Is the song tongue-in-cheek but with an earnest anti-download message or is Al ridiculing the overblown reaction of record companies (with “It doesn’t matter if you’re a grandma or a seven-year-old girl, they’ll treat you like the evil, hard-bitten criminal scum you are,”) and monetary concerns of already wealthy artists (“How else can I afford another solid-gold Humvee and diamond-covered swimming pools — these things don’t grow on trees”).
Since “Don’t Download This Song” is meant to parody celebrity-gathering charity songs, I was a little disappointed at first that every “singer” sounds just like Weird Al. Al’s shown time and again that he can alter his voice to sound very similar to many other singers. I’m a little perplexed as to why he didn’t try to imitate famous voices or singing styles to give the song even more of that “We Are the World” flair. The song ends up sounding as if it had been recorded by the army of Al clones in his “The Saga Begins” music video, but that’s just a minor quibble.
Ironically, “Don’t Download This Song” is actually being made available to download for free (legally!) from Weird Al’s website to promote Straight Outta Lynwood. I suggest you check it out.
Speaking of free songs available for legal download, while you’re at Al’s official web site don’t miss the opportunity to download a song that isn't on the album, a song that was cut so last-minute that it caused the album’s release to be postponed several months. It’s a parody of James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” called “You’re Pitiful.”
It’s too bad the track didn’t make it onto the album as it’s another brilliant, funny parody that would have been among good neighbors on Straight Outta Lynwood. Apparently Blunt was fine with Al’s song but Blunt’s record company (Atlantic Records) said “no” to its inclusion on the album, so Al released it on the Internet for free instead.
It makes me wonder how many fantastic parodies we’ve been denied over the years because someone simply told Al they’d prefer he not release them. If Al had talked with Coolio directly before recording “Amish Paradise,” we’d never have gotten that fantastic track as Coolio later protested his record company never told him of Al’s intentions.
The Yankovic live performances (which are experiences not to be missed) I’ve seen have included brief verses of parodies of Alanis Morissette and Celine Dion songs I’d never heard elsewhere. I have to wonder if these, too, are aborted tracks that didn’t make the cut somewhere along the way. In that case we should feel very fortunate that “You’re Pitiful” saw the light of day, especially for free.
Article comments
1 - Andrew Ogier
I thought the album was fantastic.
From the moment I heard "You see me roll on my Segway" on the White and Nerdy track I was in fits of laughter the whole way through.
Not only was it funny and clever, it was also an observant album.
Canadian Idiot is a prime example of this. It starts off on ripping on Canadians, before pointing the finger back at americans in such lines as "They leave their house without packin' heat, never even bring their guns to the mall" and actually showing off Canada in positive light "break their nose and they'll just say sorry", and infact completely reversing the parody back to how silly the average American is in their views towards their northen neighbours... which leads perfectly into I'll Sue Ya, with the nuisance lawsuit mentality that a lot of people have.
I'll agree that Close But No Cigar is a fantastic take on a Cake style song, and I loved it, but then again I love Cake's stuff too, so I was bound to love it.
The real gem of the album is the genius that Al put in the R Kelly parody. Quite possibly the single most impressive song in Al's entire catalog. Not only does it show that Al can actually REALLY sing, it shows his brilliance with lyrics, and it's the perfect intelligent parody. Simply fantastic.
As for Don't Download This Song, I think Al made his stance perfectly clear, I mean, it IS a parody after all. He hammers his stance home by listing P2P networks at the start of the song, and puts the final hit in with lyrics such as the ones you mentioned. It was perfectly clear that he was taking the piss from the first time I heard the track.
And You're Pitiful was hilarious. I so wish it was on the album. I nearly wet my underwear the first time it blessed my eardrums.
I thought that even with the lackluster Weasel Stomping Day, Straight Outta Lynwood is one of the best albums of the year. I mean, how often is it that you can play an entire album from start to finish and only have to skip 1 track?
