Start the Morning with Love
I’ve watched exactly three Weird Al Yankovic videos this morning and I was primed for more, when I thought I should probably try to do something productive today. I was never a huge fan, but I’ve always loved his work. I did own something of his; whatever tape it was that had “Yoda” on it. That song had me hooked for days, and it was the first of his tunes that I didn’t really need associated with a music video to get into. The lyrics alone were enough to keep me rewinding. This morning, I was playing his song “Foil” on repeat. The parody of “Royals” by Lorde had me loving him all over again. It also had me reading about Lorde.
I went online to watch “Royals” and wouldn’t you know it, one of the next videos in the feed was “The Saga Begins”, a Weird Al parody on The Phantom Menace. Back down the rabbit hole I go. It seems like once you’re on the Weird Al train, it’s hard to get off.
Parody and satire have always been large parts of music for me. I listened to a lot of The Smothers Brothers and Tom Leher growing up. A substantial portion of my knowledge base for world history comes from these artists, alone. It just seemed so much easier to stomach some of the crazy decisions people make with a spoon full of sugar. I learned most of my religious convictions from The Blues Brothers. I got all of my work ethics from The Muppet Show. A good friend of mine told me he sees God in two places: laughter and music. Both things require that you be in the ‘here and now’ in order to experience their realizations, and both are, to me, also the most spiritual. If Apollo is the God of music, then Steve Martin is the Lord of the Banjo.
I Love Lucy taught me a lot about laughter. Ricky was a band leader, but Lucy was the star of the show. Some of the best episodes are when Lucy sings. One of the more subtle parts of the satire is Ricky’s interpretation of English. Lucy is hilarious when she opens her mouth to sing, but Ricky has such a fascinating pronunciation of certain words that it’s hard to ignore how artfully he sets Lucy up for her lines. The genius of this show is undeniable, and it’s a fundamental part of my identity as a musician.
I don’t know why, but I feel like I just needed to laugh this morning. Looking back at all the wonderful humor that is expressed through music was the most obvious way to experience it for me. I used to spend every morning watching Kermit the Frog lead a chorus of Muppets through wonderful songs and amazing guest artists, and laughter seemed the way I learned how to wake up. I’m so grateful that I learned the value of starting the day with the prayer of laughter. I’m even more thankful that it came through singing and dancing, especially from such a wonderful wealth of talented comedians, musicians and all the people who helped bring them to their audiences.
I misspoke earlier when I said that watching Weird Al wasn’t productive. Turns out I was deep in meditation. The healing power of joy and song are essential components to a healthy start to the day. If you missed your daily reprieve, let the power of the Barbershop Quartet compel you. Peace be with you, and I don’t recommend drinking your morning coffee while watching. You’re liable to do a spit take all over your screen.