Headline News (song)
Encyclopedia
"Headline News" is a parody song by "Weird Al" Yankovic
. It is a parody of the Crash Test Dummies
's 1993
hit "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
".
The promo single only contains "Headline News".
. The song was never officially released on a studio album and was formerly available as a CD single
, the cover of which was a parody of the Crash Test Dummies
album God Shuffled His Feet
. The song, however, does appear on Yankovic's Greatest Hits Volume II album.
hit "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
" which told the story of three abnormal children, tells the story of three famous tabloid stories of the mid 1990s: Singapore
caning
American delinquent Michael Fay
, figure skater Tonya Harding
's then-boyfriend attacking her rival Nancy Kerrigan
, and Lorena Bobbitt severing her husband's penis
with a knife
.
Other humor revolves around the fact that many of the parody lyrics mimic the lyrics of the original song:
More humor is derived from the fact that Yankovic imitates the Crash Test Dummies lead vocalist, Brad Roberts
' deep bass voice and his peculiar vocal expressions.
concert tour contains new lyrics as part of the medley, referencing Britney Spears
, dealing with her 2007 head-shaving shock and underpants-less limousine
trip in late 2006:
Later in the tour, he changed it to reference Paris Hilton
's DUI and imprisonment, and subsequent interview on Larry King Live
:
(Note: in some performances, the last two lines were sung as
for "Headline News" parodies the "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" video. The video uses the original video's theme of telling each news story as a one act play on stage before an audience of people. The video is included on "Weird Al"'s DVD "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection.
"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...
. It is a parody of the Crash Test Dummies
Crash Test Dummies
The Crash Test Dummies is a Canadian folk rock/alternative rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, widely known for their 1993 single "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm".The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts and his distinctive bass-baritone voice...
's 1993
1993 in music
This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.-January–February:*January 8 – The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992....
hit "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
"Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" is a single by the Canadian folk-rock group Crash Test Dummies, featured on their 1993 album God Shuffled His Feet.-CD maxi:# "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" — 3:53# "Here I Stand Before Me" — 3:07...
".
Track listing
The following tracks are on the single:- "Headline News" – 3:46
- "Christmas at Ground Zero (Alternate Mix)" – 3:07
The promo single only contains "Headline News".
Release
The "Headline News" CD single was released to coincide with the release of the box set entitled Permanent Record: Al in the BoxPermanent Record: Al in the Box
Permanent Record: Al in the Box is a four disc compilation boxed set of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It features his favorite songs from his first eight studio albums, plus alternate versions of "My Bologna", "Happy Birthday", "UHF", and the previously unavailable new single, "Headline News"...
. The song was never officially released on a studio album and was formerly available as a CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
, the cover of which was a parody of the Crash Test Dummies
Crash Test Dummies
The Crash Test Dummies is a Canadian folk rock/alternative rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, widely known for their 1993 single "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm".The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts and his distinctive bass-baritone voice...
album God Shuffled His Feet
God Shuffled His Feet
The album was the band's biggest mainstream hit. Allmusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine, who gave it 4½ out of 5 stars, attributes the album's success to "Jerry Harrison's remarkably clear and focused production" and that "apart from the relatively concise pop smarts of the singles "Mmm Mmm Mmm...
. The song, however, does appear on Yankovic's Greatest Hits Volume II album.
Lyrics
Part of the humor of the song lies in that it, being a reworking of the Crash Test DummiesCrash Test Dummies
The Crash Test Dummies is a Canadian folk rock/alternative rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, widely known for their 1993 single "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm".The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts and his distinctive bass-baritone voice...
hit "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
"Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" is a single by the Canadian folk-rock group Crash Test Dummies, featured on their 1993 album God Shuffled His Feet.-CD maxi:# "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" — 3:53# "Here I Stand Before Me" — 3:07...
" which told the story of three abnormal children, tells the story of three famous tabloid stories of the mid 1990s: Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
caning
Caning
Caning is a form of corporal punishment consisting of a number of hits with a single cane usually made of rattan, generally applied to the offender's bare or clothed buttocks or hand . Application of a cane to the knuckles or the shoulders has been much less common...
American delinquent Michael Fay
Michael P. Fay
Michael Peter Fay is an American who briefly shot to international notoriety when he was sentenced to caning in Singapore as an 18-year-old in 1994 for theft and vandalism...
, figure skater Tonya Harding
Tonya Harding
Tonya Maxine Harding is an American figure skating champion. In 1991 she won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and placed second in the World Championships. She was the second woman, and the first American woman, to complete a triple axel jump in competition...
's then-boyfriend attacking her rival Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Ann Kerrigan is a two-time American Olympic figure skating medalist and 1993 U.S. champion.-Early life and skating career:...
, and Lorena Bobbitt severing her husband's penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
with a knife
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
.
Other humor revolves around the fact that many of the parody lyrics mimic the lyrics of the original song:
- Original: Once there was this kid who got into an accident and couldn't come to school
- Parody: Once there was this kid who took a trip to SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and brought along his spray paint
- Original: Once there was this girl who wouldn't go and change with the girls in the changing room
- Parody: Once there was this girl who swore that one day she would be a figure skating champion
- Original: Then there was this boy whose parents made him come directly home right after school
- Parody: Then there was this guy who made his wifeWifeA wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
so mad one night that she cut off his wiener
More humor is derived from the fact that Yankovic imitates the Crash Test Dummies lead vocalist, Brad Roberts
Brad Roberts
Bradley Kenneth "Brad" Roberts is the lead singer and guitarist for the Canadian folk-rock band Crash Test Dummies. He sings in the bass-baritone range.-Career:...
