A Summer Treat: 'Weird Al' Yankovic On His Life & Career In Show Business

Summary

Summary of "A Summer Treat: 'Weird Al' Yankovic On His Life & Career In Show Business"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The NPR Politics Podcast
• Host/Author: NPR
• Episode: A Summer Treat: 'Weird Al' Yankovic On His Life & Career In Show Business
• Release Date: June 19, 2025

---

Introduction

In a delightful departure from its usual political discourse, The NPR Politics Podcast presents a special feature highlighting an episode from NPR's Wildcard podcast. Hosted by Rachel Martin, this episode features the iconic musician and parody artist, Weird Al Yankovic. The conversation delves into Al's illustrious career, personal life, and the philosophies that have sustained his unique presence in the entertainment industry.

---

Career Milestones

Breaking Into the Music Scene

At 02:21, Weird Al recounts a pivotal moment when his music career began to take off:

"So I was still working, literally for minimum wage in a mailroom, and my first album had come out. And sticking out of the top of the mailbag was the latest issue of Billboard Magaz." (02:21)

This serendipitous discovery of his name on the Billboard Hot 100 charts inspired him to pursue music full-time, signaling a significant shift from his day job to a dedicated career in show business.

First Hit and Early Success

Al shares the amusing backstory of his first hit, "My Bologna," which earned an honorary plaque in his college bathroom:

"I record my first single, literally in the bathroom, and years later, they put a plaque on that bathroom just saying that. Here's where it all happened." (09:08)

This anecdote underscores the humble and unconventional beginnings of his musical journey.

Continued Relevance and Touring

Throughout the conversation, Al emphasizes his ongoing commitment to performing live, highlighting his upcoming tour, "Bigger and Weirder":

"Performing live is the only time when I get that instant feedback. And it's just, you know, it's the dopamine rush. It's exhausting, but it never gets old." (13:03)

His passion for live performances remains a cornerstone of his enduring success.

---

Personal Reflections

Childhood Memories and Family Relationships

At 05:28, Al shares a poignant memory about his parents' way of handling difficult news:

"When I came home for Christmas break, I greeted my parents. I said, where's China? And they kind of looked at each other and they said, oh, he's buried in the backyard." (05:28)

This story reveals the complexities of his relationship with his parents and the emotional nuances of growing up.

Appreciation for Family Moments

Later in the interview, Al reflects on his daughter Nina's childhood, expressing a sense of nostalgia and appreciation:

"We always used to say it would be great if we had a Nina at every age living in our house, just 1 through 22. 22 Ninas." (10:08)

His deep affection for his family highlights the personal side behind his public persona.

---

Fan Interactions and Impact

Meaningful Connections with Fans

At 13:26, Al discusses the profound impact his fans have had on his life:

"Some tell me how I've changed their lives or stopped them from committing suicide in a couple instances." (13:26)

He acknowledges the responsibility and emotional weight that comes with his fanbase's dedication, including encounters with fans bearing elaborate tattoos in his likeness.

Promoting Acceptance and Embracing Uniqueness

Al emphasizes the importance of embracing one's uniqueness:

"What I've been trying to project through my entire life and my career is that it's okay to be weird." (15:08)

This message resonates deeply with many of his followers, reinforcing his role as a beloved figure who champions individuality.

---

Fame, Anonymity, and Adjusting to Recognition

Navigating Fame

Al reflects on the challenges of transitioning from anonymity to fame:

"After 'Eat It' came out, I was overnight somebody that got recognized on the street, which was good and bad." (26:27)

He discusses how increased visibility altered his interactions and self-perception, leading to a more comfortable acceptance of his celebrity status over time.

Maintaining Humility Amidst Success

Despite his success, Al remains grounded:

"I am who I am and, you know, Weird Al is almost ironic because I'm one of the more normal people in showbiz." (30:57)

His humility shines through as he balances fame with his genuine personality.

---

Aging and Self-Perception

Embracing Maturity While Retaining Youthfulness

At 28:39, Al discusses how aging has influenced his self-view:

"I still feel like a goofy teenager, but all of a sudden my hair is getting thinner and grayer and things are happening with my body that I'm not thrilled about." (28:39)

He balances the natural changes that come with age while maintaining his youthful spirit and humor.

