Y
Yankovic, Weird Al
Identification American comedy songwriter and
performer
Born October 23, 1959; Downey, California
Yankovic’s humorous songs portrayed and sometimes paro-
died popular culture and music of the 1980’s.
Born Alfred Matthew Yankovic, “Weird Al” received
his nickname as a deejay at his university’s radio
station. After some minor successes, the singer-
songwriter became known through the help of dee-
jay Dr. Demento, whose syndicated weekly radio
show popularized novelty songs of the past and
showcased new talent such as Yankovic.
Yankovic’s first album,“Weird Al” Yankovic,ap-
peared in 1983, followed by“Weird Al” Yankovic in 3-D
(1984),Dare to Be Stupid(1985),Polka Party!(1986),
andEven Worse(1988). Most of his work uses the mu-
sic of popular songs whose lyrics he playfully alters,
sometimes putting an ironic twist to the original.
“Fat,” on the 1988 album, for example, mimics Mi-
chael Jackson’s 1987 “Bad” but substitutes bragging
about girth.
Many of Yankovic’s songs praise food, including
“I Love Rocky Road,” based on the 1982 cover ver-
sion of “I Love Rock ’n Roll” by Joan Jett and the
Blackhearts, and “Addicted to Spuds,” based on
Robert Palmer’s 1985 song “Addicted to Love.” Other
songs comment on television and film, especially sci-
ence fiction: “Yoda,” to the tune of the Kinks’ 1970
hit “Lola,” was also popular with fans. His lyrics also
refer to mundane aspects of life, from sales jobs to
having a hernia to paying alimony. Yankovic gener-
ally avoids political commentary, although his origi-
nal song “Christmas at Ground Zero” (1986) reflects
Cold War fears of nuclear war. Some of his best songs
satirize the originals: “Dare to Be Stupid” does not
parody any particular single song by New Wave band
Devo but captures and exaggerates the group’s tone,
while “(This Song’s Just) Six Words Long” summa-
rizes “Got My Mind Set on You,” recorded by George
Harrison in 1987.
Many of Yankovic’s songs became excellent music
videos, including “Eat It,” which parodied the video
for Jackson’s 1982 hit single “Beat It,” as well as “Like
a Surgeon,” based on “Like a Virgin” and featuring
Madonna-like gyrations, and “I Lost on Jeopardy,”
based on the 1983 song “Jeopardy” by the Greg Kihn
Band. In 1989, Yankovic cowrote and starred in
the filmUHF, which satirized television and movies.
Home Box Office (HBO) aired a “mockumentary”
of Weird Al’s life, issued in 1991 asThe Compleat Al.Weird Al Yankovic poses for the press at the 1987 MTV Video
Music Awards in Universal City, California.(Hulton Archive/
Getty Images)