, but things changed with his next album.

Not bad
Yankovic’s next album was “Even Worse”, released in 1988. The first single was another Michael Jackson song parody. This time “Fat” parodies “Bad” and hit the charts, going to number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It had another great video too.

The other singles released were “Lasagne”, a parody of “La Bamba” by Los Lobos, and “I Think I’m a Clone Now”, a parody of “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany.

A single that I heard elsewhere was very clever. It was called “(This Song’s Just) Six Words Long”, a parody of George Harrison’s “Got My Mind Set on You”. It makes fun of the fact Harrison does just keep repeating the same six words.

The end of the decade
“Weird” Al ended the decade by releasing the motion picture “UHF”, which I never saw. He plays the manager of a local television station and the programs he airs.

The three singles released from the soundtrack for “UHF”, are the title track “UHF”, an original song; “Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies”, a parody of “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits with the lyrics from the theme song from The Beverly Hillbillies; and “Isle Thing”, a parody of “Wild Thing” by Tone Loc.

The years after
“Weird” Al continues to record to this day. Some of the songs he has released are “Smells Like Nirvana”, which is a brilliant parody of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, “Amish Paradise”, a parody of “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio, and “The Saga Begins”, a parody of Don McLean’s “American Pie”, which tells the story of how Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” saga.

Yankovic also wrote and performed a lot of polka music. He has won five Grammy awards and been nominated a total of 16 times. He has won Grammy awards for Best Comedy Recording for “Eat it” in 1984; Best Concept Music Video for “Fat” in 1988; Best Comedy Album for “Poodle Hat” in 2003; Best Comedy Album for “Mandatory Fun” in 2014; and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package for “Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic” in 2018.

He also won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie for “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” in 2023.

Parting thoughts
What I have always loved most about “Weird” Al Yankovic is the boundless creativity he has. Not only are his lyrics clever parodies, but he just keeps on writing them. He doesn’t just focus on one type of music, or one particular period, he makes fun of everything.

My favourite example of his work is “The Saga Begins”. It perfectly tells the story of “Star Wars”, while being set to the perfect song. “Smells Like Nirvana” and “(This Song’s Just) Six Words Long” are two of my other favourites because they are making fun of the things we are all thinking of.

There truly is no one like “Weird” Al.