Adapting His Artistic Approach

Al shares how his creative process has evolved:

"I've been trying to just let my inner weirdness shine out and don't push it, don't force it." (30:34)

This evolution reflects his growth as an artist who stays true to himself while adapting to the demands of the industry.

---

Memorable Moments

Celebrating Album Success with Family

One of the most cherished memories Al shares is from 2014, when his album "Mandatory Fun" was on the verge of topping the Billboard charts:

"My family and my career, and it just hard to beat that. That was just a real moment for me. I still get a little choked up about it even thinking about it." (31:59)

This moment encapsulates the perfect harmony between his professional achievements and personal happiness.

---

Conclusions

The interview concludes with Rachel Martin congratulating Al on his tour and reflecting on the heartfelt memories shared. Al's enduring passion for his craft, deep appreciation for his fans, and the balance he maintains between his personal and professional life shine through, offering listeners an intimate glimpse into the life of a beloved cultural icon.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "I should probably give notice at work and maybe get serious about this weird helping." — Weird Al Yankovic (02:21)

• "It's okay to be weird." — Weird Al Yankovic (15:08)

• "I've got these people that kind of look up to me." — Weird Al Yankovic (15:06)

• "Weird Al is almost ironic because I'm one of the more normal people in showbiz." — Weird Al Yankovic (30:57)

• "That was just a real moment for me. I still get a little choked up about it even thinking about it." — Weird Al Yankovic (31:59)

---

This episode of Wildcard with Weird Al Yankovic offers a rich tapestry of stories and reflections, making it not only insightful for fans but also for anyone interested in the intersection of creativity, personal growth, and enduring success in the entertainment industry.

Transcript

[Unnamed NPR Representative]

The House of Representatives has approved a White House request to claw back two years of previously approved funding for public media. The rescissions package now moves on to the Senate. This move poses a serious threat to local stations and public media as we know it. Please take a stand for public media [e-mail] thank you.

[Elena Moore]

Hey there. It's the NPR Politics Podcast. I'm Elena Moore. I cover Politics politics. And today on the show, we want to give you something a little bit different, a little break from all the news that's been happening over the last few weeks. Something fun. You're welcome. Our friends at the NPR podcast Wildcard. Talk to somebody notable every week. In a recent episode, Rachel Martin spoke with musician Weird Al Yankovic about his life, his career and so much more. We hope you enjoy it right after this quick break.

[Unnamed Sponsor Representative]

This message comes from Saatva. Everyone has a unique skill or ability. It just needs to be discovered, then nurtured. One way to foster that is getting quality sleep, which can improve athletic abilities, increase energy, and boost memory and learning. Every Saatva mattress is designed to promote that kind of sleep. In fact, Saatva was named best luxury mattress by sleepfoundation.org and now save $200 on $1,000 or more at saatva.com NPR.

[Unnamed NPR Representative]

On the plus side, you get sponsor free listening to over 25 NPR podcasts. On the minus side, you get fewer chances to tap fast forward on your podcast player. On the plus side, you get to support something you care about. On the minus side, you like challenges and think this makes it too easy. So why don't you join us on the plus side of things with NPR? Learn more and sign up at plus.NPR.org.

Decades ago, Brazilian women made a discovery they could have an abortion without a doctor thanks to a tiny pill. That pill spawned a global movement helping millions of women have safe abortions regardless of the law. Hear that story on the network from NPR's Embedded and Futuro Media. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Rachel Martin]

Was there a moment when the career you wanted felt in reach?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

So I was still working, literally for minimum wage in a mailroom, and my first album had come out. And sticking out of the top of the mailbag was the latest issue of Billboard Magaz. So I opened it up to the Hot 100 chart, and there I am on the charts. So then I thought, you know, I should probably give notice at work and maybe get serious about this weird helping.

[Rachel Martin]

I'm Rachel Martin, and this is Wildcard, the game where cards control the conversation. Each week, my guest answers questions about their life. Questions pulled from a deck of cards. They're allowed to skip one question and to flip one question back on me. My guest this week is Weird Al Yankovic.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I think people realize, you know, I am who I am and, you know, Weird Al is almost ironic because I'm like one of the more normal people in Shogun's, I think.

