Music Blog

Weird Al Wednesday – 1.8.25

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Welcome to my new music blog
dedicated to the comedic genius of
Weird Al Yankovic

© tenor.com

It’s difficult for me to precisely pinpoint the first time I heard of Weird Al Yankovic. It was ages ago, when my now-adult sons started listening to his music. We’ve always been fans of impersonations, lampoons and parodies so Al’s videos held a natural appeal for us.

Thanks to the debut of MTV, I didn’t have long to wait before I saw Weird Al for myself and I have to admit, he was weird. His performance was unlike anything I had ever seen. He really cracked me up and I loved it! Al didn’t just make parodies of popular songs; he executed them with such great musicality and comedic genius that I became a huge fan.

It wasn’t until much later when I saw Al perform for George Fest: A Night to Celebrate the Music of George Harrison did I realize what a proficient performer he is. This guy is an extremely talented musician, not some silly flash in the pan with a schtick. And his achievements will attest to that. Al’s fan base is massive and he is currently touring and performing in sold-out venues around the world. No kidding.

In addition to his music career, Al Yankovic wrote and starred in the film UHF (1989) and the television series The Weird Al Show (1997). He has produced two satirical films about his own life, The Compleat Al (1985) and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022). He has acted in several television shows and web series, in addition to starring in Al TV specials on MTV. He has also written two children’s books, When I Grow Up (2011) and My New Teacher and Me! (2013).

Why am I doing this blog? Good question! It is my hope to entertain you and make you laugh. Simple as that. Show me one person who couldn’t benefit from a little more lightness and laughter in his/her life. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time but I realize Weird Al isn’t for everyone. What is? It would take me forever to find something perfect for everyone. This is a highly public experiment. It could be a success or I could fall flat on my tuches; at least I will have tried.

I will be posting Al’s videos every Wednesday …. his parodies as well as the songs he is lampooning …. and will continue until I get tired of doing them or you beg me to stop, whichever comes first.

Right about here is where I would tell you everything there is to know about Weird Al; you’ll be relieved to know I’ve chosen not to do that. Of course, if you still insist on reading about Al, click HERE. Instead, today and only today, I will offer up a couple of informative and entertaining videos to help  you get to know the man, the artist, the comedian …. the legend that is Weird Al Yankovic!

Look, I’m not an idiot; I know there’s absolutely no way I can force anyone to watch these next two videos but I really hope you do. Without sounding like a total blowhard, you’ll be doing yourself a dis-service not watching. There’s a great deal of into about Al that I couldn’t print here. FYI – Al is married and has one daughter. He doesn’t drink, smoke, do drugs or curse; he’s not a religious freak or anything like that …. he just doesn’t see the necessity.

This is Los Angeles news personality and TV anchor, Frank Buckley, interviewing Weird Al Yankovic, approx. 22 min.

Weird Al Talks to Howard Stern, 5.30 min.

My plan was to start with the first video Al aired on MTVa. However, after hearing Al and Frank Buckley talking about Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and their hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, I figured it would be a good idea to start with Al’s parody, “Smells Like Nirvana”. Next week we’ll play catch up by showing Al’s first MTV vid.

FIRST …. let’s watch the original video by Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.

Al famously got permission for Nirvana’s parody from Kurt Cobain himself when he was performing on Saturday Night Live. In this Grammy-nominated video, Al satirizes Nirvana and the grunge movement, shooting on the same set and using all the same people as the original video, including the actor who played the janitor (Rudy Larosa). Even actor Dick Van Patten has a cameo.

And now here’s Weird Al Yankovic with “Smells Like Nirvana”.

Are you having fun yet? Show of hands if I made you smile. 🙋🏼‍♀️ 🙋🏻

Big thanks to Glyn Wilton for hosting Mixed Music Bag every week. Please be sure to follow the link and check out Glyn’s site.

Mixed Music Bag 2025 – January part 1

Thanks for joining me today for my first installment of Weird Al Wednesday. I hope you find these videos as entertaining as I do. Come on back next week for more Weird Al fun …. and remember to pack your sense of humor and leave your music theory PHDs at the door! No grinches allowed!