' deep bass voice and his peculiar vocal expressions.
Concert lyrics
Yankovic's 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...
concert tour contains new lyrics as part of the medley, referencing Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, dealing with her 2007 head-shaving shock and underpants-less limousine
Limousine
A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
trip in late 2006:
- Once, there was this girl who
- Rode around in limousines and didn't wear her undies
- And when she finally cracked up
- She shaved all of the hair off of her head
- We couldn't understand it
- It'd always just been there
- Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
Later in the tour, he changed it to reference Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
's DUI and imprisonment, and subsequent interview on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
:
- Once, there was this girl who
- Got herself a DUI and went away to prison
- And when she finally came back
- She spoke with Larry King on his talk show
- Can someone tell me why we
- Should give a crap about this
- Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
(Note: in some performances, the last two lines were sung as
- He couldn't quite explain why
- Anybody should care...)
Music video
The music videoMusic 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...
for "Headline News" parodies the "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" video. The video uses the original video's theme of telling each news story as a one act play on stage before an audience of people. The video is included on "Weird Al"'s DVD "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection.
- Both videos feature a little person handing out programs, but in the Yankovic version, the person is shirtless
- Yankovic appears as Brad Roberts, the Crash Test Dummies lead vocalist.
- Al, throughout the video, parodies Brad Roberts' rather peculiar facial expressions.
- The video features several cameos, including an appearance by Doug Llewelyn of People's CourtThe People's CourtThe People's Court is a US television court show in which small claims court cases are heard, though what is shown is actually a binding arbitration....
fame, and long time radio show host, and Yankovic supporter, Dr. DementoDr. DementoBarret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
. - The gate that Michael Fay steps off has the number '27' on it, a number which Yankovic often hides somewhere in his music, videos, or albums.
- Michael Fay sprays paint in the face of a Singaporean.
- During the shot of the Singapore prison, a hockey stick can be seen hanging on the wall of instruments of torture. This is possibly a reference to the fact that the Crash Test Dummies came from Canada.
- In the middle of the video, Rubén ValtierraRubén ValtierraRubén Valtierra is the keyboardist best known for working with "Weird Al" Yankovic. The two met at the Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary special in October 1991. Shortly after, Yankovic invited him to join his band as a touring keyboardist, and they have worked together ever since...
is seen wearing a wig while playing the piano, an obvious jest at Ellen ReidEllen ReidEllen Reid provides backing vocals, piano, keyboards and accordion for the Canadian rock band Crash Test Dummies....
, the main keyboard player for the Crash Test Dummies. - The book that Michael Fay supposedly wrote was called "Ouch! My Butt!" and had a picture of him pointing to his afflicted area. He also 'signs' the books by spraying spray paint on the inside jacket.
- Judy TenutaJudy TenutaJudy Tenuta is an American entertainer, actress, comedienne, author, producer and accordionist.-Early life:...
is uncredited as Lorena Bobbitt. - John Bobbitt is evidently clueless as to where his penis is, searching inside his refrigerator. He pulls out a pack of frankfurters, stares at them for several seconds, and tosses them aside with a despondent look on his face.
- At one point in the video, a velvet pictureVelvet paintingA velvet painting is a type of painting distinguished by the use of velvet as the support, in place of canvas, paper, or similar materials. The velvet provides an especially dark background against which colors stand out brightly....
of Elvis Presley is seen hanging on the wall. This is likely a reference to the song "Velvet Elvis" from Yankovic's album Even WorseEven WorseEven Worse is the fifth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1988. The album was the fifth produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer...
. - The second time Al hums, black duct tape can be seen taped over his mouth.
- As Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan fight on the ice skating rink, four judges each hold up a sign, saying "9.7," "8.3," "9.4," and "7.6." Also, while Harding is beating Kerrigan up on the ground, it is clearly seen that Harding is fighting a dummy.
- If you sum the first two judge signs (9+7=16 (8+3=11 (16+11))), you get 27.
- As Tonya Harding is at a news conference sobbing her story, Kerrigan comes, shoves her out of the way, and mouths the words "Why me?" before Harding pulls her down.
- Near the end, the camera moves to a different viewpoint. Al, still humming, leans back on his stool to remain in view and eventually falls off. Manualist "Musical Mike" Keifer can be seen on a platform above him.
- At the end of the "play," the main players, all holding hands, take a bow. Afterwards, Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding, who are right next to each other, shake their hands loose.
- At the end of the video, Yankovic's hair becomes a little less styled, and he is playing his accordion.
- As the video closes, instead of parents as in the original video, odd couples are seen leaving; an insane man with a dog puppet on his hand with an attractive woman, an elderly upper class man (Dr. DementoDr. DementoBarret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
) with a lower class overweight woman with curlers, a man with a "punk" girlfriend, and Doug Llewelyn with a large sumo wrestler wearing an unbuttoned shirt. - Even though in the video the man hits Nancy Kerrigan's right knee, at the end when all of the characters are on stage you see that her left knee is the one that's bandaged.
Chart positions
| Chart (1994) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
4 |