[Rachel Martin]

So I usually have to finish a conversation with a guest before I can draw some big conclusion. But I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this about Weird Al. I think that more than the perfect rhyming scheme, more than the most ridiculous pun, more than music itself, what Weird Al loves most in the world is making people happy. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe he fell hard for the accordion as a kid and realized a few years later he was really good at making up fake lyrics to real songs. And this, this was his ticket to fame and fortune. But I don't think so. His art is too self effacing to be about ego. When performing, Weird Al is the spiritual manifestation of every dorky kid who never fit in. Now finally getting their moment not by trying to fit into someone else's idea of cool, but by leaning into every single thing that makes them weird. And that is a beautiful and generous thing. 46 years after his first big hit, My Bologna came out, Weird Al is still at it. His new tour is called Bigger and Weirder and it kicks off in June. It is my pleasure to welcome Weird Al to Wildcard.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Thank you. That was so lovely, honey. Oh, you're so welcome.

[Rachel Martin]

I'm so excited to get to do this with you. Thank you for being game.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Okay, let's get deep.

[Rachel Martin]

Let's get deep.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Peel back the onion.

[Rachel Martin]

Okay, first round. Memories.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Mmm.

[Rachel Martin]

First three cards. One, two or three?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Number three, please, Rachel.

[Rachel Martin]

Okay, here we go.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Okay.

[Rachel Martin]

What's an experience from your childhood when you realized your parents were only human?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Oh, my parents were great. They loved me beyond all measure. But they had a few, I guess, faults, for want of a better word. They didn't know how to give bad news. My mother in particular, she just kind of walked on eggshells around me. She didn't want to upset me. And I remember one particular incident in college when I was five years old, I got a dog named China. And I loved the dog. And it was my constant companion all through my childhood. And then I went to college and then I. Oh, no.

[Rachel Martin]

I feel like I know where this is going.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Okay, keep going.

[Rachel Martin]

Okay, keep going.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

So I Came home for Christmas break, and I greeted my parents. I said, where's China? And they kind of looked at each other and they said, oh, he's buried in the backyard. When did this happen? Oh, months ago. But you're in college. We didn't want to bother you. You're busy. We didn't want to disturb you. So I took that in and I, you know, grieved. But it kind of wrecked me because every other time I came home from college, I was expecting to go, hey, mom, where's dad?

[Rachel Martin]

We didn't want to upset you.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

We didn't know you're busy.

[Rachel Martin]

I didn't want to inconvenience you death. So that's very sad. But I also get it. It's also sort of generational, right? Like, people of that generation were just like, oh, I don't. You know, it's hard sometimes to talk about hard things. And it's very real parents not wanting to traumatize their kid with bad news.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Well, since you said that, I should say the flip side of the coin. My dad would get into arguments with my mother over how she was being too soft on me and had a. Toughened me up a little bit. And when my mother's mother died, I could hear them talking at the end of the room, and they didn't know what was going on. And all of a sudden, my dad bursts into my room and says, you, grandmother's dead. Okay?

[Rachel Martin]

You get it one way or the other. You either don't get the news or it comes out in this other way.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Right. You just never know. It's always exciting.

[Rachel Martin]

Okay, three more cards. One, two or three?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Number three, please, Rachel.

[Rachel Martin]

Number three. Feeling the threes. What's something someone told you that changed your trajectory?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I'm going to have to go with Clifton Nordgaard, my guidance counselor in high school. And in ninth grade, I started high school early because I skipped a couple of grades. So I was 12 years old, and I had this guidance counselor that was going to help me decide what I was going to do with my life.

[Elena Moore]

And.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

And he said, well, what do you want to do? And I said, well, I think I'd like to be a writer and. Or artist for Mad magazine. And he said, yeah, no, that's not really a job for an adult. You know, you're good at drafting. You like math, you probably are good at design. Why don't you be an architect? And I said, oh, well, yeah, that makes sense. Okay, I guess I'll be an architect. And. And so I went to college. I Went to college for four years. Got my degree in architecture. And as you can tell, that worked out great.

