- Close but No Cigar (song)
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This article is about the Weird Al Yankovic song. For the track of the same name by the British musician Thomas Dolby, see Thomas Dolby.
"Close But No Cigar"
"Close But No Cigar" coverSong by "Weird Al" Yankovic from the album Straight Outta Lynwood Released September 24, 2006 Genre Comedy, Alternative rock Length 3:55 Label Volcano Writer "Weird Al" Yankovic Producer "Weird Al" Yankovic Straight Outta Lynwood track listing - "White & Nerdy"
- "Pancreas"
- "Canadian Idiot"
- "I'll Sue Ya"
- "Polkarama!"
- "Virus Alert"
- "Confessions Part III"
- "Weasel Stomping Day"
- "Close But No Cigar"
- "Do I Creep You Out"
- "Trapped in the Drive-Thru"
- "Don't Download This Song"
"Close But No Cigar" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on his album Straight Outta Lynwood. A style parody of the band Cake, the song recounts the narrator's relationships with three attractive and near-ideal women, each of which ends when he perceives a minor flaw in her character or appearance. He dumps each one for her slight imperfection with the catchphrase, "close, but no cigar." The narrator never explains why he himself might deserve or personally equal the standards of which he applies to them.
A music video was released on Straight Outta Lynwood's DualDisc, created by The Ren and Stimpy Show creator John Kricfalusi & Katie Rice.
Contents
Song
The song's lyrics describe three women: Jillian, who was "sweeter than aspartame", but who always incorrectly used the word infer in place of imply; Janet, with a "body hotter than a habanero", but who owned a copy of Joe Dirt on DVD; and Julie, a "world famous billionaire bikini supermodel astrophysicist" who had an earlobe that was "...just a little tiny bit too big". Every time the narrator leaves one of the women, he contrasts their relationship with an activity that presumably doesn't need complete accuracy: horseshoes, hand grenades, and government work. Yankovic was inspired to write the song based on a friend of his, who displayed similar tendencies when dating others and generally breaking off the relationship after finding nitpicks that other people would commonly overlook.[1]
The song is muscially a style parody of Cake.[1] Yankovic and Cake's lead singer, John McCrea, are close friends, and Yankovic thought it would be "fun" to create a song in "distinct style".[1] Cake typically uses the vibraslap, electric country guitar, a single trumpet, and syncopated, almost spoken, lyrics. Yankovic borrows much of the music from a selection of Cake's songs, mostly from the album Comfort Eagle:
- "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" contributed the end chorus (most notably the backing "Nah Nah Nah" part). The lyrical theme for "Close But No Cigar" is also very similar.
- "Opera Singer" contributed the guitar part.
- "Love You Madly" contributed the bass line and the backing trumpet solo.
- The song ends with unaccompanied horn and guitar as in "Sheep Go to Heaven" from Prolonging the Magic.
Music video
John Kricfalusi directed this video for Weird Al. Cigarettes the Cat from John's cartoon Weekend Pussy Hunt played a big role in the video, similar to how John's character Jimmy the Idiot Boy played a major role in the music video John made for Björk's song "I Miss You." Katie Rice lent a hand by drawing and animating the girls and the cats in the crowd sequence. Kricfalusi, an animation historian, included a sequence that includes some caricatures of both Tweety Bird and Mickey Mouse. Kricfalusi included his signature gross out humor in sequences featuring a female's nude buttocks in a bathtub, "a big, fat slobbering pig" blowing up, a cat eating a woman's face and a cat urinating in a very unclean urinal.
References
- ^ a b c Rabin, Nathan (2011-06-29). "“Weird Al” Yankovic". A.V. Club. http://www.avclub.com/articles/weird-al-yankovic,58244/. Retrieved 2011-06-29.
See also
- List of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic
External links
"Weird Al" Yankovic "Weird Al" Yankovic · Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz · Steve Jay · Jim West · Rubén Valtierra
Rick DerringerStudio albums "Weird Al" Yankovic · "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D · Dare to Be Stupid · Polka Party! · Even Worse · Peter and the Wolf (with Wendy Carlos) · UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff · Off the Deep End · Alapalooza · Bad Hair Day · Running with Scissors · Poodle Hat · Straight Outta Lynwood · AlpocalypseEPs Compilations Eat It · The Official Music of "Weird Al" Yankovic · Greatest Hits · The Best of Yankovic · The Food Album · Permanent Record: Al in the Box · Greatest Hits Vol. II · The TV Album · The Saga Begins · The Essential "Weird Al" YankovicSingles "My Bologna" · "Another One Rides the Bus" · "Ricky" · "I Love Rocky Road" · "Eat It" · "King of Suede" · "I Lost on Jeopardy" · "This Is the Life" · "Like a Surgeon" · "I Want a New Duck" · "One More Minute" · "Hooked on Polkas" · "Dare to Be Stupid" · "Living with a Hernia" · "Christmas at Ground Zero" · "Fat" · "Lasagna" · "I Think I'm a Clone Now" · "UHF" · "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies*" · "Isle Thing" · "Smells Like Nirvana" · "You Don't Love Me Anymore" · "Taco Grande" · "Jurassic Park" · "Bedrock Anthem" · "Achy Breaky Song" · "Headline News" · "Amish Paradise" · "Gump" · "Spy Hard" · "The Night Santa Went Crazy" · "The Saga Begins" · "It's All About the Pentiums" · "Polka Power!" · "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi" · "You're Pitiful" · "Don't Download This Song" · "White & Nerdy" · "Canadian Idiot" · "eBay" · "Whatever You Like" · "Craigslist" · "Skipper Dan" · "CNR" · "Ringtone" · "Perform This Way"Videography Al TV · The Compleat Al · UHF · The "Weird Al" Yankovic Video Library · Alapalooza: The Videos · "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Collection · Bad Hair Day: The Videos · The Weird Al Show · "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Videos · "Weird Al" Yankovic Live! · "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection · "Weird Al" Yankovic Live! – The Alpocalypse TourRelated articles TV shows Internet shorts Cartoon Network Boo Boo Runs Wild • A Day in the Life of Ranger Smith • The Jetsons: Father & Son Day • The Jetsons: The Best Son • Boo Boo and the ManMusic videos "I Miss You" • "Fuck Her Gently"Video games Characters Key people Animated TV series The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991–1996) · The Ripping Friends (2001–2002) · Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon" (2003)Character voice work Animated web series Cartoon Network Boo Boo Runs Wild · A Day in the Life of Ranger Smith · The Jetsons: Father & Son Day · The Jetsons: The Best Son · Boo Boo and the ManMusic videos Video games Other work Production company Categories:- Spümcø
- "Weird Al" Yankovic songs
- Songs written by "Weird Al" Yankovic
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