World of Weird Al Yankovic

When fat and salt and carbs in the fries aren't unhealthy enough, so you find a way to add sugar to the combo...

"Oh Harvey, Harvey
Harvey The Wonder Hamster
He doesn't bite, and he doesn't squeal
He just runs around on his hamster wheel
Harvey, Harvey
Harvey The Wonder Hamster!
Hey, Harvey!"

Some truly indecipherable lyrics. As an Al fan, I've studied them for over a decade now, trying to figure out what they could possibly mean.

Perhaps this is supposed to be Al's commentary on the struggles of working-class Americans ("Harvey The Wonder Hamster"), who don't have the courage to stand up to a system that treats them like pawns ("he doesn't bite, and he doesn't squeal"), and so are forced to simply work until they die ("he just runs around on his hamster wheel"). Al being a comedian, it was only appropriate for him to represent these people in song with a pet rodent.

As an alternative theory, maybe "Harvey The Wonder Hamster" is Al himself. In that case, Al would be singing from the point of view of us fans, who are cheering "Harvey" on, while remarking on the lack of "bite" (edge) in his generally family-friendly music. The "squeal" perhaps refers to Al's tendency to respect an artist's wishes not to parody their song, and in turn Al's unwillingness to do anything more than poke light fun at them in response. The "hamster wheel", of course, would be the music industry itself, which Al is racing to keep up with, and yet despite the ever-changing tastes of listeners, remains much the same in the end (i.e., crappy and in need of a skilled parodist to make it tolerable). When "Harvey The Wonder Hamster" appeared alongside Al in other media, it was obviously an attempt to deflect from this theory - assuming it's true.

Or maybe it's just a song about a hamster.

Anyway, as confusing as this song was for me, don't even get me started on "Fun Zone."

avesjohn wrote:Or maybe it's just a song about a hamster.

Hey man, if you're not going to take this seriously, then you need to get off this forum.

Mystik Tomato wrote:

avesjohn wrote:Or maybe it's just a song about a hamster.

Hey man, if you're not going to take this seriously, then you need to get off this forum.

My dear friend, when I said it might be a song about a hamster, you obviously missed what was implied by this statement: that it was a parable about the trying life journey of a single hamster ("Harvey"), from being witness to his parent's murders in Nazi Germany as a child to watching his grandson fight for transgender equality in 2016 America on the eve of the most important presidential election in modern times, all while confined to a cage in the bedroom of a ten-year-old girl in suburban Ohio. That Al could tell such a rich story so eloquently and in so few words - even predicting the future, being that the song was released in 1993 - is a testament to his songwriting mastery. The atrocities and injustices hamsters have suffered through have been well-documented by historians, and for you to dismiss them all like that is offensive, and the reason the battle never seems to end.

#HamstersForHillary

Ask me how Hillary is. Last thing I heard she was a puppet...

sneaky edit: didn't notice that I freaking had iPlayer's playing thingy open. Crap I'm doomed lol
Another edit: I'm still shocked Americans didn't get their hands on this Newsround thing where they did the candidates as puppets and made it a meme. Would've been worth the shot

4 months later and the whole concept of frosty and fries still sux