2 - Dawn
"White and Nerdy" - hehe, that's classic. Good old Weird Al, going strong. I did see the video for "Don't Download This Song," not my favorite Al song, but he get his message across which I always appreciate.
3 - bill
dont download this song is a parody of mc lars' download this song so how come noone mentioned it
4 - Mats Sjöblom
And "Virus Alert" is a Sparks tribute. More specifically, its sound is kind of a condensate of their British produced 1974 album Propaganda, albeit with some quotes from other albums thrown in for good measure:
The marching band at the end is very "Get in the Swing" from 1975, and the chorus arrangement could have been lifted from any of their American 80s albums.
It's a laudable effort. The piano, guitars and drums are spot on - only cleaner. Al doesn't sound much like Russel Mael, but then no-one does. The middle eight ("Turn off your computer and make sure it powers down, drop it in a 43' hole in the ground" etc) is where he comes closest.
5 - RagingR2
I agree with Andrew on "Download this song". It's a parody, and it's meaning is not what you might expect at first.
"Though the song, obviously, wants to dissuade listeners from breaking the law to obtain music, many of the lyrics undermine this message to the point where I have to wonder exactly what message Al’s really trying to convey here."
In fact, I really fail to understand how you managed to notice the part where he sings about solid gold Humvee's, and STILL think that this song is "obviously" a serious attempt at dissuading listeners from downloading music.
IMHO the message of the song is quite beyond wondering, if there is any message at all, that is. Weird Al isn't really known to pose strong political opinions on any subject, so even if only for this reason, it's quite unlikely that "Download this Song" should be seen as a serious attempt to either dissuade OR stimulate listeners to download music. I think Weird Al's main goal with this song is the comedic value derived from the surprise effect on first the listen, as is the case with many other Weird Al songs by the way.
6 - Arr MiHardies
As a die hard Weird al fan for as long as I can remember, I, overall found the album a bit of a disappointment, espeically coming on the heels of Bad Hair Day, and Running with scissors, My two favorite albums, by far. Dont get me wrong there are a few good songs on this one, but most of his originals just seem well below par.
White and Nerdy is one of the best songs on this album. A great beat, great lyrics that just really struck a cord with me, an admittedly white and nerdy d&d playing geek.
Pancreas, I just did not care for. It just struck me as stupid. Canadian Idiot was entertaining, but I didnt care much for american idiot in the first place. I'll sue ya was one of the other few tracks on this cd i really enjoyed.
Pokarama, the required polka for this album, just wasnt as catchy or enjoyable as pretty much any of his other polkas. If I had to make a list of my favorite al polka, this would probably be at the bottom of my list. The entire song just lacks the energy and has an anti-climatic feel throughout the entire song. I just can't get into it. I feel this song was a great disappointment, as my favorite songs on a Weird Al album almost always include the polkas.
As a computer tech, Virus alert really struck a cord and made me laugh out loud.
Though I had never heard Users Confessions tracks, Confessions II was quite amusing, as al creates a list of confessions that accidentally slipped his mind from the first 2 parts.
As with the creator of the initial review here, the first thing I thought of when I heard Weasel stomping day, the first thing I thought of was the Simpsons Wacking day episode. While a somewhat enjoyable tune, the grotesquness was just a bit of a turn off for me.
Close but no cigar is a rather enjoyable and catchy tune. however it reminds me of the movie "So I Married an Axe Murderer" in which Charlie dumped girlfriends for trivial or imagined things ("She Stole My Cat" and "She Smelled like Soup" anyone?")
Do I creep you out is a rather humorous song, but for some reason I have yet to place it just didnt click with me.
Although the conversation and experiance in Trapped in the drive thru felt just like some that happen with my own wife, the just got plain annoying and on my nerves. IMO, the best part of the song was when he turned on some Led Zepplin on the radio. But 2 minutes into the first listen to the song, I looked down and said , "My God, I have 8 minutes left!" While I usually like weird als really long songs (Biggest Ball of twine, Albuquerque) This one just got on my nerves far too quickly.
