Album: Mandatory Fun (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is a parody of Pharrell Williams' "Happy," an upbeat anthem from Despicable Me 2 that topped charts around the world in 2013, including the US Billboard Hot 100 and R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and the UK Singles Chart.
  • Al took aim at two other Pharrell-produced hits on this album: Robin Thicke's controversial "Blurred Lines" (as "Word Crimes") and Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" in his "NOW That's What I Call Polka!" medley. It wasn't an easy sell, at first. The ever-scrupulous comedian was having trouble getting through the throng of executives in Pharrell's camp to get the singer's permission, so he craftily obtained his personal email address to send a direct message. Al told Billboard: "He sent me a very sweet email back immediately saying he'd be honored. I was just blown away. He was just the sweetest guy."
  • The song's lyrics list all the ways Al is tacky, from his questionable attire - "wearing stripes with plaid" and "lovely pink sequined Crocs" - to his cheap behavior - "we can go to see a show, but I'll make ya pay."
  • The music video features several comedians, including Aisha Tyler, Margaret Cho and Jack Black, badly lip-synching to Al's vocals while showcasing even worse dance moves. Al insists the entire video was filmed in one long shot: "While it looks like there MIGHT have been an edit somewhere, I absolutely guarantee you, that was all done in ONE CONTINUOUS SHOT. That was a bit of a challenge for me, because I start the video on a 5th floor fire escape, and I reappear on street level wearing completely different clothes. That means - for EVERY TAKE - as soon as the camera was off me I had to run down 5 flights of stairs WHILE CHANGING MY CLOTHES so I could be on camera again at the end. Definitely got my workout THAT day!"
  • What does the "Tacky" video have in common with The Big Lebowski? Both were filmed at the Palace Theatre in Los Angeles. The 1998 movie used the venue as Maude Lebowski's (Julianne Moore) apartment.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Kristian Bush of Sugarland

Kristian Bush of SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Kristian talks songwriting technique, like how the chorus should redefine the story, and how to write a song backwards.

Christmas Songs

Christmas SongsFact or Fiction

Rudolf, Bob Dylan and the Singing Dogs all show up in this Fact or Fiction for seasonal favorites.

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

Gary Numan

Gary NumanSongwriter Interviews

An Electronic music pioneer with Asperger's Syndrome. This could be interesting.

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")Song Writing

Wes Edwards takes us behind the scenes of videos he shot for Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Chase Bryant. The train was real - the airplane was not.