# Let's Figure Out The Best Weird Al Song, Part 1: Parody Nominations **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [November 19, 2022, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223 "2022-11-19T23:20:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/21 "2022-11-20T04:11:25Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > The legal definition of a parody is that it’s humurous social commentary or literary criticism in which one work imitates another. A few of them are true parodies. Amish Paradise clearly fits by juxtaposing the “wholesome” nature of the Amish vs. the violent gangster lifestyle. I agree though that most don’t quite fit the bill of being true parody, which is why it’s wise for Al to gain the permission of the artist before releasing one. > [@Odesio](#): > > Does it even have to be a specific song to be parody? Those would be style parodies. I suppose they fit even more than the typical song parodies, since they could be seen as a direct comment on the original the artist. Devo said that Dare to be Stupid was a better Devo song than anything by Devo. ---
**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:** [November 20, 2022, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/22 "2022-11-20T04:19:40Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > Christmas at Ground Zero is a parody of Christmas Songs. One More Minute is a parody of those 50s love songs. - As a category, they would be genre parodies. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/23 "2022-11-20T04:35:55Z")
Perform This Way Foil Smells Like Nirvana White & Nerdy Word Crimes ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/24 "2022-11-20T04:38:50Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > If we’re going to go that direction, how many of Weird Al’s songs are actually parodies? For the purpose of this thread, the ones in the OP’s link. > [@RickJay](#): > > In this round I invite one and all to nominate Weird Al PARODIES. Weird Al originals like “Albuquerque” or “One More Minute” will get their own category. > > For the purposes of this competition we will count the polka compilations as parodies, so you can nominate them, but please specifically name them if you wish to nominate them. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/25 "2022-11-20T04:46:40Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > For the purpose of this thread, the ones in the OP’s link. Curse me for not reading the instructions! That should be some kind of word crime. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/26 "2022-11-20T04:57:15Z")
I picked one that wasn’t on the list in the link, but I don’t think anyone would deny it’s a parody song. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/27 "2022-11-20T06:01:57Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > If we’re going to go that direction, how many of Weird Al’s songs are actually parodies? The legal definition of a parody is that it’s humurous social commentary or literary criticism in which one work imitates another. About half. It’s fairly clear in context here that “parody” means a song that is literally an existing song, recorded by someone else, in which Yankovic inserts different lyrics, as distinct from songs where he wrote the music. ---
**Author:** ![RobotDevilDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@RobotDevilDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobotDevilDog)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/28 "2022-11-20T07:09:50Z")
Ricky King of Suede Yoda Spam The Saga Begins Bob Ode to a Superhero ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/29 "2022-11-20T08:20:02Z")
_Eat It_ _Fat_ _Amish Paradise_ _Another One Rides the Bus_ _Smells Like Nirvana_ _(This Song’s Just) Six Words Long_ ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/30 "2022-11-20T13:07:16Z")
In order. Amish Paradise Word Crimes I Love Rocky Road Another One Rides the Bus The Saga Begins Bedrock Anthem Eat It ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/31 "2022-11-20T16:35:28Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It’s fairly clear in context here that “parody” means a song that is literally an existing song, recorded by someone else, in which Yankovic inserts different lyrics, as distinct from songs where he wrote the music. If changing the lyrics is necessary (for the purposes of this thread), I’m not sure I can nominate _Bohemian Polka_ (much as I’d like to). ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/32 "2022-11-20T16:40:50Z")
NOTE: A few people have nominated “Bob.” “Bob” is actually an original song; I know it sounds Bob Dylanesque and that’s who the video parodies, but it’s not actually a Bob Dylan song. I know it’s a parody of style, but it is not correctly in this category; I’ll list it in the original song thread when we get there. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/33 "2022-11-20T16:43:19Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > If changing the lyrics is necessary (for the purposes of this thread), I’m not sure I can nominate _Bohemian Polka_ (much as I’d like to). Weird Al’s songs almost all fall into one of three groups: - Parodies in which Al uses silly lyrics (of his own composition) on top of the melody of a popular song (e.g., Eat It, Amish Paradise, I Lost on Jeopardy, etc.) - Original parodies, in which he’s making a parody of a particular musical style or genre, and in which Al has written both the music and the silly lyrics (e.g., One More Minute, Dare to Be Stupid, etc.) - Polka parodies, in which he plays a popular song (or snippets of several popular songs, in a medley) in “polka style,” usually with his accordion; what is “original” to Al in these is the arrangement, as he’s usually using both the original lyrics, and the original melodies. _[Bohemian Polka](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkd_280xlvQ)_ would be in that third group. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/34 "2022-11-20T17:59:46Z")
Amish Paradise The Saga Begins Party in the CIA Trapped in the Drive-Thru White and Nerdy Word Crimes Like a Surgeon ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/35 "2022-11-20T18:17:21Z")
Amish Paradise Bohemian Polka (If this is disallowed for not being a medley… Ode to a Superhero) eBay Money For Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies Now That’s What I Call Polka The Saga Begins White and Nerdy ---
**Author:** ![ch51](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ch51/32/3111_2.png) [@ch51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ch51)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/36 "2022-11-20T20:23:08Z")
Another one rides the bus Trapped in the drive thru The saga begins Those are my top three (in order) After that … Eat it Smells like nirvana Lots more … just not sure on “my” order … ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/37 "2022-11-20T20:47:50Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Amish Paradise And Pretty Fly for a Rabbi. Another One Rides the Bus gets special mention, of course. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/38 "2022-11-20T22:55:54Z")
It’s hard to narrow it down to just seven, but my nominees are (in no particular order): Eat It Fat White and Nerdy My Bologna Amish Paradise The Saga Begins eBay ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/39 "2022-11-21T07:10:18Z")
My first cut had about twenty; I narrowed it down to seven but I think I front-loaded his career in doing so. Yoda Stop Draggin’ My Car Around Eat It I Lost On Jeopardy Smells Like Nirvana Amish Paradise White And Nerdy Yoda - a harbinger of Al’s self-aware musings on pop and nerd culture. Stop Draggin’ - a perfect reflection on late 70’s Californa culture, with accompaniment by Musical Mike Kiefer. Eat It - the shot-for-shot music video clinches this one’s place in the firmament. I Lost On Jeopardy - I think Greg Kihn was the first performer to really consider an Al parody as a compliment. Plus, I love Jeopardy. Smells Like Nirvana - a career comeback for Al after “UHF”'s poor box office. Gets in some playful digs at Kurt Cobain’s vocal quality. Amish Paradise - Wordsmithing and another great video. White And Nerdy - A nerdcore classic. I can’t believe I left out: Another One Rides The Bus, Ricky, I Can’t Watch This, Isle Thing, Bohemian Polka, Achy Breaky Song, It’s All About The Pentiums, A Complicated Song, Perform This Way I have no idea how I’m going to narrow down his originals / pastiches. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223/40 "2022-11-21T07:47:52Z")
My five submissions in no particular order: - Another One Rides the Bus - White and Nerdy - Word Crimes - Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me - It’s All About the Pentiums [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-figure-out-the-best-weird-al-song-part-1-parody-nominations/975223.md?page=3)