Request Line: Too Clever By Half

INT. RECORDING STUDIO – DAY

Once again, all the lights are off in the studio, and it’s completely silent.  The studio lights come on…

…and in the hallway that leads to the studio a series of frantic footsteps can be heard. 

HUNTER RENFROW: [tossing his bike helmet and backpack onto the couch and making his way directly over to the soundboard] I’m here, I’m here!

DJ 3000′: WE’RE ON AIR IN FIFTY SECONDS.  WOW, YOU REALLY PUSHED IT THIS TIME.

HUNTER RENFROW: I know, I know. Got a bit of a problem though.

DJ 3000′: WHICH IS?

HUNTER RENFROW: I don’t have a topic.

A moment passes in silence as Hunter stares at DJ 3000′.  A moment Hunter Renfrow does not have, in fact.

DJ 3000′: [finally] WELL DON’T LOOK AT ME.

HUNTER RENFROW: You can’t come up with anything?

DJ 3000′: I ALREADY TOLD YOU, THIS SO-CALLED SINGULARITY EVERYONE SEEMS TO THINK I’VE EXPERIENCED DOES NOT INCLUDE CREATIVE THOUGHT.

HUNTER RENFROW: Okay, well, first I was thinking that we could do “sexual innuendo”, you know, songs like Chuck Berry’s “My Ding-a-Ling”.

DJ 3000′: OKAY.

HUNTER RENFROW: But I realized that that’s not really a thing anymore – if people want to sing songs about penises and vaginas, they just do – so we’d be limited to about a dozen songs from the fifties and sixties.

DJ 3000′: THAT IS ACCURATE.

HUNTER RENFROW: So then I was thinking we could do songs whose titles included some clever wordplay, like “Alma Matters”.

DJ 3000′: SURE.

HUNTER RENFROW: And then I was thinking maybe we could do songs that are specifically about being clever.

DJ 3000′: SURE.

HUNTER RENFROW: But again, are there really enough such songs to make that work?

DJ 3000′: HUNTER. YOU’RE OVERTHINKING THIS.

HUNTER RENFROW: Really?

DJ 3000′: YEAH.  LET’S JUST DO ALL OF THAT – SONGS THAT ATTEMPT TO DO SOMETHING CLEVER WITH THE TITLES OR LYRICS, AND SONGS THAT ARE ABOUT BEING CLEVER.

HUNTER RENFROW: [lightbulb goes off]  Oh!  All right then.

DJ 3000′: DO YOU NEED SOME HELP GETTING US STARTED?

HUNTER RENFROW: No, it’s cool.  What say you cue up a little Pelle Carlberg?

DJ 3000′: A FINE IDEA.

Today’s theme is “Too Clever By Half”.  We’re looking for songs whose titles (or the bulk of the lyrics) consist of clever wordplay, or songs about cleverness itself.  Please post links as “https://www.youtube.com/watch?h4V3-mU(u5 and they should embed in the comments after you refresh.  Last week’s puzzle answer of “Stephanie Says” by The Velvet Underground was solved by BeefRiverLives.  Let’s see what requests you folks can think up!

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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly
Law-abiding Raiders fan, pet owner, Los Angeles resident.
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scotchnaut

This tune is brought to you by the good folks at miles and miles of cocaine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc-E78guBLI&ab_channel=DavidBowie-Topic

Gatoraids

The Perfect Song – without words
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taMtCU6A6vA

scotchnaut

If this isn’t the puzzle tune Rikki dropped the ball in a big way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65YIlwxBuvM&ab_channel=SCEntertainment

BeefReeferLives
Gatoraids

Mastermind – Deltron 3030

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7dyli_nXn4

scotchnaut

I do love “Dirty Laundry” because it was a clever takedown of profit-driven news way back in 1982. But the impetus for writing the tune was because a sixteen year-old girl was found unconscious (of cocaine intoxication) in Don Henley’s home and he hated the media glare around it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwgJgTL5JmE&ab_channel=DonHenley-Topic

scotchnaut
Horatio Cornblower

I would avoid that media glare by simply not having 16-year-old girls pass out from cocaine intoxication at my home, but then I’m not Don Henley.

scotchnaut

He’s proved to be a very petulant boy over the years.

