My middle school years comprised a time in my life when rock and pop music captured my imagination. Over 40 years later, music hasn't let go. Early on in that timeframe, Michael Jackson ruled the airwaves - on radio and on the new cable station MTV. Imagine my delight when the hilarious “Weird Al” Yankovic came along and parodied Michael's “Beat It” with his own “Eat It!” I loved everything about the parody - the sight gags in the video, the dead-on dance moves, and of course the funny lyrics that made the song about something completely other than its original intent.
By this time I had a little Casio keyboard I found more interesting than the piano I'd been learning on. I was composing original melodies on the keyboard, but “Eat It” made me do something new: write lyrics to my own parody songs! These would be my first lyrics ever as a songwriter. A schoolmate and friend Bill Bender (may his memory be a blessing) in my 8th grade homeroom co-wrote parody lyrics with me to the Van Halen hit, “Jump.” From there, I was inspired to write my own new parody of this song, which I called “Dump,” as in “Your room is a dump!”
This exercise in lyric writing made me pay closer attention to song structure, how the verses move the story along and the chorus accentuates the song's message.
In high school (several great Weird Al parodies later), I'd switched to guitar and started a rock band. My bandmates and I cowrote lyrics and I took on a few song ideas on my own. Those lessons from that first Weird Al-inspired songwriting foray stood the test of time, guiding me through contributing to the writing of verses and choruses.
Now, Bill (my one-time parody collaborator) and I were working at the movie theater together and I would play demo tapes for him during breaks. I was in one band and he was in another. In those tapes, he heard an opportunity to strengthen my songwriting. Bill advised me that my choruses needed more of a lift up above the verses, perhaps by raising pitch, perhaps by increasing volume, or maybe by building rhythmic intensity. I never forgot that gift from Bill. To this day, I write my songs with Bill's input in mind, more prominently featuring my choruses.
Weird Al's funny songs (both parody and original) are at their sharpest when he sings about every day observations on things like food and TV. I believe that my more humorous lyrics can be traced back to my early experiences writing Weird Al style parodies back in middle school. Like Weird Al, I sing about my observations of commonplace things or expressions of speech. My wife Amy often sparks in me the idea to turn a mundane annoyance into a funny, relatable song. Often our conversation gives the song a great head start. When it's time to knuckle down and focus on the development of the lyrics, my interactions with the songs of Weird Al Yankovic give of inspiration. Imagining the sight gags of a Weird Al video for my own funny songs strengthens the imagery in my lyrics.
This comes across in songs like “You Can't Get There from Here in Jersey,” “Patient Portal,” “Side Effects,” “People Against the Abuse of Acronyms (PAAA)” and “Underwater Basket Weaving.”
Of course, I aspire to fit funny tunes into a larger context to also deliver more serious messages. I admire the way artists like The Beatles, Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson have gone about striking this balance. I'm proud to carry the mantle bestowed on me by the Asbury Park Press as “musical funnyman Jason Didner,” and yet I still want the messages with more gravitas to break through. I think the moments of levity can help make my body of work a complete conversation, and I thank Weird Al Yankovic for lighting the way to the lighter side of my lyrics.