Dont Download this song is a pretty good "worthy cause" style song. Al is discouraging illegal song downloading, while also poking fun at the record labels nazi style lawsuit tactics.
It really is a pity that "You're Pitiful" was left off of this album, I really dont know why al didnt include the song on the album in the first place, since as a deriviation, Al could include it perfectly legally. And since he had the original authors permission, is removal just makes no sense. He released it on the net for free because he didnt care about the suits at the label, so why not include it on the cd? Its inclusion on the cd would have really moved this cd up a afew notches.
7 - Johnny Unicorn
"Pancreas" is a style parody of Brian Wilson's album, "Smile."
8 - Augie De Blieck Jr.
My only disappointment with "Pancreas" is that the word "diabetes" or "diabetic" isn't mentioned once in it. Aside from that, I loved it. It's catchy, shows Al's range as a singer, and is quite a treat for those of us who are diabetics. The only weird part of the song is his explanation of force and mass. That came out of nowhere.
The biggest disappointment of the album for me was the Cake song style parody. Maybe it's because I don't know much about Cake, but it seemed like an awful long way to get to three quick jokes. The only humor in the song is in the last line of each verse. It gets tedious quickly. It's the one I skip over.
"Polkarama" isn't the strongest of his polkas, but I was surprised that I recognized more than half the songs in it. I give Al credit for that.
9 - Mikey
I think hard core Al fans, like myself, won't find even Weasel Stoping Day "lackluster". It's a wonderful throw back to "Harvey the Wonder Hampster" type songs that are just a part of the Al experiance.
This CD is a must buy. I look forward to many more years of Al making us laugh at music, comercialization thereof, and ourselves.
10 - Rich
Personally, this album is one of my favorites of Al's. I was laughing from "White & Nerdy" all the way to "Don't Dowload This Song."
White & Nerdy- The main parody of the album, it tells about a nerdy boy who wants to "roll with the gangstas," but they deny him that because he's too "white and nerdy," as the title implies. Great song!
Pancreas- One of my favorites on the album. Al sounds great in this song. I didn't really like it at first, but it grew on me. Al's songs have a tendancy to do that.
Canadian Idiot- A parody of "American Idiot. Basically, Al's making fun of the Canadians by using American stereotypes. A weaker song, but still good.
I'll Sue Ya- A very accurate portrayal of American society today. He has the most useless reasons to sue. It makes a hilarious song.
Polkarama!- One of my favorite songs on the album, tied for first on the polka list. Hearing "Candy Shop" in the style it was in made crack up. An amazing polka.
Virus Alert- A genius song about a terrible computer virus, that will translate your documents into Swahilli, make the paint peel off your walls, melt the face off of your skull, send your grandmother something that I shouldn't be looking at (at my age), and cause a major riff in time and space. A hilarious song.
Confessions Part III- A funny song about the confessions he forgot to say in parst one and two. Not a bad song, but compared to the others, it was pretty weak.
Weasel Stomping Day- I was relatively dissappointed. A greusome song about crushing weasels on a holiday named "Weasel Stomping Day." Robot Chicken covered the song with a video and did it pretty well, though. Reminds me of "Whacking Day" from the Simpsons. Probably my least favorite song on Lynwood.
Close But No Cigar- A song about him having multiple girlfriends, but dumping them for minor flaws (one earlobe was a bit too big, said "infer" instead of "imply," and owning a copy of "Joe Dirt" on DVD). Pretty funny.
Do I Creep You Out- A parody of Taylor Hicks's "Do I Make You Proud." Al plays the role of a stalker talking to his target woman, asking her if he creeps him out. Not a bad song in total.
Trapped In The Drive Thru- Just about my favorite on the album. It's about Al and his wife going out to the drive-thru to eat. When they get there, they get into numerous problems. The singing is excellent, and it's hilarious. Al's second-longest song.
Don't Download This Song- A "We Are The World"-type parody, it tells about the evils of using file-sharing sites. Pretty funny. Plus, turn the volume all the way up at the end, and you'll hear one of the only times you'll hear Al swear on the record. Overall, a pretty funny song.
