Lasagna (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Lasagna


Artist = "Weird Al" Yankovic
from Album = Even Worse
Released = May 1988
B-side = "Velvet Elvis"
Format = 7"
Recorded = February 19 1988
Genre = Comedy
Length = 2:45
Label = Scotti Brothers
[ Writer = ]
Producer = "Weird Al" Yankovic
Chart position = none
Last single = "Fat"
(1988)
This single = "Lasagna"
(1988)
Next single = "I Think I'm A Clone Now"
(1988)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Even Worse
Type = studio
Tracks =
# "Fat"
# "Stuck In A Closet With Vanna White"
# "(This Song's Just) Six Words Long"
# "You Make Me"
# "I Think I'm a Clone Now"
# "Lasagna"
# "Melanie"
# "Alimony"
# "Velvet Elvis"
# "Twister"
# "Good Old Days"

Lasagna is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of "La Bamba", a traditional song popularized by Ritchie Valens and Los Lobos.

Track listing

The following tracks are on the single:
# "Lasagna" – 2:45
# "Velvet Elvis" – 4:27

The promo single only contains "Lasagna".

Writing and Release

When Yankovic began writing the song, he claimed:

cquote|"My original thought for this was to record the entire song in Italian.I was actually going through Italian phrase books and dictionaries until I realized that the humor would be lost on 99% of the audience, so I decided to do the whole thing in English but with kind of a bad Italian accent." [cite web | url = http://php.indiana.edu/~jbmorris/FAQ/al.booklet | title = Permanent Record Booklet: "Lasagna" | publisher = Al Yankovic | date = 2007-01-09 | accessdate = 2007-02-07 ]

Under U.S. law, Yankovic can parody any song he wants as long as he pays royalties to use the original music. However, as a personal rule, he asks for permission anyway in order to maintain good relations with the industry. This particular song is an exception to that rule. Although the song is a parody of the Los Lobos cover version, "Lasagna" marked Yankovic's first parody that did not require either permission from an artist or a payment of royalties, since the song "La Bamba" is a traditional folk song that is not attributed to any specific writer. [cite web | url = http://www.allthingsyank.com/singles/lasagna.htm | title = "Lasagna" Single | publisher = Al Yankovic | date = 2007-01-09 | accessdate = 2007-02-07 ]

The single was released exclusively in Japan as a mini 3" CD single. [cite web | url = http://www.allthingsyank.com/singles/lasagna.htm | title = "Lasagna" Single | publisher = Al Yankovic | date = 2007-01-09 | accessdate = 2007-02-07 ] [cite web | url = http://www.weirdal.com/rare7.htm
title = "Lasagna" 3" CD Single | publisher = Al Yankovic | date = 2007-01-09 | accessdate = 2007-02-07 ]

Music video

There is no full-length music video for this single, though a shortened music video segment was shown in 1997 as a part of "The Weird Al Show".

*The video consists of the lines "Ay, you-a pass the lasagna" until the end.
*The video features a stereotypical Italian family, including an older woman, two children, A rather large man for 'Cousin Luigi' and Yankovic (sans glasses) as the father.
*When the line "A-don't you get any on ya, you sloppy pig" is sung, the older women at the dinner table drops the lasagna into Luigi's lap.
*After "Have-a more ravioli" is sung, two children catch ravioli in their mouth.
*Near the end, lasagna is falling out of Luigi's mouth.
*The older woman and one of the children fight over the lasagna near the end.
*At the end, the family does a dance. First they simply wave from side to side with their hands on each other's shoulders while still seated. Then, they stand up from their chairs, which move off-screen, as does the table. Yankovic takes his plate of lasagna off the table. They all do a can can-type dance as confetti and balloons fall from the floor, and at the cheering section at the end, the others gather around Yankovic as he holds out his plate proudly.

Italian foods mentioned in "Lasagna"

Yankovic names many Italian dishes in "Lasagna", including:

*Lasagna
*Spaghetti
*Calzone
*Minestrone
*Marinara
*Zucchini
*Linguini
*Fettuccine
*Ravioli

References

ee also

* List of singles by "Weird Al" Yankovic
* List of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic