In the case of Mr. Yankovic, it's elevated to an art form. This particular song did piss Coolio off, but it's biting and clever, like so much of his other music.
It would not have been a novelty music week without including Weird Al, either, so I couldn't relegate him to the Covers blog.
In 1976, disco was everywhere. So, Memphis, TN DJ Rick Dees wrote a parody of disco featuring a vaguely Donald-sounding duck.
Surprisingly, and despite initial resistance from his bosses in Memphis, it became a Number One hit and set up Rick Dees for a career that ended up being a whole lot bigger than Memphis - he was quickly moved to the Los Angeles market soon after.
There are few songs I know all the lyrics to, without mistake, unprompted. This is one of them.
Released in 1978, it remains the most requested song on Dr. Demento's radio show to this day - but there's more to the story of this rather surreal tribute to a fish from the neck up.
The video was directed by and stars friend of Barnes & Barnes, Bill Paxton. Yes. THAT Bill Paxton.
In 2022, this song could never be made. It's violent, in a school, and quite politically incorrect.
In 1983, it was the B-side to a song that didn't have the staying power of this one.
Julie Brown is an actress, a comedian, a musician, a screenwriter (she wrote BOTH Camp Rock movies) and sometimes an MTV VJ. Her songs - not just this one - still crack me up all these years later.
But even in 1983, this song wasn't well-received by critics. It was a novelty song, to be sure - but it wasn't like the cute and funny ones of the past like "Disco Duck", It was dark, and graphic, and appealed to a different sense of humor.
The people loved it, though - and the song still endures as one of the best known novelty songs ever.
Unlike yesterday's song, this one is actually about a pony. And Ralph Stanley.
I've long been a fan of Kasey Chambers - the undisputed queen of Australian country music - so I'm glad I got this opportunity to post one of my favorite songs by her.