Overall, an amazing album.
11 - Chuck
White and Nerdy - He can rap! One of the best songs on the album.
Pancreas - Very "Good Vibrations"-ish.
Canadian Idiot - Actually pretty funny, especially "I don't know what they're talking aboot".
I'll Sue Ya - I've heard of stupid lawsuits. This adds some funny ones.
Polkarama! - Whee!!! Totally cool.
Virus Alert - I've gotten to really liking the song. "It will ... make your TV will record Gigli."
Confessions Part III - Man, I love this song. It's just so freakin' funny.
Weasel Stomping Day - What's hilarious about this song is that it's so cheerful, and it's talking about something so violent. Short length is good, too.
Close But No Cigar - Decent. I didn't laugh too much. I got what he was saying, but...
Do I Creep You Out - This is kind of gross. I still like it.
Trapped In The Drive-Thru - STANDOUT. I probably won't listen to the full song a lot, though.
Don't Download This Song - Tiring after a few listens. The funniest thing about this is at one time, downloading it was the only way to listen to it. For free.
"You're Pitiful" should have been on here. If it was, though, "White and Nerdy" and "Do I Creep You Out" wouldn't be. That sucks.
Funniest Line On The Album:
"And sometimes in private, I like to dress up like Shirley Temple and spank myself with a hockey stick. Hockey stick."
- Confessions Part III
12 - ariel
its the same crazy al that is blow your head off funny (great album) thats all there is to say.
13 - Garret Thomson
I felt you review was a little off the mark. "Don't download this song" is clearly satirical; the 'earnesty' is a ploy to set the listener up. Consider yourself 'had'.
Also strange is your distaste of "Weasel Stomping Day". While the comparison to "Whacking Day" can be stated, its a strained association at best; and when you consider that the Simpsons episode played on the idea of killing animals people naturally fear to begin with (and ultimately sympathizing with their plight,), "Weasel Stomping Day" really doesn't play off of public perception of what constitutes humane treament of weasels at all. In fact, it has much more in common with "Harvey The Wonder Hampster" in tone and substance. I have a very difficult time believing that Wierd Al even thought about that (great) Simpsons episode. In my mind, its a real stretch to consider the episode and this song thematically related beyond a surface level asthetic.
Overall, I am probably in agreement with you about how good this album is when put up against his discogaphy; its a return to form of sorts, but I doubt we'll ever experience what it was like to listen to any of his first 5 albums again. The obsession with food, body parts, and skewed takes on love and relationships can only remain fresh for so long. None the less, the original songs are well written, and its more hit than miss than some of the last 4 albums.
14 - Reader
I have an idea! While you're supposedly being critical of random pop culture subject matters that are likely to get hits from unsavvy TV fanatics, why don't you see if you can squeeze yet another dozen or so advertisements in and around your 'content' because it totally helps your credibility as you laugh all the way to the bank.
15 - Otter
I like this album. I love Weird Al's 70-80s style songs like Virus Alert, Nature Trail to Hell, Midnight star. But on the other hand I really love Weasel stomping song, its just a carefree stupid song emphasizing how silly humans can be when left to themselves long enough........ look at halloween, and even christmas now. We get all excited about a fat man in a sled flying in a sled pulled by a deer with a glowing nose. Pancreas is the song I really get bored with, and every other song I can listen to over and over.
I'd love if he would make an album full of Virus alert style music, I think its the gendre he is best at ( aside from his polkas lol )
16 - Sean
Weasle Stomping day is just the song that came off of an episode of Robot Chicken, a show created by seth green, airing on cartoon networks adult swim , weird al does a lot of stuff for AdultSwim, including making cameos and stuff. anyways his music video for Weasle stomping day was an actual skit on the 15 min show, and he produced it on the show. plus seth green was the one displaying the action firures in the music video white and nerdy when the line all of my action figures aare cherry came up. those are all from robot chicken. wanna watch it? go to you tube and search weasle stomping day. have fun