[Rachel Martin]

But was there. I mean, you did a talent show right when you were in college, and that's when. I mean, you probably did many. But in the research I read there was one particular one you did with a friend. And you're like, oh, I'm getting great audience feedback here. Maybe I'm onto something.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah, that happened. It wasn't. Well, I guess it was a talent show of sorts. They called it a coffee house. It was like every Thursday night on the student union in our college. It was basically open mic, basically. And 95% of the acts were guys with acoustic guitar playing Dan Fogelberg covers. You know, just very mellow, you know, laid back, Southern California kind of vibe. And then I get up on stage with my accordion. My friend played the bongos, and we just. We just cut loose and were just insane. And people just kind of woke up and, like, what's going on here? And that kind of reaction, that positive gratification.

[Rachel Martin]

Yeah.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Just really, you know, spun my head around.

[Rachel Martin]

There's, I understand, a plaque in the bathroom of your college where you actually wrote my bologna, which was the knockoff of My Sharona.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah, that is true. I recorded my bologna in the bathroom across the hall from my campus radio station. We ran lines from the production room into the bathroom because, you know, as, you know, bathrooms have acoustically perfect tiled walls and they have that nice warm unit.

[Rachel Martin]

We all sing in them.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yes, exactly. So I record my first single, literally in the bathroom, and years later, they put a plaque on that bathroom just saying that. Here's where it all happened. If you go there, to this day, there's a picture of me next to the urinal.

[Rachel Martin]

All the Grammys pale in comparison to that particular honor.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

That is a high point. Absolutely, yes.

[Rachel Martin]

Okay, three more cards. Still memories. One, two or three?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I will take number three, please, Rachel.

[Rachel Martin]

I like it. What period of your life do you often daydream about?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I would say my daughter's childhood. She's 22 now. She's just about to graduate from college. And I have to be careful talking about this because I think so much about her. Like, whenever old pictures come up on your phone or your desktop and you go, oh, remember when you were eight? Remember when you were five? And she goes, yeah, Dad, I remember. We still love you now. We love you now.

[Rachel Martin]

But that person's gone and you dump her. Yeah.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

My wife and I talk about this all the time. It would be great. My daughter's name is Nina. And we always used to say it would be great if we had a Nina at every age living in our house, just 1 through 22. 22 ninas. Because each one is so special and so beautiful and lovely and something just unique about every age. And I just. It's such a sense of loss when that person becomes something else equally good, but you're missing the other person. You know what I mean?

[Rachel Martin]

I do. I know exactly what you mean. I have two kids, two boys who are 10 and 12 and same thing, except my time horizon for the nostalgia is much shorter than yours because they're younger. And also being the parent of very young children, I found to be very difficult. I love them so much. They were so, so cute. But I was so tired all the time, so I like to look at a picture that just of their cute little cherubic faces. And then I don't remember all the sleep deprivation.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yes.

[Rachel Martin]

So the algorithm works in that it feeds me the good stuff, right? Exactly. But no, I completely. I know when you sit and you daydream about all those moments and you're like, this is now a different person I get to know. And it just keeps going.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

As a 22 year old, I can't carry her up the stairs anymore. She balks at that.

[Rachel Martin]

I mean, do you still try?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I try, but she's fast.

[Rachel Martin]

And then it gets weird. I know.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah.

[Rachel Martin]

Did you always know you wanted to be a parent?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I don't know that I did. If I'm being totally honest. I hope she doesn't hear this.

[Rachel Martin]

Yeah.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

But no, I don't know. I mean, I always thought it was a possibility, but it wasn't. Like I was in my 20s going, oh, I can't wait to have a kid, you know? Yeah, yeah.

[Rachel Martin]

There's a lot going on.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

But you know, it's sort of like I've always been happy with my life. I've never been like lonely or felt something was missing. And I married late in life, so I went through, you know, up to my late 30s being a single man and being very happy. And then I got married and my life got exponentially better. And then I had a child and my life got even better yet. So it's all been very positive for me and I, you know, I certainly wouldn't have it any other way.

[Rachel Martin]

Let's push back and talk a little bit about your upcoming tour.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Oh, okay.

[Rachel Martin]

So you clearly still get a lot out of that particular experience.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Oh, yeah. It's my favorite part of what I do. I Mean, is it? Yeah. I mean, writing is not really fun for me. It's kind of a pain. And recording is okay, but it's just long and drawn out. And performing live is the only time when I get that instant feedback. And it's just, you know, it's the dopamine rush. It's just something that I never get tired of. It's exhausting, but it never gets old.

