Weird Al's "Whatever You Like"

I am an unabashed Weird Al fan. Apart from his spectacular musicianship, his ability to observe and lampoon the absurdities of modern life are beyond compare. After more than 2 decades in the industry, Al is still the undisputed champ of musical parody.

This summer, rapper T.I. released "Whatever You Like", a song about his own extravagant lifestyle, where he lavishly spoils his love with an array of luxuries--cars, cash, tropical vacations, and so on. Some lines include:

You know it ain't nothin' to drop a couple stacks on you...
Five million dollar home, drop Bently's I swear

My chick could have what she want.
And go in any store for any bag she want.

I'll gas up the jet for you tonight
Baby, you can go wherever you like

Gas up the jet? Hey, man, what the heck? What about Tom Friedman's "Code Green". I mean, this a serious breach of environmental responsibility! All joking aside, what's frightening is that this song (which music-wise is mediocre at best), was at number 1 for 7 weeks. It shows you where people's values are...

If America is to get it's act together and come out of the recession, it would be wise for people to take a clue from Weird Al's wisdom. His recently released parody under the same name is making waves on the web. (The complete lyrics are here.) Below are a few lines, where Al outdoes T.I. by demonstrating the new-age man's feelings for his beloved through more modest means:

Tater tots, Cold Duck on ice
And we can clip coupons all night
And baby you can have whatever you like

I can take you to the laundromat downtown
And watch all the clothes go round and round

My chick can have want she want
At Wal-mart she can pick out anything she want

And you can always ride the city bus
Got a stack of tokens just for us
Yo, my wallet’s fat and full of ones
It’s all about the Washingtons, that’s right

I'm not alone in my opinion that the song is superior than the original. The music is exceptional and worth listening to again and again even if just for the melodic value. The parody serves as an additional kicker. On top of this, if you read into it (as I'm prone to do), you'll discover the meaningful message behind the irony--that luxury is not defined by a brand name or fiscal excess, but rather by your valuing what you have. Whatever the case, I'm sure Tom would approve.