In addition to recording his albums, Yankovic has written and starred in his own film, UHF, and his own television show, The Weird Al Show, and directed music videos for himself and other artists including Ben Folds, Hanson, the Black Crowes and The Presidents of the United States of America. He has also made guest appearances on many television shows, in addition to starring in his own Al TV specials.
Though parodies earned him his fame, Yankovic has recorded a greater number of humorous songs with original tunes. Some of these pieces are pastiches (or style parodies), where he chooses a band's entire body of work to emulate rather than any single hit, although Yankovic has many completely original pieces. Most of his albums include a medley which juxtaposes the choruses of various songs in a polka style to accordion music.
Due to his popularity, he has been credited with several songs that are not actually his. A full list of every song he has ever actually done, including the live-only songs, can be found at the Al Songs website. Similarly, a comprehensive list of songs incorrectly credited to him can be found at The Not Al Page.
In 2006, Al recorded the song "You're Pitiful". However, while James Blunt gave his blessing for the parody of his song, "You're Beautiful", Blunt's label Atlantic Records was opposed to it. Though parodies are protected legally, the issue had become "more of a political matter than a legal matter", according to Al, so he decided to not put the song on his next album. Instead, he offered it as a free download from his site.
His latest album, "Straight Outta Lynwood", was released September 26th, 2006. Its first released single, "Don't Download This Song", was made available as a free download on August 21, 2006. The animated video for the track and a link to downloadable MP3 is available at dontdownloadthissong.com. Among other tracks, the album includes parodies of Green Day, Usher, R. Kelly, and Chamillionaire. Chamillionaire's "Ridin' Dirty" is parodied as "White and Nerdy", the second released single from the new album. This single has thus far climbed as far as #9 on the Billboard Singles chart, eclipsing "Eat It" as Al's highest charting single (which went as high as #12).
Official Website: http://www.weirdal.com
FactBox Info
Members
Al Yankovic
Jon ''Bermuda'' Schwartz
Steve Jay
Jim West
Rubén Valtierra
Former Members
Rick Derringer
Ross Noble
Joe Earley
Bohemian Polka
"Weird Al" Yankovic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is this just fantasy
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
'Cause I'm easy come, easy go
Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me
To me
Mama, just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
Mama, life had just begun
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
Mama, ooo
Didn't mean to make you cry
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters
Too late, my time has come
Sends shivers down my spine
Body's aching all the time
Goodbye everybody - I've got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
Mama, ooo
I don't want to die
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all
I see a little silhouetto of a mam
Scaramouch, scaramouch, will you do the Fandango
Thunderbolt and lightning - very, very frightening me
Galileo, Galileo
Galileo, Galileo
Galileo figaro - Magnifico... Hey! Hey! Hey!
I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?
Bismillah! No, we will not let you go - let him go
Bismillah! We will not let you go - let him go
Bismillah! We will not let you go - let him go
Will not let you go - let him go
Will not let you go - let him go
No, no, no, no, no no no no no!
Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me
For me
So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye
So you think you can love me and leave me to die
Oh, baby - Can't do this to me, baby
Just gotta get out - just gotta get right outta here
Nothing really matters
Anyone can see
Nothing really matters
Nothing really matters to me Anyway the wind blows - Hey!
The lyrics of Bohemian Polka can be split into three distinct sections. The first section begins with the opening lines from the song Bohemian Rhapsody, which is well-known for its dramatic musical structure and emotional lyrics. Yankovic has condensed the lyrics and set them to his polka beat, but the meaning remains the same. The singer is caught in a situation where he questions whether his reality is real or a fantasy. He acknowledges his poor background but also the fact that his life can change easily at any time. He doesn't take life too seriously and is happy to go with the flow, accepting whatever comes his way.
The second section of the song features Mama, and this is the Mama of Bohemian Rhapsody. She has killed a man, and the singer is regretful that he has thrown his life away. He's reacting emotionally, and there's the sense that he feels he's not long for this world. He doesn't want to die and wishes he had never been born. This section of the song is perhaps the most emotional, as Yankovic takes on the tone of the original song.