[Rachel Martin]

You get so many people out there who have followed you for so many years. I imagine you get sort of inundated with people who come up and want to share how you have affected them and what your music has meant to them and what you yourself have meant to them as this, you know, inherently. Tell me if I'm wrong, but an inherently optimistic person, and I guess I just wonder if there are any of those people who you carry with you in your mind.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Oh, all the time. I mean, I don't take any of that for granted. It means so much to me to have that kind of support from my fans. And, you know, I've just gotten so much love from fans over the years. You know, I meet them at shows, I meet them at conventions. I meet them when I'm shopping for groceries and they tell me these amazing stories. Some tell me how I've changed their lives or stop them from committing suicide in a couple instances. It gets pretty heavy. And I've seen so many people with Weird Al tattoos, which kind of blows my mind. Do yourself a favor, if you want to be freaked out, Google Weird Al back tattoo. Wow. I met this one guy after a show. His entire back, entire back was my face. Like, bigger than life sized.

[Rachel Martin]

How do you take all that on? Cause that's a lot. Especially here.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

That's a lot. Yeah, it's a lot. Yeah.

[Rachel Martin]

And you want to be kind, but also, don't you want to sometimes just run away and say, I'm just, ow?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah. Something like that is, you know, kind of half scary and half wonderful because, you know, some people do get obsessive, but it's something that I carry with me. It's something that, you know, it does feel like a bit of a responsibility now because, like, I've got these people that kind of look up to me. And what's also nice is that, you know, what I've been trying to project through my entire life and my career is that it's okay to be weird. When I took on the name Weird Al, that was sort of an empowering thing. And a lot of kids have also come up to me and Said how important it was to have be represented in that way. Because, you know, in school, they might be considered a freak or a dork or a weirdo or somebody who just didn't fit in. And to have somebody like me to look up to that, you know, basically saying it's okay to be that way, that's meant a lot to some people.

[Rachel Martin]

Okay, thank you for that. Congrats on the tour. And we're gonna get back in the game. Okay, let's go. Round two, insights. Three new cards. One, two or three?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Oh, gosh. I'd like number three, please.

[Rachel Martin]

Rachel, you silly man. Three is your favorite.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Mmm. Oh, I'm excited already.

[Rachel Martin]

When do you feel most like an outsider?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

You know, I spent most of my early career actually being an outsider, which actually served me well, because as a parodist slash satirist, you kind of don't. You want to be like the guy on the outside of the circle poking fun at the people on the inside of the circle. So that served me well. And it became a little awkward a few years later when I actually got a little famous and started showing up at some of the award shows and parties as the people that I was making fun of. Right.

[Rachel Martin]

You were in.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah, I was not out. I was in. I was an insider. And, you know, I still managed to keep doing what I was doing, but it was a whole different kind of dynamic. But that's not to say that I ever lost my imposter syndrome. Cause I've kept that with me my entire life. So part of me certainly does feel like an outsider. On the last tour that I did, I played Carnegie hall for the first time. And it was something that very insidery. Very insidery. And it was always kind of on my bucket list. And I was nervous about it the entire tour. I mean, every show that I did was like, carnegie Hall's coming up in four weeks. Carnegie Hall. Three weeks from Carnegie Hall. And we finally got there, and I kept telling myself, look, you've done three months of shows. This is just another show. It's just another show. And then I walk inside Carnegie hall and there's four floor to ceiling pictures of Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland and the Beatles. And I'm thinking, I don't belong here. What am I doing? Yeah, you just never get over it.

[Rachel Martin]

Yeah, I imagine. Okay, three more cards.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Okay.

[Rachel Martin]

One, two or three?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Okay, I'm gonna go with one. Rachel. Ow.

