Canadian Idiot
Encyclopedia
"Canadian Idiot" is a 2006 song and single by "Weird Al" Yankovic
from his album Straight Outta Lynwood
. It is a parody of Green Day
's "American Idiot
". The song is mostly a sarcastic parody of the stereotypical American
view of the Canadian way of life. Yankovic pokes fun at an accentuated Canadian accent
and the Canadians' love of ice hockey
, beer
, macaroni and cheese
, and doughnuts. At the end of the song, Al says that the Canadians are "up to something" and calls for a "preemptive strike
".
. Although it has not been released as a tangible single in the U.S., promo CDs were pressed in Australia and shipped to radio stations to play.
Tour. The song was first performed in Canada on June 20, 2007 in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
. After the song Weird Al bellowed "That was the first time we've played that song in Canada, thanks for not killing us". For the song's live performances, Yankovic and the band wear black
collared shirt
s and red
ties
, similar to what Billie Joe Armstrong
wore in all American Idiot
-related band photos
, tours and music video
s. Al has also sung the "Call of the Loon" (the signature tune of Bob & Doug McKenzie
on SCTV
) during the main guitar riff in his live shows.
ran a contest for the song on their website, which ended December 27, 2006. Entrants had to submit a video of themselves being the "ultimate Canadian idiot." Five winning clips were to be shown on Much On Demand. The project was canceled due to lack of submissions. However, a recent update has brought the project back, and the five finalists received digital cameras and a personalized recording from Yankovic himself.
, lead singer of Green Day, after being asked what he thought of the "Canadian Idiot" parody before its release, stated:
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
from his album Straight Outta Lynwood
Straight Outta Lynwood
Straight Outta Lynwood is the 12th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on September 26, 2006 in the U.S. by Volcano, on September 30, 2006 in Australia, on October 3 in Canada, on October 6, 2006 in New Zealand, November 13, 2006 in the United Kingdom, and November 24, 2006 in...
. It is a parody of Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
's "American Idiot
American Idiot (song)
"American Idiot" is a song by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as the first single from their album of the same name.Released in 2004, the single peaked at #61 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Green Day's first Billboard Hot 100 chart entry , helping revive the band's career...
". The song is mostly a sarcastic parody of the stereotypical American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
view of the Canadian way of life. Yankovic pokes fun at an accentuated Canadian accent
Canadian raising
Canadian raising is a phonetic phenomenon that occurs in varieties of the English language, especially Canadian English, in which certain diphthongs are "raised" before voiceless consonants...
and the Canadians' love of ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
, macaroni and cheese
Macaroni and cheese
Macaroni and cheese, also known as "mac and cheese", "macaroni cheese" in British English, or "macaroni pie" in Caribbean English, is a casserole consisting of cooked macaroni and cheese sauce...
, and doughnuts. At the end of the song, Al says that the Canadians are "up to something" and calls for a "preemptive strike
Preemptive war
A preemptive war is a war that is commenced in an attempt to repel or defeat a perceived inevitable offensive or invasion, or to gain a strategic advantage in an impending war before that threat materializes. It is a war which preemptively 'breaks the peace'. The term: 'preemptive war' is...
".
Release
"Canadian Idiot" was never meant to be released as a single in the United States, but showed up on the Billboard charts nonetheless. It reached No. 82 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Although it has not been released as a tangible single in the U.S., promo CDs were pressed in Australia and shipped to radio stations to play.
Live performances
The song is performed in Yankovic's 2007 Straight Outta LynwoodStraight Outta Lynwood
Straight Outta Lynwood is the 12th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on September 26, 2006 in the U.S. by Volcano, on September 30, 2006 in Australia, on October 3 in Canada, on October 6, 2006 in New Zealand, November 13, 2006 in the United Kingdom, and November 24, 2006 in...
Tour. The song was first performed in Canada on June 20, 2007 in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. After the song Weird Al bellowed "That was the first time we've played that song in Canada, thanks for not killing us". For the song's live performances, Yankovic and the band wear black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
collared shirt
Shirt
A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for almost any garment other than outerwear such as sweaters, coats, jackets, or undergarments such as bras, vests or base layers...
s and red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
ties
Necktie
A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...
, similar to what Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong is an American rock musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, main songwriter and lead guitarist for the American punk rock band Green Day...
wore in all American Idiot
American Idiot
American Idiot is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released on September 21, 2004 through Reprise Records and was produced by longtime collaborator Rob Cavallo. In mid-2003, the band began recording songs for an album entitled Cigarettes and Valentines...
-related band photos
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
, tours and music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s. Al has also sung the "Call of the Loon" (the signature tune of Bob & Doug McKenzie
Bob and Doug McKenzie
Bob and Doug McKenzie are a pair of fictional Canadian brothers who hosted "Great White North", a sketch which was introduced on SCTV for the show's third season when it moved to CBC Television in 1980. Bob is played by Rick Moranis and Doug is played by Dave Thomas...
on SCTV
Second City Television
Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.- Premise :...
) during the main guitar riff in his live shows.
Music video
MuchMusicMuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
ran a contest for the song on their website, which ended December 27, 2006. Entrants had to submit a video of themselves being the "ultimate Canadian idiot." Five winning clips were to be shown on Much On Demand. The project was canceled due to lack of submissions. However, a recent update has brought the project back, and the five finalists received digital cameras and a personalized recording from Yankovic himself.
Reaction from original artist
Billie Joe ArmstrongBillie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong is an American rock musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, main songwriter and lead guitarist for the American punk rock band Green Day...
, lead singer of Green Day, after being asked what he thought of the "Canadian Idiot" parody before its release, stated:
Chart positions
| Chart (2006) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
82 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
57 |