I think of parodies and novelty songs (like those of Allan Sherman, Weird Al Yankovic, Red Sovine, etc.) as being the gateway drug of pop rock for kids. At least they were for me. In the early '80s, these, along with Convoy, Devil Went Down to Georgia. From there, it was any easy step over to the easy stuff ... I Love Rock 'n' Roll by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. We Will Rock You by Queen.



See also this little gem done in Legos.

So it was no little pride that I found Son putting together an online playlist last night. It read like a modern update of mix 8-tracks I made in my playroom back in '82. In addition to Devil Went Down to Georgia and "Through the Fire and The Flames" by Dragonforce (off of Guitar Hero, apparently) was Weird Al's Hardware Store. At about 230 BPM it sounds like a mash-up of End of the World as we Know It and Bohemian Rhapsody by way of They Might Be Giants.

The thing about good parodies and novelties (when done correctly) is that they are usually musically very tight. Parody via sledgehammer isn't nearly as funny as parody done with a small ball-peen hammer. It's supposed to be listenable so you'll tune in to hear the lyrics. And what lyrics Al's are ... the rhymes are tight, the scansion unerring and the entire song is replete with internal rhyme and rhythm. For example, take a look at the breakdown that occurs about two minutes in.

They've got allen wrenches, gerbil feeders, toilet seats, electric heatersTrash compactors, juice extractor, shower rods and water meters
Walkie-talkies, copper wires safety goggles, radial tires

BB pellets, rubber mallets, fans and dehumidifiers

Picture hangers, paper cutters, waffle irons, window shutters
Paint removers, window louvres, masking tape and plastic gutters

Kitchen faucets, folding tables, weather stripping, jumper cables                                            Hooks and tackle, grout and spackle, power foggers, spoons and ladles


Pesticides for fumigation, high-performance lubrication
Metal roofing, water proofing, multi-purpose insulation
Air compressors, brass connectors, wrecking chisels, smoke detectors
Tire guages, hamster cages, thermostats and bug deflectors
Trailer hitch demagnetizers, automatic circumcisers
Tennis rackets, angle brackets, Duracells and Energizers
Soffit panels, circuit breakers, vacuum cleaners, coffee makers
Calculators, generators, matching salt and pepper shakers

I've underlined a couple of particularly dense couplet, using bolds to show end rhymes, itals to show internal rhymes. And if you say the lines aloud, the internal rhyming/rhythm pair on the first line sets up the end rhyme on the second. Also, the stressed and unstressed syllables through out the breakdown point to a lyricist who has more than transcended the moon/spoon/macaroon paradigm, instead creating something every bit as technically challenging as a Bach motet.

Next stop, TMBG and Cole Porter, where he'll get his brain tickled with things like

Some get a kick from cocaine
i'm sure that if i took even one sniff
that would bore me terrificly too
yet i get a kick out of you.

When he figures out that Porter buried a third rhyme (the "rif" syllable of terrificly) in that lyric, his head will explode. I know mine did. Though I do need to remind him that singing Cole Porter to himself in the hallways in Middle School/Junior High is a pretty surefire way to get stuffed in a locker and left over the weekend by the kids who's introduction to rock was along the lines of Killswitch Engage or Type O Positive.

Now go vote and let's wrestle our country back from the long national nightmare that is the Dumbya presidency (note that buried in the middle of president is Id.)