[Rachel Martin]

Mixing it up. Oh, well, this is interesting. Was there a moment when the career you wanted felt in reach, presumably before Carnegie Hall?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I guess I'll answer this by telling you the moment that I kind of decided I should be Weird al full time. When I got my record deal, it was a couple years out of college, and I signed it in 1982. And. And, you know, generally, especially if, you know, the artist is not already a known entity, record labels don't give you a big bucket of money up front. They just. They sign you to this draconian deal and you just go on with your life. So I was still working, literally for minimum wage in a mail room, and my first album had come out. So I remember one time, part of my job as a mail sorter was to go to the post office every morning and pick up the mail. And it's like a giant mailbag. And sticking out of the top of the mailbag was the latest issue of Billboard magazine. So I opened it up to the Hot 100 chart, and there I am on the charts. I am on the Billboard charts. And I thought, you know, I should probably give notice at work and maybe get serious about this weird helping.

[Rachel Martin]

That's incredible. No one had given you a phone call to give you a heads up that that was gonna go down?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

No, no. You know, it's kind of funny because part of, you know, my job working in the. I also did deliveries, and I would show up, like, at Epic Records and places around town, you know, dropping things off. And I remember at Epic Records, they. They had a party for me when my first album went gold and there were people hanging around going, isn't that the mailroom guy? What's he doing?

[Rachel Martin]

Do you remember what you felt, though, when you saw your name on the Billboard 100? What did you feel?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

It was crazy. I mean, I didn't, you know, I signed the record deal, but part of me just never thought that I would be able to make it. I thought the whole thing was a lark, and I didn't. Billboard magazine meant so much to me because when I was in college radio, we had the charts taped on the walls, and it was sort of like the radio person's bible. And the fact that. And I would daydream about, oh, maybe one day I'll be on the Billboard charts. Never really thinking that was an option. So when it finally happened for the first time, it was amazing to me. This wasn't the first time I was mentioned in Billboard, though. I remember the very first time Billboard mentioned me that I had signed with Capitol Records. They referred to me as Weird Owl o w L Yankovic. So that was my first ever mention In Billboard? Yes. I was like, you know, close enough. I'll take it. That's fine.

[Rachel Martin]

So, I mean, even then, as you saw the career you wanted start to materialize in your mind's eye. I mean, when you're young, you can't imagine a future. I imagine that even then you were like, maybe I get to do this for, I don't know, five, ten years.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah. Let alone a lifetime at the most. Because, I mean, that's one of the reasons it was so difficult to get signed to a record deal in the first place is because I did what was considered at the time, and probably still is as novelty music. And historically, novelty artists don't have a long career. In fact, they're lucky to have a single hit. They're lucky to be a one hit wonder. So nobody wanted a one hit wonder. They wanted somebody that was going to be around for years and years and years, which, I mean, that's the irony of my life. So it was just difficult to get my foot in the door. But I'm glad I'm still here.

[Rachel Martin]

What did your parents make of that when you were like, I'm quitting the mailroom, I'm really going to give this a go. I mean, had they by that point, had they just like surrendered?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

You know, I have to say they were always very supportive. They weren't disappointed when I graduated from college with a degree in architecture and decided I'm not gonna be an architect. I mean, that was like one of the best gifts my parents era gave me was just allowing me to just be happy in my life. And they weren't career minded. They were like, you know, they were lower middle class. They didn't, you know, have a lot going on that way. But I mean, they were happy. They lived well within their means and they were just happy when I was happy.

[Rachel Martin]

I'm just trying to. The portrait you've painted of your parents, Tell me if I'm wrong, was quite at least emotionally conservative kind of folks. Maybe not so into popular culture of the time. I mean, when they saw you do your thing, like with the bongos and the accordion and the weird lyrics, were they just like, whatever you want, Al, as long as you're happy? Or was there part of them was like, who we made this kid, like, who? How did this kid come from us?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

The only thing my mom said was, stay out of Hollywood, Al. There are evil people there. And she's not wrong. But I did in fact go to Hollywood quite a few times and live.

[Rachel Martin]

To tell the tale.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yes.

[Rachel Martin]

Okay. We are moving into round three, otherwise known as the beliefs Round one, two or three.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Let's go back with number three, please.

[Rachel Martin]

Okay. What's something you no longer take for granted?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Ooh. Okay. Well, because nothing comes immediately to mind, I'm going to flip this. And while you're talking, I'm gonna stare and act as if I'm actively listening when I'm actually gonna be thinking of a good answer.

[Rachel Martin]

That's exactly what you should do.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Okay.