The final section is a retelling of the famous exchange between Galileo and his inquisitors. The lyrics are a mix of the dialogue and the chorus of the original song. The singer says he is just a poor boy, and his life is not valued by anyone, but the inquisitors are determined not to let him go. The famous lines, "Bismillah! No, we will not let you go" are repeated several times before the song ends with an outro where Yankovic hits on the main theme of the song - nothing really matters.
Line by Line Meaning
Is this the real life
Asks if this is the actual reality, rather than a dream.
Is this just fantasy
Asks if this is just imagination or a made-up world.
Caught in a landslide
Feels like they are stuck in a difficult or dangerous situation.
No escape from reality
Feels like there is no way out of whatever they are struggling with.
Open your eyes
Invites listeners to pay attention to what's going on around them.
Look up to the skies and see
Encourages people to take a broader perspective and not just focus on the immediate situation.
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
States that the singer wants to be seen as self-sufficient and doesn't want any pity.
'Cause I'm easy come, easy go
The artist tends to live in the moment and doesn't worry too much about the future or past.
Little high, little low
The ups and downs of life don't seem to bother the artist too much.
Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me
Life can go any which way, and the artist is okay with that.
To me
Restates the idea that the singer is indifferent to what happens in life.
Mama, just killed a man
The artist did something wrong, perhaps accidentally or on impulse.
Put a gun against his head
Gives a detail of the crime that was committed.
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
States that the singer is the one who caused the person's death.
Mama, life had just begun
Feels like their life had just started when the incident occurred.
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
The crime has had a big impact on the artist's life and future.
Mama, ooo
Calls out to the artist's mother.
Didn't mean to make you cry
The singer feels guilty about their actions and the impact it has had on their mother.
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
The singer may be in danger or on the run from the law.
Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters
Even though something serious may have occurred, life still goes on and people must continue living.
Too late, my time has come
The artist's time may be up - either literally, or in terms of facing the consequences of their actions.
Sends shivers down my spine
The artist is afraid or nervous about what is happening/going to happen.
Body's aching all the time
The singer may have been injured or is just feeling a lot of emotional pain.
Goodbye everybody - I've got to go
The artist is saying goodbye to everyone they know, perhaps because they are going to jail or are in danger.
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
The singer can't keep running from their problems and has to confront them.
I don't want to die
The singer is scared of the consequences of their actions and may be pleading for their life.
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all
The gravity of the situation has made the singer question the value of their existence.
I see a little silhouetto of a man
The artist is observing something in the distance.
Scaramouch, scaramouch, will you do the Fandango
The artist is asking someone if they will do a silly dance.
Thunderbolt and lightning - very, very frightening me
The singer is scared of a sudden and intense change happening.
Galileo, Galileo
Mentions someone's name, perhaps as a shoutout or reference.
Galileo figaro - Magnifico... Hey! Hey! Hey!
The artist is saying some Italian words, but it's unclear what the meaning behind them is.
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
The artist is talking about someone else who has a similar background to them.
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
The artist is asking someone to spare the life of another person who is in danger.
Bismillah! No, we will not let you go - let him go
A group of people are clearly talking to the singer, but their intentions are unclear.
Will not let you go - let him go
The group of people continues to assert that they won't let the artist (or someone else) go.
No, no, no, no, no no no no no!
The group of people vigorously assert that they won't let someone go and continue to say no over and over again.
Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go
The singer is pleading with someone (potentially their mother) to let them go, but it's not clear who or why.
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me
The singer is saying someone has a plan for them, and perhaps that it is an evil plan or one that will cause hardship.
So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye
The artist is accusing someone of treating them unfairly, with violence or anger.
So you think you can love me and leave me to die
The artist is calling out someone who they believe has hurt them deeply, in both love and other facets of life.
Oh, baby - Can't do this to me, baby
The singer is hurt by the actions of someone they loved or cared about.
Just gotta get out - just gotta get right outta here
The singer is feeling desperate and trapped, and needs to leave the place they are in ASAP.
Nothing really matters
The artist is feeling nihilistic and thinks that everything is pointless.
Anyone can see
The artist is asserting that their previous line is quite obvious or self-evident.
Nothing really matters
Restates the idea that nothing truly matters to the artist.
Anyway the wind blows - Hey!
Repeats the idea that the singer is open to life going whatever way it pleases.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FREDDIE MERCURY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind