Greetings and salutations Hivers. Today let’s go into another Three Tune Tuesday post.
As always, thanks to @ablaze for making this series. Lots of people participate in it! Follow the tags to find a ton of good music recommendations.
Today I thought we’d have some fun. I have on my mind three Weird Al parodies. I thought we’d look at the original song of each one and then the parody version, then you guys can tell me which is better.
There are of course so many great Weird Al parody hits. This list could easily be very long. But I will try to limit myself to three.
Sound fun? Awesome — let’s go.
I’ve Got My Mind Set on You (George Harrison) / This Song is Just Six Words Long (Weird Al)
This one’s kind of meta. George Harrison’s cover of James Ray’s old tune is catchy as hell, but it also repeats a lot. That is somewhat typical Harrison; he was an amazing song writer but his lyrics always fell more on the spartan side. This song was an extreme example of that. Weird Al seized on that and took the idea to its absurdist extreme, parodying how repetitive some pop lyrics can be.
Weird Al’s version literally only has six unique words; he stretches and bends that idea for a full-length track. It’s both a joke and a music nerd’s observation.
And the parody:
Which do you prefer? George’s driving rhythm or Al’s lyrical absurdity?
Lola (The Kinks) / Yoda (Weird Al)
Classic Kinks. A story song about a man and a mysterious woman(?) he meets in a bar, “Lola” has one of the catchiest choruses in rock history and a sense of humor all its own with many lyrics that wink at you.
Weird Al takes the same melody and replaces the lyrics with a Star Wars narrative — Luke, Yoda, Dagobah. All of it. It’s clever, loaded with in-universe references, and so catchy it could almost be canon.
And fun fact: Al had to get both George Lucas and Ray Davies to sign off on it.
Original:
Parody:
It’s a tough call. Do you go with the rock classic or the parody that became a nerd anthem?
Living in America (James Brown) / Living with a Hernia (Weird Al)
James Brown absolutely slays this one—used memorably in Rocky IV during Apollo Creed’s entrance, the track is peak 80s patriotism with funk and flair.
Weird Al flips it completely: same horn section and driving beat, but now he’s listing hernias. Yes, seriously. He actually names over a dozen types of hernias in the song. And yes, the exact same horn section. James Brown was such a Weird Al fan that when Al asked permission to make the parody, Brown said he would only agree to it if Al would allow Brown’s horn section and players as well as allow Brown to supply him with all props.
You have to respect that. And Al knocks it out the the park. Not only does he mimic James Brown’s singing, but he does a pretty good job with the moves and mannerisms as well.
Here’s the original:
And the parody:
Is it ridiculous? Yes. Do I love it? Also yes.
So what’s your favorite? Do you prefer the originals, or did Weird Al’s parodies outshine them this time? Let me know in the comments. Bonus points if you’ve got another favorite parody of his that should have made the list.
Until next time!