Lyrics To Great Escape

Weird Al Yankovic: Alpocalypse

Weird Al’s humorous lyrical revisions are his bread and butter, obviously, but not all of his parodies are simple, straightforward re-writes. Of course, some songs on Alpocalypse are remakes with new lyrics — such as “Perform This Way”, which uses “Born This Way” as a vehicle to satirize, and chastise, Lady Gaga’s so-called individuality. Other tracks are parodies of certain styles, incorporating easily recognizable traits of other musicians’ signature sounds, rather than targeting one specific song. Sometimes these work even better than the more obvious parodies because they allow Al more space in which to play with the lyrics and the social commentary within them. Among the best of those here: “Ringtone”, about the shame of a regrettable ringtone choice, done as an homage to Queen; “CNR”, a White Stripes-style send up that portrays Charles Nelson Reilly as a sort of Chuck Norris figure (“Charles Nelson Reilly won the Tour de France with two flat tires and a missing chain / He trained a rattlesnake to do his laundry, I’m telling you the man was insane.”); and “Craigslist”, a Doors-like tune listing some of that site’s stranger posts to great comic effect, featuring The Doors’ own Ray Manzerek on keyboards.

It’s always amusing when you get musicians assisting, essentially spoofing themselves, and in addition to the aforementioned Manzerek appearance, Alpocalypse features Taylor Hanson playing piano on the Hanson-esque “If That Isn’t Love”, an ode to true devotion that can be summed up by its best line: “And I make sure to call you ‘Baby’ / Every time I forget your name”.  If that isn’t love, indeed.

The originals on his albums always pale in comparison to the parodies—that’s just the nature of the genre—but don’t count them out. One of the smartest, funniest, most biting songs here is the closer, “Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me”. And while some people see it as too much schtick, never let it be said that Weird Al isn’t a master of the polka medley. The one on Alpocalypse is called, you guessed it, “Polka Face”. It takes a poke at not only Gaga, but Britney Spears, Kid Cudi, Lady Antebellum, Katy Perry, Owl City, and Ke$sha, among others. Think of it as the place on the album where Al really lets loose. Even though his more stylistic interpretations may offer greater opportunities for expressing his opinions and artistic inclinations (or at least offer fewer constraints lyrically), and his polka medley prowess is unmatched, most fans still come to Weird Al Yankovic for his versions of particular hits, for his skewering of songs they know and loathe. “Perform This Way” is naturally, the big one here. But there are many more, including “TMZ”, which turns Taylor Swift’s “You Belong with Me” into jab at the paparazzi and our culture’s obsession with even minor celebrities. “Party in the CIA” hits Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA”, and “Another Tattoo” takes on “B.o.B.‘s “Nothing on You”. T.I.‘s “Whatever You Like” keeps its title, but Al turns it into a sarcastic celebration of economic hardship with line like “Take you out to dinner anywhere you please / Like Burger King or Mickey D’s / Yeah baby, you can have whatever you like / I said you can even have the large fries” and “You like Top Ramen? Need Top Ramen? / Got a cupboard full of ‘em I’ll keep ‘em comin’.

SNSD - The Great Escape Lyrics

TIFFANY: Yeah, Let's Go

SEOHYUN: Moteru dake ryoute ni, tsukami totte go away
SUNNY: nigedasu no yo sugu ni, te okure ni naru mae ni

JESSICA: We gotta escape, we got to escape, yeah
TIFFANY: From every subete, reigai nashide
JESSICA: We gotta forsake, we got to forsake, yeah
SEOHYUN: kono te wo totte!

TAEYEON, JESSICA: Kawari hajimeta shunkan sugu get out of this place
SUNNY, SEOHYUN: Choukou de sura minoga sazu ni konasu The great escape

TAEYEON: Owari no hajimari made, SOOYOUNG: matanai de
TAEYEON: issho nara shinpai nai tte, HYOYEON, SEOHYUN: sou shinjite
TAEYEON: hanshou suru kanousei, YURI, YOONA: wo koutei shite
TIFFANY: arakajime before too late
JESSICA, SEOHYUN: As we make our great escape now

SUNNY: Kiseki matsu kurai nara, jibun de kaiketsu suru wa
TIFFANY: hairisuku de rooritaan, demo koukai shinai kara
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/snsd/the_great_escape.html ]
JESSICA: We gotta escape, we got to escape, yeah
TIFFANY: From every subete, reigai nashide
JESSICA: We gotta forsake, we got to forsake, yeah
TIFFANY: mada ma ni au wa

TAEYEON, JESSICA: Kawari hajimeta shunkan sugu get out of this place
SUNNY, SEOHYUN: Choukou de sura minoga sazu ni konasu The great escape

TAEYEON: Owari no hajimari made, SOOYOUNG: matanai de
TAEYEON: issho nara shinpai nai tte, HYOYEON, SEOHYUN: sou shinjite
TAEYEON: hanshou suru kanousei, YURI, YOONA: wo koutei shite
TIFFANY: arakajime before too late
JESSICA, SEOHYUN, TAEYEON: As we make our great escape now

TIFFANY: Made sukoshi, tomadoi, kakusenai no ne I know that
SEOHYUN: ganji garame, kimi no yume, toki hana tte ageru wa [JESSICA] wa... ohh... off this place.

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