White And Nerdy by Weird Al Yankovic

Album: Straight Outta Lynwood (2006)

Charted: 9

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Songfacts®:

"White And Nerdy" is a parody of Chamillionaire's "Ridin." While Chamillionaire has to watch out for the law because he's "ridin' dirty," Weird Al is just white and nerdy. It pokes fun at the white guys who want to be black and gangster, even though they are actually geeks and nerds. >>
Suggestion credit:
Ryan - Ottawa, Canada
The album title is a play on "Straight Outta Compton," which was an album and song by gangsta rap group N.W.A.
"Nerdy" implies great at math and science but socially unskilled. Weird Al claims to be a nerd himself, and said he had been researching his whole life for this song. >>
Suggestion credit:
Ryan - Acushnet, MA
The Renaissance Faire mentioned in the lyrics is a festival in which participants dress in Renaissance costumes. American geeks tend to be anachronistic, enjoying futuristic things like Star Trek and romanticized old fashioned activities like Renaissance Faires. >>
Suggestion credit:
Bertrand - Paris, France, for above 2
Donny Osmond appears in the video, dancing behind Weird Al in the role that Krayzie Bone plays in "Ridin." The man in the background during the line "all my action figures are cherry" is Seth Green. Weird Al asked them to appear in the video because of their undeniable whiteness.

Donny Osmond danced for the full three minutes of the song in one take.
In the video, when it shows Al's Top 8 MySpace friends, they are: Bill Gates, Napoleon Dynamite, Mr. Peabody, Albert Einstein, Screech (from Saved by the Bell), Frodo Baggins, Pee Wee Herman and Tom. All of these people are notably white.

For those who don't remember MySpace, it was a social network that assigned you a friend when you signed up: Tom, the founder of the service. You would select eight friends to appear on your homepage, a mark of honor. Leaving Tom in the Top 8 was a sign of laziness or indifference. >>
Suggestion credit:
Jessie Steele - Bartlett, TN, for above 2
This was "Weird Al" Yankovic's first Top 10 hit on the Hot 100. According to Billboard, the parodist holds the record for the longest journey from a debut Hot 100 appearance to a first Top 10 entry. "Weird Al" had a wait of 23 years, five months and three weeks from his initial Hot 100 hit, 1983's "Ricky," until this first Top 10 tune.
Yankovic said that this is his most autobiographical song. He told the Washington Post, "I was two years younger than everybody in school. I didn't go through puberty at the same time. I didn't learn to drive at the same time. I was a straight-A student, a high school valedictorian. I was always the nerdy kid."

Comments: 26

Moosehead from ScAL is fantastic. i love Eat it when i was 13 and my 13 year old son loves all of his stuff now, 40 years later! gotta go to spatula city!!! go RJ!
Christa from Colorado Springs, CoI registered on this site just to tell you that it's "keep your 40" (keep the 40 belonging to you), not "keep you're forty" (keep you are forty; makes no sense). Also, there are no hyphens in "MIT", "HTML", or "ROTFLOL". Furthermore... this song is awesome and I listen to it over and over and never get tired of it :-D.
Chris from Norman, OkThis may not be a popular comment but it takes a lot of talent to do what he does. I hope he never stops.
Jadon from Port Saint Lucie, FlI love Weird Al, the video and song! I know all the words and scenes by heart. The cameos are awesome. I like the way it parodies "Ridin'" also. BTW Donny Osmond's moves are the best! Oh, also, in the beginning "Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key of MADtv appear in the blue 1967 Chevy Impala convertible" (from Wikipedia). Those guys look nothing like Chamillionaire though.
Luke from Manchester, England"i don't like this song"
- Bob Santini, modesto, CA

So why the hell did you log in to comment!?
Elizabeth from Anytown, IlOmg WIN!
Ivy from Springfield, NeLol I LOVE when he says Holy Cow. That's possibly the whitest expression out there!
Liesa from Roy, UtI love Weird Al's music. It's always good for times when you just need a good laugh haha
Alan from Rochester, NyI've liked Weird Al's stuff for years, I know he had some big hits in the 80s, but I was glad to see him get some "mainstream credit" back when this was real big.
Great song, I admit some of it definitely applies to me. ;)
Keith from Missoula, MtThe equation that appears in the background in the music video around 1:21 is the Schroedinger equation, a differential equation used to predict the location of quantum mechanical particles.
Bearnie from Walnut Grove,at the beginning of the video, chamillionaire appears to be in the car
Lucy from Rhinebeck, NyMy favorite line of this song is "whiter than sour cream." Hilarious! In the music video, my favorite was when he finally got the Star Wars video and he made that funny face.
Kc from Garden City, MiThe blury picture on his Top 8 is actually Screech from "Saved by the Bell"
Joe from Chicago, IlThe video features a flaming Pac-Man in the back.
Miles from Vancouver, Canada"M.C. Escher, that's my favorite M.C."
"I'm fluent in Klingon and Javascript"

Simply hilarious
Brad from Knoxville, TnI dont really know what to say about this song besides its pretty much the most awesome song thats ever been in my ears !!!!!!!!
Chris from Claremont, CaWE LOVE HISTORY IN ALL ITS FORMS!!! HUZZAH!
Tyler from Toronto, CanadaI believe that the Lynwood Al is referencing is in California and is a suburb of LA. Considering thats where Weird Al was born.
Madison from Blackwell, Oki like this song even though it says im tryin to be gangsta....but i am truly white and nerdy...and proud of it!!
Ryan from Acushnet, MaThis Song is definatly one of my favorites when it comes to Weird Al
Jenifer from Falls Church, VaFACT: The video parodies Chamillionaire's "Ridin' Dirty" video and features a "thugged out" Donny Osmond! HILARIOUS!!
Bob Santini from Modesto, Ca i don't like this song
Rob from Highland, InLynwood is in Nort-East Illinois
Mike from Petersham, MaI love this song but I hate it because it describes me trying to be gangsta.
Dee from Northfield, IlHey Johnny, you should know since it's in your area!
Johnny from Los Angeles, CaThis song is hilarious, and so is the video. Where is Lynwood?