Album: Poodle Hat (2003)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is a parody of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues." The song is done completely in palindromes, for instance: "Madam I'm Adam." >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Ryan - Ottawa, Canada
  • Yankovic wrote this in 2002, a year that's also a palindrome, and it got him thinking about the topic. He told Lily Hirsch, author of Weird Al: Seriously, that he thought, "Well, I wonder if I could write a song completely out of palindromes?

    So I started putting the rhymes together and putting the verses together and basically making a poem out of these palindromes. And I looked at them and I thought, 'Well, this … this is really just random jumble, but it looks like it should mean something.'"

    That's when he realized it was all rather Dylanesque: "I've written a Bob Dylan song."
  • When Hirsch asked Yankovic about his approach to composition, he used "Bob" as an example, saying, "I think mostly I come up with the lyrics first and then figure out what kind of genre to apply it. Or sometimes I come up with a concept and I know what kind of genre I'm writing. But I don't usually write the music first."
  • Poodle Hat, Yankovic's 11th studio album, was released four years after his previous album, Running With Scissors. He was quite busy in the interim: He got married, bought a house, and welcomed a daughter, Nina.
  • Poodle Hat won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 2004 - Yankovic's first Grammy win since "Fat" was named Best Concept Music Video in 1989.

    From 1993 to 2003, his musical comedy albums weren't eligible for consideration for Best Comedy Album because the category was changed to Best Spoken Word Comedy. In 2004, it reverted to Best Comedy Album and opened the door for Yankovic's nomination and subsequent win.

Comments: 7

  • Mcclenny1 from Allen TxI hadnt figured this song out, until we saw Al in concert in Grand Prairie, and found that every line is a palindrome
  • AnonymousThis is a work of true genius, an absolute masterpiece.
  • Ryan from Somewhere In, NjThat is the best video ever. I've practically memorized the lyrics!
  • Robert from Denver, CoThis song is absolutely brilliant. I love the complexity of the palindromes and the way they all perfectly rhyme. The man is a genius.
  • Chris from Claremont, CaI am HUGE fans of two artists, Michael Jackson and "Weird Al" Yankovic
  • Ralph from Newton, MaActually Al calls this type of song a style piece. His best one is probably "Dare to be Stupid" which totally captures Devo's style in both sound and lyrics. Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo says that that song came out when Devo was unable to recreate their own sound and he hates Al for being able to do them better than they could at that difficult time for the band.
  • Alex from New Orleans, LaIt's not really a parody so much as a style parody. But the video does copy Dylan's "video"
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo Lyric

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo LyricMusic Quiz

In this quiz, spot the artist who put Romeo into a song lyric.

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Shawn Mullins

Shawn MullinsSongwriter Interviews

"Lullaby" singer Shawn Mullins on "Beautiful Wreck," beating the Devil, and his writing credit on the Zac Brown Band song "Toes."

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"They're Playing My Song

"How much does it cost? I'll buy it?" Another songwriter told Jonathan to change these lyrics. Good thing he ignored this advice.