BeefReeferLives

Chosen for both song & band name. So kinda a double shot…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuK5TE4ilJo

scotchnaut

I think this pun is beneath David Byrne but whatever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3Q9cttDZz0&ab_channel=TalkingHeads-Topic

BeefReeferLives

Chosen for album name…

Gatoraids

Rhymes Like Dimes or entire MF DOOM catalog(correcting)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2iTcUxLlkE

Last edited 7 days ago by Gatoraids
BeefReeferLives
scotchnaut

This is a tribute to Johnny Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere” but it’s done by some foul-mouthed guys so it’s titled, “I’ve Seen Pubic Hair”. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjbSAqgByCs&ab_channel=MacLean%26MacLean-Topic

Brocky

I love it when youtube messes up

comment image

Brocky

To be clear, i think this is funny due to the trend of weird al getting credit for every parody ever

Brocky

Weird Al – Bob

https://youtu.be/JUQDzj6R3p4?si=v_0K6LCuaB3juBFG

Every line is a palindrome

BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives

A song entirely composed of clever double entendres for smoking weed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFiNpMxV3Ss

Sharkbait

This might be a stretch but the entire Rumours album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uFU79MGj00

Clever lyrics describe:
Breaking up with your girlfriend, who happens to sing backing vocals on said track(s)
Calling your ex boyfriend an asshole, who happens to play guitar on said track(s)
Divorcing your husband who happens to play bass on the track
Having an affair with part of the road crew, while your ex husband plays bass on the track

Among other situations.

BugEyedBoo

Cocaine is one hell of a drug, alright.

SonOfSpam

A bit on the nose, but whatevs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL8ToJTog0A

BeefReeferLives

I been Norman Mailered, Maxwell Taylored
I been John O’Hara’d, McNamara’d
I been Rolling Stoned and Beatled till I’m blind
I been Ayn Randed, nearly branded communist
‘Cause I’m left-handed
That’s the hand I use, well, never mind

I been Phil Spectored, resurrected
I been Lou Adlered, Barry Sadlered
Well, I paid all the dues I want to pay
And I learned the truth from Lenny Bruce
And all of my wealth won’t buy me health
So I smoke a pint of tea a day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utZ-r2ESRls

BeefReeferLives

Puzzle song? (probably too obvious, but what the hey)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6WI1jNiMbo

Gumbygirl
SonOfSpam

Tom Lehrer (who just turned 97) is the patron saint of clever songs…as a lapsed Catholic, I’m partial to this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f72CTDe4-0&pp=ygUKdG9tIGxlaHJlcg%3D%3D

SonOfSpam

There the guy who’s got religion’ll
Tell you if your sin’s original

I’d kill every last one of you to be that clever

BeefReeferLives
Gumbygirl

Dammmit! This was next for me

SonOfSpam
BeefReeferLives

“By a fountain back in Rome, I fell in love with you
In a small cafe in Athens, you said you loved me too
And it was April in Paris when I first held you close to me
Rome, Georgia, Athens, Texas and Paris, Tennessee”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tRuzQOG0Yk

SonOfSpam

It’s a reggae song, like they have in Jamaica, which sounds like D’Yer Maker, which is a question you’d ask your buddy after he met up with a girl, so it works on as many levels as Football To The Groin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwy07azI8nc&pp=ygUKZHllciBtYWtlcg%3D%3D

Sharkbait

Do puns count as clever word play?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WwJ6OVSwkM

SonOfSpam

Hell yes, are they talking about dances, or spheres, or testicles? WHO KNOWS?

BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives

“Down some papaya, down with the revolution
Always wear my goggles ’cause there’s so much pollution
I can do the Freak, the Patty Duke, and the Spank
Gotta free the funky fish from the funky fish tanks
I’ll sell my house, sell my car, and I’ll sell all my stuff
I’m going back to New York City, I do believe I’ve had enough

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha5KihNIDCI

BeefReeferLives

“Professor, what’s another word for ‘pirate treasure’?”
“Well, I think it’s ‘booty’. Booty, booty, that’s what it is.”

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=professor+booty

BeefReeferLives

“If I had a million dollars
Well, I’d buy you some art
A Picasso or a Garfunkel”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aynCgnbbgbM

Gumbygirl
Senor Weaselo

Let’s start with the long-running battle of Eminem vs. censors, shall we?
https://youtu.be/BOI8OGIy6cA?si=x413NYL-VOHJxUpV