Relax, kick off your shoes and loosen your belt; hell, go ahead and take off whatever you want …. there’s no dress code here at Weird Al Wednesday!

See you on the flipside. 😎

NAR©2025

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy ~ The Sicilian Storyteller, Nancy (The Sicilian Storyteller), The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk, and The Rhythm Section, and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

48 thoughts on “Weird Al Wednesday – 1.8.25”

  2. Pingback: Weird Al Wednesday – 1.15.25 – The Elephant's Trunk

    1. WHAT!?! I’m clutching my chest! You, the pub-owning, concert-attending, music-loving, world-traveling bon vivant I know and love never heard of “Weird Al” Yankovich?? 😳

      You there, in the back row. Yes, you with the silver hair. Buckle up! Teacher has arrived and we’re going on a class trip to the fun house! 🥳

      Liked by 1 person

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  6. I will anxiously await each installment!!! I have been a fan of Al since his first album. His parodies are amazing and his original stuff is just as good. Too many people think of him as a throwaway artist, but he is a master. He is a genius and extremely talented. Great idea!!

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  11. I’ve been a fan of Weird Al for a long time. Love his work all around. My daughter & SIL have seen him quite a few times in person. They love him and will travel to see him. This will be fun for Wednesdays! 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

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  12. When I first saw this post I thought of local Chicago Polka King and Musician Frankie Yankovic who was a very popular accordianist and singer. I remember going to the Rialto Theater in Joliet, IL to his last concert. After the opening band played, they dropped the curtain for a few minutes and when it opened again there sat Frankie on a chair propped up with the accordian in his lap. He had to be in his eighties at the time. He played two songs and got a standing ovation from the Pollacks that came to see him.

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  14. This is a great idea for a series, and you have so many from which to choose: the man is a genius.

    I loved this one, as much for the little touches as anything, like the way he gets ‘oh well, Nevermind’ into the lyrics.

    Looking forward to many more of these: I’ll let you know when you get to my favourite 😊

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    1. True Al lovers all have their favorite. Can’t wait to find out which one is yours.

      Thank you, Clive. I realize this was a risky move but what’s life (and blogging) without taking a few chances? I truly appreciate your enthusiastic reaction and consistent support. Thanks, so much. ♡

      Now, let’s get weird! 🤣

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. You’ll know it when you play it – tbh I think it’s an obvious choice but, we’ll see…

        Nothing risky about this. If people don’t appreciate Al then they are beyond redemption. Sod ‘em 🤣

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    1. Yay! A newbie!! You’re in for the time of your life, Esther.

      I don’t know you very well but after reading your limericks I know you have a good sense of humor. That’s the one thing you need when watching “Weird Al”! He is incredibly funny and entertaining.

      Welcome to the fun house! 😁

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. So glad to know this, D! 😁 I’ll be the first to admit not all of Al’s videos are LOL funny …. most are but it really helps to have the original video for comparison; all my posts will have both the original and parody, both with lyrics.

      I wanted to start this new segment off with a very funny parody in the hope of grabbing my audience; people can get turned off by unfamiliar things, you know, kinda like food. There are so many funny parts to Al’s videos; did you catch the janitor with the donut? 😂

      Thanks, D, for your unceasing support which means so much to me. ♡

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  19. A little bit of Al goes a long way. I decided not to go all the way but am almost always amazed at the wonderful finds you allow on your blog. I will follow along but be on the alert and also remain aloof when you allot more time to AL. Do not be alarmed. Your posts are alluring and I have no alternative but to return. Aloha! All’s well that ends well. I’m not quite altogether this early in the morning. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. No worries, Sighs; it takes a hell of a lot to alarm me. We’re all individuals with different tastes and likes. As long as we remember to be civilized to one another then it’s all cool. As I wrote in my post, I cannot force anyone to read or watch more than they want to; I’d be an idiot to assume otherwise. For your own personal info, the first two videos are interviews, all talk … no music … and give the viewer (especially the first-time viewer) some insight on Al Yankovic). That said, to each his own, as you demonstrate on your own unique blog every day.

      Have a wonderful day, Sighs.

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