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
Traffic Jam
“Weird Al” Yankovic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Making me choke
No A.C.
And the radio's broke
Cars backed up
Far as you can see
Seems like I've been waiting here for all eternity
Oh, and just in case you're wondering
I'm right here (right here) right here (right here)
Stuck right here in the middle of this...
Traffic Jam
I haven't moved one inch from this here spot
Traffic Jam
The freeway's one big parking lot
Traffic Jam
My radiator's boiling hot
And I'm stuck right here in the middle (right here in the middle)
Right here in the middle of a traffic jam
Trapped inside
My automobile
Cobwebs growin'
On the steering wheel
Now, I'm no genius
But one thing I know
I shouldn't have eaten that bag
Of bran muffins
An hour and a half ago
Yeah, and if you need to find me
I'll tell you where I am
I'm right here (right here) right here (right here)
Stuck smack dab in the middle of this...
Traffic Jam
I have'nt moved one inch from his here spot
Traffic Jam
The freeway's one big parking lot
Traffic Jam
Well I thought we were movin' but I guess we're not
'Cause I'm stuck right here in the middle (right here in the
middle)
Right here in the middle of the Traffic Jam
Stuck in the middle of a traffic jam
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
Bumper to bumper to bumper to bumper to
Bumper to bumper to bumper to bumper to
Bumper to bumper to bumper to bumper...
Yay-hey!
There's a yuppie on a cellular phone
I'm gonna puke if I hear any more
There's a motorcycle zoomin' by me
Watch what happens when I open my door
Now we're all goin' nowhere fast
Well, I guess that's perfectly clear
I left home five hours ago
And I can still see my house from here
So if anybody's tryin' to find me
Well, I'll tel you where I am
Right here (right here) right here (right here)
Stuck right here in the middle of this...
Traffic Jam
I haven't moved one inch from this here spot
Traffic Jam
The freeway's one big parking lot
Traffic Jam
Now my back teeth are floatin' and my nerves are shot
And I'm stuck right here in the middle (right here in the middle)
Stuck right here in the middle of a traffic jam
Traffic jam, traffic jam, traffic jam---woo!
In “Traffic Jam,” “Weird Al” Yankovic sings about being stuck in a never-ending traffic jam, highlighting the inconvenience and discomfort of such an experience. The lyrics describe the frustration of being unable to move, with one's car being one's only means of escape. Yankovic humorously exaggerates the situation with the mention of cobwebs growing on the steering wheel and his back teeth floating due to the long wait. The song also takes a dig at social issues such as cell phones and how they distract people while driving or riding, and how the mundane routine of daily life can be tedious and demoralizing.
Line by Line Meaning
Carbon Monoxide
Toxic gas making it hard to breathe
Making me choke
Causing difficulty in breathing
No A.C.
Air-conditioner not functioning
And the radio's broke
Radio not working
Cars backed up
Lines of cars extending for miles
Far as you can see
The line of cars goes far beyond what the eye can see
Seems like I've been waiting here for all eternity
Feels like waiting forever even though it's been a short time
Oh, and just in case you're wondering
In case you are curious about where I am
I'll tell you where I am
I will reveal my location
I'm right here (right here) right here (right here)
I have not moved from this spot
Stuck right here in the middle of this...
Trapped in the center of the traffic jam
Traffic Jam
Heavy flow of vehicles on the road
I haven't moved one inch from this here spot
Have not moved even a little from this location
The freeway's one big parking lot
The highway is completely blocked with traffic
My radiator's boiling hot
Engine is overheating
And I'm stuck right here in the middle (right here in the middle)
Trapped in the middle of the line of cars
Trapped inside
Stuck inside the vehicle
My automobile
My car
Cobwebs growin'
Cobwebs are developing
On the steering wheel
On the wheel used to steer the car
Now, I'm no genius
I am not an expert
But one thing I know
But I understand one thing
I shouldn't have eaten that bag
I regret eating the whole bag
Of bran muffins
Bran-filled pastries
An hour and a half ago
One and a half hours earlier
Yeah, and if you need to find me
If you are trying to locate me
Well I thought we were movin' but I guess we're not
I thought the traffic was moving, but it turns out it's not
Cause I'm stuck right here in the middle (right here in the middle)
Trapped in the middle of the line of cars
Stuck in the middle of a traffic jam
Immobile in the center of heavy road traffic
Bumper to bumper to bumper to bumper to
Cars in front are bumper to bumper in line with cars behind
There's a yuppie on a cellular phone
A wealthy person talking on their mobile device
I'm gonna puke if I hear any more
If I continue to listen, I will vomit
There's a motorcycle zoomin' by me
A motorcycle is swiftly passing me
Watch what happens when I open my door
I wonder what could happen if I open my car door
Now we're all goin' nowhere fast
The traffic is moving extremely slowly
Well, I guess that's perfectly clear
Seems to be completely obvious
I left home five hours ago
I departed from home five hours ago
And I can still see my house from here
Yet, my home is still visible to me from this location
So if anybody's tryin' to find me
If somebody is searching for me
Now my back teeth are floatin' and my nerves are shot
Urgently need to urinate and feeling extremely stressed
Stuck right here in the middle of a traffic jam
Trapped immobile in the center of heavy traffic
Traffic jam, traffic jam, traffic jam---woo!
Repeating the stressful situation in a melodramatic manner
Contributed by Tristan G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.