Album: Running With Scissors (1999)

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Songfacts®:

• Yankovic described this as a hard-driving rock narrative in the vein of acts like The Rugburns, Mojo Nixon, and George Thorogood, but "a little more ridiculous." Clocking in at more than 11 minutes, it's an exhausting song to perform live - but he never thought he'd have to.
  
  "I thought it wasn't going to be a big fan-favorite," he told the AV Club in 2011. "I specifically put it on the end of the album because I thought that I'm going to make this song so long that people are only gonna want to hear it once. It would be like an odyssey that they go through once, and they go, 'Ah, I survived. I made it all the way to the end,' but it wound up being one of my more popular songs, and people listened to it over and over, they memorized the words."
• The CD lyrics booklet does not contain all of the lyrics to the song. It says: "... you know what? The rest of these lyrics aren't gonna fit on here. There's just no room left. What a drag, huh? I guess we didn't plan this out very well... probably should've used a smaller font or a bigger piece of paper or something. Sorry. We all feel just horrible about this. Well, I guess you'll have to listen really carefully and try to figure out the words yourself. Good luck." >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Kevin - Flower Mound, TX
• This is the closing track from Yankovic's 10th studio album, Running With Scissors. The album opens with another lengthy tune, "The Saga Begins," a parody of Don McLean's "American Pie," that outlines the plot of Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace.

Comments: 18

• Lukas from Philadelphia PaAlbuquerque Albuquerque Albuquerque Albuquerque I said a a ll bb u u querque querque
• Rinnyrinesauce from IdiotlandAlbuquerque certified.
• Patrick from Wahiawa, HiUh oh, Arlo Guthrie's discovered Speed!
• Jason from Morganton, GaIt is not a parody of a song. It is a parody of a style, which really makes it more of a tribute than a parody. However, this is indeed as original a song as any song you hear and think "that reminds me of ..."
• Jay from Brooklyn, NyI have never heard this song - I just discovered the lyrics while wandering randomly around Songfacts, so perhaps my opinion is not the most valid - but the song seems to me to be a stylistic parody of "Alice's Restaurant Massacree."
• Faro from Albany, GaThis song is really funny. I was able to repeat every word (almost) exactly after the first time. The words just stuck.
• Kate from Forked River, NjHe played this song at both of the concerts I went to, in Westbury and in Atlantic City.
• Logan from Troy, MtTo all those people who don't think this song isn't a parody of something... sad to say but... It is.
  
  Like "Dare to be Stupid" is a parody of Devo's sound, "Albuquerque" is in fact, a parody of another band. Ready for whom?
  
  It's the Rugburns' "Dick's Automotive". That song goes on endlessly too, it's spoken for the most part, and it stops to say the chorus every couple of bars.
  
  If you haven't heard it, check it out.
• Stephanie from Edmonton, AbThis was the encore for the tour he played in Edmonton. I also Hate Sauerkraut!!! :)
• Aaron from East Syracuse,new York, NyDood u guys have no idea the work that Al put into this song. Do you Realize thas its the only truly Original song that he did? No respect at all. if i were you, i would get off this forum and do some serious soul searching.If you still feel like you need to keep mocking his song after that, you should get a life.
• Brad from Knoxville, TnWOOOOOOOOOO!!!! weird al rules!! none of his songs really carry any important meaning but they will make you laugh until your head explodes!!!!!!!!!
• James from Gettysburg, PaMe and my brothers discovered this song at the back of the the Running with Scissors album, and we laughed our asses off. This is his funniest song, bar none.
• Matthew from Milford, MaThis song doesn't really parody anything specific, but it may be a general parody; "Dare to Be Stupid" parodies Devo, so this could imitate a particular band or be a parody of a particular genre.
• J.d. from Detroit, MiI sent the lyrics to my sister, who asked what tune goes with the lyrics. My guess it that it is a "talking blues" spoken over a G/C/D/G cord progression. I could also blow some harp lyrics if I could find my G harp and holder. She also asked what song it is a parody of. I am not all that familiar with Wierd Al's songs, but I know that many of them are parodies--(my most recently acquired W.A.Y. song is "Another One Gets on the Bus." Anyone else out there have an idea what song "Albuqerque" parodies?--J.D., Detroit
• Darrell from EugeneSpeaking of the Sizzler, the one near me has been replaced with a Boston Chicken outlet, and I have one of the Sizzler T-shirts that was intended for someone half my age yet still makes this 64-year-old coot look sexy on behalf of the name on the front. Yes, I admit, I am old enough to be the father or even grandfather of most Weird Al fans, but I still love his music, and the only thing that I like sauerkraut on is a good kosher hot dog.
• Matthew from Milford, MaI swear, the song is, like, 12 minutes long!
• Ralph from Newton, MaJust as I suspected, It's a fat hermaphrodite with one nostril and a Flock-of-Seagulls haircut. Man I hate it when I'm right.
• Tony from Topeka, KsThis is more of an elaborate spoken story than a song, but I like it. I HATE SAUERKRAUT!!

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