Trapped in the Drive-Thru
Encyclopedia
"Trapped in the Drive-Thru" is a song from "Weird Al" Yankovic
's twelfth studio album Straight Outta Lynwood
, which was released on September 26, 2006. This song is a parody of "Trapped in the Closet
" by R. Kelly
. To date the song is Yankovic's longest parody, and his second longest song ever released on his studio albums (with the longest being "Albuquerque
").
The song contains an interpolation
of "Black Dog
" by Led Zeppelin
at 6:29, when the main character turns on the radio. The interpolation was recorded by Yankovic's band. Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page
is a noted fan of Yankovic's work, but had previously denied permission for Yankovic to perform a Led Zeppelin polka medley on an album.
The song was listed by Rolling Stone
as number seventy-seven in their Best Songs of 2006.
tic structure of the original to tell an extremely banal tale of a couple's attempts to pick up their dinner one night, one of the most "banal and mundane" stories Yankovic could think of.
Much like how the original
was divided into various chapters (as of now 22) Yankovic's is also divided, into 3 chapters, although they are not divided on the album itself. Yankovic had received R. Kelly's permission to parody the song, but due to its length, he was worried that he would have to pay 2-3 times the normal statutory rate for inclusion on the album, which would have potential forced him to remove one or two songs from Straight Outta Lynwood. However, R. Kelly allowed Yankovic to use the full song at the rate of a single song, allowing Yankovic to keep his album intact.
on March 19, 2007. The video is now on YouTube
and has received over 20 million views as of April 2011. The video was created by Doug Bresler
, creator of Doogtoons
. It was the 9th music video produced for the album Straight Outta Lynwood
.
The video
was also featured as Channel Frederator's 100th episode. In June 2008, "Trapped in the Drive-Thru" received the award of Funniest Film of 2007 at the Channel Frederator Awards.
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
's twelfth studio album Straight Outta Lynwood
Straight Outta Lynwood
Straight Outta Lynwood is the 12th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on September 26, 2006 in the U.S. by Volcano, on September 30, 2006 in Australia, on October 3 in Canada, on October 6, 2006 in New Zealand, November 13, 2006 in the United Kingdom, and November 24, 2006 in...
, which was released on September 26, 2006. This song is a parody of "Trapped in the Closet
Trapped in the Closet
"Trapped in the Closet" is a series of songs by American contemporary R&B singer R. Kelly. The song set consists of 22 chapters, which were released from 2005 to 2007. The first five chapters of the set are included on his seventh studio album TP.3 Reloaded, with the first chapter being released as...
" by R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
. To date the song is Yankovic's longest parody, and his second longest song ever released on his studio albums (with the longest being "Albuquerque
Albuquerque (song)
"Albuquerque" is the last song of "Weird Al" Yankovic's Running with Scissors album. At 11 minutes and 22 seconds, it is the longest song Yankovic has ever released on any of his official studio albums....
").
The song contains an interpolation
Interpolation (music)
Interpolation in music refers to an abrupt change in musical elements from the main theme.-In classical music:In music and musical composition, especially 20th century and later, interpolation is an abrupt change of elements, with continuation of the first idea...
of "Black Dog
Black Dog (song)
"Black Dog" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, the lead off track of their fourth album, released in 1971. It was also released as a single in the United States and Australia with "Misty Mountain Hop" on the B-side, and reached #15 on Billboard and #11 in Australia.In 2010, the song was...
" by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
at 6:29, when the main character turns on the radio. The interpolation was recorded by Yankovic's band. Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
is a noted fan of Yankovic's work, but had previously denied permission for Yankovic to perform a Led Zeppelin polka medley on an album.
The song was listed by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
as number seventy-seven in their Best Songs of 2006.
Origin and writing
Yankovic felt compelled to write this parody because he felt the original was "brilliant and wonderful and ridiculous all at the same time". Yankovic would normally have considered taking the original song and making lyrics that were "more bizarre than they already are", but the original R. Kelly song was already bizarre to start with, according to Yankovic. Instead, to contrast the original, "Trapped in the Drive-Thru" uses the very dramaDrama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
tic structure of the original to tell an extremely banal tale of a couple's attempts to pick up their dinner one night, one of the most "banal and mundane" stories Yankovic could think of.
Much like how the original
Trapped in the Closet
"Trapped in the Closet" is a series of songs by American contemporary R&B singer R. Kelly. The song set consists of 22 chapters, which were released from 2005 to 2007. The first five chapters of the set are included on his seventh studio album TP.3 Reloaded, with the first chapter being released as...
was divided into various chapters (as of now 22) Yankovic's is also divided, into 3 chapters, although they are not divided on the album itself. Yankovic had received R. Kelly's permission to parody the song, but due to its length, he was worried that he would have to pay 2-3 times the normal statutory rate for inclusion on the album, which would have potential forced him to remove one or two songs from Straight Outta Lynwood. However, R. Kelly allowed Yankovic to use the full song at the rate of a single song, allowing Yankovic to keep his album intact.
Music video
An animated music video was released on MyspaceMyspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
on March 19, 2007. The video is now on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and has received over 20 million views as of April 2011. The video was created by Doug Bresler
Doug Bresler
-Biography:Doug "Doog" Bresler is a producer, director, animator, musician, and podcast personality based in Los Angeles, CA...
, creator of Doogtoons
Doogtoons
Doogtoons is a production studio founded and headed by Doug "Doog" Bresler, best known for its series of "animated celebrity interviews" on the internet. Bresler has been producing short films since 1993, however his cartoons only became widely known after they were released as podcasts beginning...
. It was the 9th music video produced for the album Straight Outta Lynwood
Straight Outta Lynwood
Straight Outta Lynwood is the 12th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on September 26, 2006 in the U.S. by Volcano, on September 30, 2006 in Australia, on October 3 in Canada, on October 6, 2006 in New Zealand, November 13, 2006 in the United Kingdom, and November 24, 2006 in...
.
The video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
was also featured as Channel Frederator's 100th episode. In June 2008, "Trapped in the Drive-Thru" received the award of Funniest Film of 2007 at the Channel Frederator Awards.