World of Weird Al Yankovic

OE mentioned a while back that someone should list the pop culture references that Al has put into his songs. Who better to do that than us? If it has been done already, I haven't seen a list.



I'll start with a few that I have noticed. This doesn't count whole songs that are pop culture references like Bedrock Anthem. But references made within songs.



Pop culture references...



Midnight Star: Inquiring minds like mine wanna know. That was an advertising catch phrase for the National Enquirer in the 80s.



Achy Breaky Song: Or tie me to a chair And kick me down the stairs I don’t know if Al was referencing it, but there was a scene in Conspiracy Theory where Mel Gibson was tied in a chair and thrown down some stairs.



Amish Paradise: Then tonight we're gonna party like it's 1699. Prince’s Party Like It’s 1999.



Amish Paradise: There's no phone, no lights, no motorcar Not a single luxury Like Robinson Caruso It's as primitive as can be. A line from the closing credits of Gilligan's Island. Thanks OE, for the proofreading!



Buckingham Blues: So she fixes her hair, and she talks on the Princess Phone. There was a scandal in the 80s (or early 90s) where Di was recorded talking to her boyfriend on the phone.



Buy Me A Condo: Gonna get me the T-shirt With the alligator on. http://www.izod.com/home1.htm Interesting that they don’t feature the Alligator anymore. In the early 80s it was preppy chic.



I Was Only Kidding: I really love you. Not! Wayne’s World! Party Time! Excellent!



Trigger Happy:You better ask yourself, do you feel lucky, punk? Dirty Harry.



Anyone else want to play?

This hardly seems necessary... but on the other hand, in the "Ask Al" archive, Al did have to explain who Eddie Vedder was, so maybe I'd better...



"Alapalooza" was a takeoff of the alternative rock festival tour "Lollapalooza."

http://www.guitarworld.com/artistindex/9607.lolla.html



(Considering the comment about Lollapalooza:

"It's a very male, muscle-flexing kind of thing, isn't it?" it seems altogether suitable that Alapalooza launched Al & the band on their careers as cavemen)



"The Compleat Al" video was a takeoff on "The Compleat Beatles" from 1982.



"Cosmic cowboys" in "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead" is probably a reference to "Cosmic Cowboy, Part I" recorded by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on "Stars & Stripes Forever" in 1974. (it certainly SEEMS like the kind of album that would have gotten played ad nauseam in the dorms at Cal Poly)

And I just wanna be a cosmic cowboy
I just wanna ride and rope and hoot (hoot!)
Well I just wanna be a cosmic cowboy
Talkin' 'bout a supernatural country rockin' galoot

Although "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead" isn't a parody or even a style parody, there is a suggestion of MMM's basic idea-- but then Al did something completely different with it.

I don't care about your karma.
I don't care about what's hip.
No space cadet's gonna tell me what to do.
I won't swim in your Jacuzzi.
You can't make me settle down.
I'd rather kick and jump and bite and scratch,
And scream until I'm blue.
. . .
When are you
Cosmic cowboys
Gonna get it through your head.
I'll be MELLOW WHEN I'M DEAD...

Maybe we're going at this backwards.



Attention: Al Fans who are younger than Al's career-- are there any references in the earlier songs that leave you wondering what the heck he was talking about? Us old coots and cootesses will do what we can to clear things up.

But the owner came and pulled me off the floor. Then
He took me to his little office in the back.
He said, "I really like your snaggletooth necklace.
Your pants are groovy, and your hair's okay.

They're made from fossilized shark teeth. The ultimate fashion statement. I was gonna post a link but I didn't want anybody thinking I was trying to break into the snaggletooth necklace industry.

Attention: Al Fans who are younger than Al's career-- are there any references in the earlier songs that leave you wondering what the heck he was talking about? Us old coots and cootesses will do what we can to clear things up.

:dontgetit:

[wakes up from his Rip Van Winklian slumber ....]

Pop culture refs?? Old coots?? COUNT ME IN!!!

[rolls forward in his rocking chair and get into a standing position]

** SNAP! POP! POW! CRACK! **

Hmmm ... better get a new rocker soon. This one sounds terrible.

:dontgetit:

[sudden realization that the noise came not from the rocker but from his sacroiliac]

:nervous:

Um ... I may need a moment here ....

In the meantime, may I hasten to add the "coffee achiever" and "squeeze all the Charmin you can when Mr. Whipple's not around" lines from DTBS and "blow you up real good" from Slime Creatures?

Now, please excuse me a moment whilst I speed dial my chiropractor.



Dr. Mellowandalmost Dead



P.S. No cracks about "Physician, heal thyself", please ....

P.P.S. Did I actually say "Winklian"?!?! :lookround:

"blow you up real good" from Slime Creatures?

I just wanted to say that this line alone made me fully appreciate Al's knack for random pop culture references.

I just wanted to say that this line alone made me fully appreciate Al's knack for random pop culture references.

Yes, but what is it a reference to? :yell:

Your pants are groovy, and your hair's okay.

Hmmm.... I thought that line was "Your vans are groovy."



'Scuse me while I kiss this guy.

Yes, but what is it a reference to? :yell:

SCTV.....specifically, the "Farm Film Report" skits hosted by Big Jim McBob (John Candy) and Billy Saul Hurok (Joe Flaherty).



And someone else will have to verify this for me, since my DVD player is still all nicely packed away, but I believe that Al also used the "blow up REAL good!" line in the "UHF" commentary.



(PS- Those character name spellings are according to Secondcity.com....I personally think they're wrong, but oh well. They also thought Second City Cleveland was a good idea.)

And someone else will have to verify this for me, since my DVD player is still all nicely packed away, but I believe that Al also used the "blow up REAL good!" line in the "UHF" commentary.

Why, yes. Yes, he did. Which I was going to mention. I believe it is in the section where Al is in the Rambo Rubber suit.

Hmmm.... I thought that line was "Your vans are groovy."

'Scuse me while I kiss this guy.

"The ants are my friends, they're blowin' in the wind..."



As mondegreens go, yours is a highly plausible one. Does anybody know when Al began regularly wearing Vans, anyway?