# Is "CNR" a rip-off of "Washington"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cnr-a-rip-off-of-washington/942895>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** music\
**Created:** [May 25, 2021, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cnr-a-rip-off-of-washington/942895 "2021-05-25T17:41:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cnr-a-rip-off-of-washington/942895/1 "2021-05-25T17:41:09Z")

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I was watching random YouTube videos instead of doing things I need to do. And I watched the video for “CNR” by Weird Al Yankovic. I’ve watched it before but this time it occurred to me that this song and video reminds me an awful lot of “Washington” by Cox and Combes.

As far as I know, Yankovic has never said he was inspired by the earlier song. I don’t know if rip-off is the best word for it but the ideas seem too similar for it to be just a coincidence.

[CNR](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLnapb-30hA)  
[Washington](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7iVsdRbhnc)

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cnr-a-rip-off-of-washington/942895/2 "2021-05-25T17:43:24Z")

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Style parody of White Stripes.  
It’s a riff on Chuck Norris Facts with the Least Manly Man Possible.

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**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cnr-a-rip-off-of-washington/942895/3 "2021-05-25T19:01:00Z")

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Other example of parody hagiographic song: [What would Brian Boitano do?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNJmfuEWR8w)