When live he has a loop pedal that allows him to record a loop live and then sing/play over the top of the loop. Watch this YouTube video for an idea.
Aside from solo performance he is also well known for the many bands he has been involved with - most notably Totally Gourdgeous, Oxo Cubans and Bomba.
Lots of his songs are available free as MP3 on his Myspace and his website: http://www.malwebb.com/
"You're a freak" said Ani DiFranco of Mal (really!)
"He's like Bobby McFerrin, Aphex Twin and Cole Porter playing scrabble" - B.Freely
You Don't Know
Mal Webb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you think you know what you don't know you don't know
Then you better just love being wrong
And you might as well stop thinking now
You don't know what you don't know you don't know
The more you learn the more you learn there is more to learn
At every turn you've got to yearn
If ignorance is bliss give nirvana a miss
'Cos wisdon's folly is more jolly
Don't be a wally, by golly
Snap a synapse at every chance
Flap your pants, get up and dance
Mal Webb's song You Don't Know is a reminder that the more one learns, the more they realize how much they do not know. The repetition of the phrase "you don't know what you don't know" emphasizes the idea that there are unknown unknowns, things that one does not even know they do not know. The line "if you think you know what you don't know, you don't know" highlights the danger of assuming that one has complete knowledge in a particular area. This line suggests that people often overestimate their knowledge and fail to recognize their own gaps in understanding.
The following lines "Then you better just love being wrong and you might as well stop thinking now" challenge individuals to be open to the possibility of being wrong and to continue to seek knowledge to prevent being wrong. The chorus repeats the idea that there is always more to learn, and one must remain curious and forage for knowledge beyond their formal education. The line "If ignorance is bliss give nirvana a miss" again implies that there are negative consequences to not seeking knowledge and encourages the pursuit of wisdom.
Overall, the lyrics of this song remind listeners that there are always gaps in understanding, and the more one learns, the more they realize how much they do not know. It encourages an attitude of curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't know what you don't know you don't know
You can't know what you don't know, even if you don't know that you don't know it.
If you think you know what you don't know you don't know
If you believe you know something but in reality, you don't know it, then you really don't know it.
Then you better just love being wrong
If you don't accept that you don't know something, you will inevitably be wrong and should accept and love it.
And you might as well stop thinking now
If you're not willing to accept that you don't know something and you're mistaken, then it's not worth thinking at all.
The more you learn the more you learn there is more to learn
By learning, you realize that there is always something new to learn.
At every turn you've got to yearn
You should always have a desire to acquire more knowledge and seek it out at every opportunity.
And forage for knowledge way beyond college
The pursuit of knowledge should not be limited to just a college degree as there is much more to learn.
If ignorance is bliss give nirvana a miss
If ignorance is considered happiness, then avoid true enlightenment.
'Cos wisdom's folly is more jolly
It's much more fun to admit ignorance and pursue knowledge than to act wise when you are not.
Don't be a wally, by golly
Don't be foolish or irrational, by any means.
Snap a synapse at every chance
Take advantage of every opportunity to learn and sharpen your cognitive abilities.
Flap your pants, get up and dance
Don't be afraid to express yourself and celebrate your newfound knowledge.
Contributed by Sophie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Enterpreality
On behalf of the beatbox community we thank you <3
Mal Webb
Aw, no worries!
KendoTheNinja
Good morning Mr Webb, I have just stumbled across yours and another sideways yodeling singer this morning and was completely mesmerised... you have truly inspired me to practice!
Melody Johnson
There is another young woman on YouTube, named Emma Robinson, who does this and her voice is gorgeous.
Mal Webb
Yeah, she's damn good at it. Although, I don't really like the sound of autotune, so I'd rather use sideways yodeling in way that just lets it be its own thing.
Mal Webb
*****
I didn't say Emma was auto-tuned: Read my comment a little more carefully. Emma is impersonating autotune with the way she uses sideways yodeling and as I don't like autotune, I don't really dig what she does, even though she does it really well!
Jehad Landajol
And also the thing is, emma robinson does it naturally
Mal Webb
@Jehad Landajol It is intriguing that Emma has grown up hearing autotune and, as you say, naturally found a way to impersonate it, but has made it her own thing which, to me, on hearing her more recent recordings, sounds sooo much better than the thing she was originally impersonating!
Subarashii kylox
@Mal Webb look up beatboxers they nailed this technique
Sonia H
Would you mind doing a video breaking down the mechanics a little more for those who are completely uninitiated?