Trivia Time

[ericcoleman]

I'm listening to a bunch of Weird Al.

The song "I was only kidding" is one of the most obscure (and belated) parodies I have heard him do.

So, for a fabulous prize, that song is a parody of ...

What Artist -
What Song -
From
What Record -

For an extra point, what other Weird Al song is an homage to this same artist?

The first complete answer wins ... well ... something, I don't know what yet
(the original artist is in my interests)

Comments

[lukeski.livejournal.com]

Trick question. That song is not a parody, it is an original. It is from Al's CD "Off The Deep End". :)

[ericcoleman]

Not exactly. It's not a re-write parody like much of his stuff, but it is definitely a parody of a specific song by a specific artist.

I am listening to the original as I type this ...

[cyohtee.livejournal.com]

Well, if it is a parody, then it must be one that Al doesn't know he did, because he says it was an original everywhere I could find. It would also be the first time he didn't attribute an artist he parodied that I am aware of...

[lukeski.livejournal.com]

So it's a style-parody of a specific artist, but not a direct song parody of a specific song. :)

[ericcoleman]

It's close enough that I am amazed that he didn't give some sort of songwriting credit, down to the way that the guitars sound.

[awfulhorrid.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't be the first time he's done a parody of a particular artist or group's style. I don't think he usually credits "style parodies" ... and I can't confirm it since all the physical copies of my CDs are packed away in storage. (I'll finish moving into this place one of these days, I swear!)

[wormquartet.livejournal.com]

I felt the same way about "Germs." It's disturbingly similar to NIN's "Terrible Lie," but apparently just different enough to be called a style parody instead of a full-on parody.

-=ShoEboX=-

[chirosinger.livejournal.com]

All I could find was an original attribution. But it was parodied by someone else, M Parody.

[barondave.livejournal.com]

According to the liner notes (yes, I cheat) and Weird Al himself, it's an original. I vaguely remember listening to it and being reminded of another song. I think the M-Shop (M-parody) did a parody of it, I Was Only Bidding, but not the other way around. Still, if the artist is from your interests list (he says, cheating again), I'll guess Spike Jones.

(Yes, I'm fixing typos and reposting this. I told you I cheat. My real guess is the great Luke Ski, from his subLIMINal CD.)

[ericcoleman]

You always do that ... ya bum ...

it is not not Spike Jones.

Weirdly enough, just today, I found someone who is into this specific artist.

[hardly-angelic.livejournal.com]

Being the someone in question, I will disqualify myself from the competition. I'll have to dig into my WAY collection anyway to make the connection, because it's been a while since I've listened to any of it. I still have everything through Running With Scissors, except for the compilations (Food, TV, boxed set). Never managed to work up any enthusiasm for buying Poodle Hat though. Maybe it's because the kids are almost adults now, and I have no one to share the enjoyment with. My girlfriend would rather chew off her own kneecaps than listen to Al, or the other artist in question.

No accounting for taste sometimes. *shrug*

Extra point.

[hardly-angelic.livejournal.com]

The extra point song is Happy Birthday. You know I know the artist and associated details.

Re: Extra point.

[ericcoleman]

The song in question is even on the same record as the extra point song. Think Jackson Browne

(this has got to be driving a couple people nuts now ... thanks)

Re: Extra point.

[hardly-angelic.livejournal.com]

Simply the greatest song ever written. I even covered it back around 1980. Wish I still had that tape around.

Re: Extra point.

[hardly-angelic.livejournal.com]

And while, IMO, there is no such thing as a perfect album - the album we're referring to is as close as it gets. I could never get into the third song on side 1, but the rest, particularly all of side 2 is utterly brilliant.

It was indeed a happy day in my life when I found that album on CD.

Here's *your* bonus prize: Lyrics from the title song from that album are quoted in a book called "They Thirst" by Robert McCammon. Very apropos.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671735632/ref=ed_oe_p/002-5373069-8357646?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Re: Extra point.

[ericcoleman]

Except for the EP, ALL of his stuff has been reissued on CD in recent years. And I am about to reveal the answer, since the hardcore Al fans don't seem to know ...