# Best Song Parodies Of All Time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 25, 2003, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266 "2003-06-25T11:24:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TeaRoses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@TeaRoses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaRoses)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/41 "2003-06-26T15:16:41Z")
I remember “Golden Shower of Hits.” That cracked me up. I have to vote for Weird Al too. My favorite early song of his was “Another One Rides the Bus” (after Another One Bites the Dust by Queen) an ode to the Los Angeles public buses, back when they were called the RTD. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/42 "2003-06-26T18:20:30Z")
“In Living Color” did some great song/video parodies on their show, my favorite was MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This” ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/43 "2003-06-26T19:53:40Z")
Not exactly a parody, but Paul Simon’s “A Simple Desultory Phillipic” has the lines: “When you say Dylan, he thinks you’re talking about Dylan Thomas–whoever he was. The man ain’t got no culture.” What’s terrible is there’s a car dealer near me who uses old songs with new lyrics: “Lord, won’t you buy me a Mustang GT. My friends all drive Escorts; they’re getting 3.3 [%] !” These things stick in your head like taffy. Julie ---
**Author:** ![nebco9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@nebco9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nebco9)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/44 "2003-06-26T20:31:33Z")
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned Cledus Judd, country music’s answer to Weird Al Yankovic. Among his many parodies: Shania Twain: “If You’re Not in It for Love (I’m Outta Here)” into "I’m Not in Here for Love (Just Yer Beer). Deana Carter:“Did I Shave My Legs For This” into “Did I Shave My Back for This?” He has also skewered material by the Dixie Chicks, Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Faith Hill, Billy Gilman and even Kid Rock and Ricky Martin. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/45 "2003-06-26T23:41:12Z")
I’ve always been partial to Jimmy Fallon’s Halloween song parodies on SNL: “Thank you candy corn, Thank you Mike & Ike, Thank you, tha-hank you, Smar-TAH HAYS!” ---
**Author:** ![Suse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Suse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suse)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/46 "2003-06-27T00:01:05Z")
And then there’s Pinkard and Bowden, another country duo, who turned “Help Me Make It Through The Night” into “Help Me Make It Through The Yard” and “Mama, He’s Crazy” into “Mama, She’s Lazy”. I’m a big Weird Al fan too! One question - is the Dr. Demento show still on the air? ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/47 "2003-06-27T07:01:54Z")
Yes, Dr. Demento is still on the air. His website is [www.drdemento.com](http://www.drdemento.com). I was hoping there was info there on where and when he can be found, but > [@](#): > > Note: Unfortunately we cannot provide a specific list of stations that actually air > our show, due to the policy of the network that carries our program I used to be a member of The Demento Society; I really should re-join just so that I can once again carry a card in my wallet certifying that I am Demented (although my wife says she’d known that long before I got the card). I’m a big fan of parody music, and am glad to have some more sources to track down from this thread. (Oh, and it’s Cletus T. Judd - another of my favorites.) ---
**Author:** ![nebco9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@nebco9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nebco9)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/48 "2003-06-27T08:13:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LurkMeister \* > (Oh, and it’s Cletus T. Judd - another of my favorites.) No, it really is **Cledus T. Judd**. You can verify that HERE. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/49 "2003-06-27T08:20:55Z")
[“Letter B” by the Beetles](http://www.epinions.com/content_10898542212) ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/50 "2003-06-27T16:15:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nebco9 \* > \*\*No, it really is **Cledus T. Judd**. You can verify that HERE. \*\* That’s what happens when I stay up till 2am after only getting five hours of sleep the previous night. My brain goes into lockdown and I start shoehorning middle initials into people’s names. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/51 "2003-06-27T16:27:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lucki Chaarms \* > \*\*I think Weird Al’s most clever to date would be “Bob”. > > It’s not exactly a copy of anything, just a dead-on parody of Bob Dylan’s lyrical, musical and vocal style. And it passes the key test: does it make people who LOVE the song/person/band being parodied laugh a lot? > > [Check out the lyrics here](http://www.lyricscrawler.com/w/Weird_Al_Yankovic/Bob.html) > > LC \*\* What makes this one extraspecially good is that each sentence is a palindrome. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/52 "2003-06-29T21:21:40Z")
Hard to pick **the** best. Among my favorites: Tom Lehrer’s “So Long Mom, I’m Off to Drop the Bomb”. Nobody’s mentioned Stan Freberg? His “Heartbreak Hotel” is classic. “Banana Boat Song” is funny, but it’s more of a sketch about the song. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven \* > I have a fondness for Kelly’s others carols, as well: > ::: singing ::: > Good king Saurkraut, look out! > On your feet, uneven. I abjectly apologize for nitpicking, but I think it’s “feets”. IIRC it goes on, “Wenceslaus [Wenceslaw?] lay round about/Nine and ten, eleven”. AFAIK it stops there, alas. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dread Pirate Jimbo \* > I don’t know the singer, but one tune I heard several times on the Dr. Demento show stood out in my mind. One was a parody of “99 Red Balloons” called “99 Red Baboons.” It just tickled my funny bone. “99 **Dead** Baboons” by Tim Cavanaugh. Very surrealistic and funny. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LurkMeister \* > Yes, Dr. Demento is still on the air. His website is [www.drdemento.com](http://www.drdemento.com). I was hoping there was info there on where and when he can be found, but > > > [@](#): > > > > Note: Unfortunately we cannot provide a specific list of stations that actually air our show, due to the policy of the network that carries our program User-maintained [List of Stations Broadcasting The Dr. Demento Show](http://php.indiana.edu/~jbmorris/FAQ/stations.html). You’ll find this and lots of other info on the usenet newsgroup rec.music.dementia. The shows are posted weekly by users to alt.binaries.sounds.mp3.comedy and alt.binaries.sounds.mp3.dr\_demento. Vintage shows (repeats) are now broadcast on the XM satellite network. ---
**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/53 "2003-06-30T02:09:16Z")
British readers may recall “The Folkster”: a dig at the folksong scene, sung by Jasper Carrott among others, based on Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer”: “_I am Lead-Fingers Carrott and my story’s seldom told; I massacre folk music with a yard of German plywood and a capo \ I’m like the rest; I’ve had problems with my sex life since I fell and sprained my wrist, And my other songs are twice as bad as this_”. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/54 "2003-06-30T04:34:50Z")
Wow, that Weird Al song is pretty bizarre. Alas, “Ma is as selfish as I am” isn’t a palindrome. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![TwungTister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TwungTister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwungTister)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/55 "2003-06-30T17:08:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by davesink \* > For sheer cleverness, there’s a “one song’s lyrics sung to another song’s tune” subgenre. One that comes to mind is The Gilligan’s Island Theme’s lyrics applied to Stairway to Heaven’s melody. Don’t know who did it but it was hilarious. ?! How did they do that! I sang a Christmas song that wove “Good King Wenceslas” with “Yankee Doodle,” - both in words and melody. The words never went with the right tune. The choir director was supposed to get all frustrated. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266/56 "2003-06-30T19:14:44Z")
What, no mention of [Bob Rivers](http://www.bobrivers.com/show/vault/alpha.asp?Var=a) yet? _Lots_ to choose from here - off the cuff faves would be “A Big Ton o Moola”, “Bought it Up” and “They Call Him Vetter”. “The Saga Begins” IMHO is Weird Al at his best… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-parodies-of-all-time/184266.md?page=2)