[Rachel Martin]

Okay. What's something I no longer take for granted? Okay. Listeners to the show know I talk about my parents a lot and my mom in particular, who died a long time ago. But I do remember when she was sick, she had cancer for a long time. And when she was diagnosed, I was in my early 30s. I was in Washington, D.C. at the time. I was working for ABC News, and I could walk from the bureau back to my apartment every day. And so on that commute, I would always talk to her on the phone. And I remember in those conversations, she was physically deteriorating more and more. And along with just the awareness of mortality and feeling preemptive grief around her death, which we all knew was coming in just this very small way, she just made me appreciate my body and that it wasn't always going to work. Like, she had neuropathy on her feet. So it's like nerve damage that a lot of cancer patients get from all the various treatments. And her feet would be hurting her so much. And I just remember feeling so lucky in a way. An early 30 something person doesn't often feel lucky to be able to walk and not be in pain, you know? And I, in those conversations, remember thinking, don't take this for granted. Don't take it for granted. Not just your life, yes, don't take your life for granted. But the small act of being able to move yourself with your feet and to not be in pain. And my body is working and isn't that a blessing and it's just not always going to be thus. And so ever since then, I've tried really hard to appreciate the small things that my body can do. And so I still feel there are parts that feel a little stiffer than they used to, but I still feel very grateful that my body will do the things that it was designed to to do. That's what I no longer take for granted.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

That answer is so much better than mine. So.

[Rachel Martin]

It doesn't have to be some. My mom was dying, and then I recognized.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

See, you trumped me right off the bat. Like, how do I follow That I was gonna say, and I guess I still will. Yes, anonymity, because that's a big one. I had that up until I was around age 24 and Edit came out. And after that happened, I was overnight somebody that got recognized on the street, which was good and bad. I mean, it was certainly novel for me because that had never happened before, and I didn't dislike it. But I remember my posture changed because at my heart, I am kind of a shy, withdrawn person. And it was just odd to have everybody looking at me everywhere I went. It was a whole different way of life. And I totally. I think I started, like, hunching over a bit, like, yeah, yeah, don't look at me. And meanwhile, I'm like a walking cartoon character. And I got a brief reprieve when I had my LASIK eye surgery and I shaved my facial hair. So all of a sudden, I wasn't like the guy with the mustache and the glasses anymore. And it was weird because I was used to people looking at me, and all of a sudden they weren't until they got used to the new look. So it was just a brief window of time where it was like, oh, this again. Yeah, I remember this.

[Rachel Martin]

So you've come to make peace with the lack of anonymity, and it's not as unsettling as it used to be.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah, I mean, I think maybe I just wasn't used to it or maybe I got more of it. But the 80s seemed to be a time when. When, like, you know, I couldn't escape it. And now I've got a real comfortable level of fame. I'm very okay with it. I actually enjoy it. I don't have people going through my garbage cans at night, you know, but, like, I'll run into somebody on the street and they'll say, hey, love your work. And that's all I want to hear, you know? That's great.

[Rachel Martin]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Cool. Three new cards. One, two or three?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Let's go back with number three.

[Rachel Martin]

Number three. Feeling good on number three. How do you see yourself differently as you age?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Oh, you know, it's an odd thing because I was thinking about this a while ago. I remember when I was a kid, my grandmother was. You know, I just thought she was the oldest person in the world. She was like Methuselah. She was just this old, old person.

[Rachel Martin]

She was 53.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah. She was like, maybe the age I am now, you know, so my whole attitude about it has changed. Like, you know, 65 isn't that old. I am getting the AARP stuff in my email box. But, you know, I've got 60 or 70 more years, right? I mean, come on. So, you know, the old cliche is true. I mean, you don't age that much on the inside if you're lucky. I still feel like a goofy teenager, but all of a sudden my hair is getting thinner and grayer and things are happening with my body that I'm not thrilled about. But I'm still doing what I do and I still feel the way that I feel. And you know, as the cliche goes, age is just a number.

[Rachel Martin]

Does it get harder as you age to tap into the mindset of that dorky 15 year old kid in the corner? Or even just the joy of like the random 15 year old kid hanging out with his friends?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I'm pretty in touch with that. I mean, I don't have to. It's not a stretch for me to ever act dorky. You know, that's something I kept close to my heart. So, yeah, I mean, I think I have the same basic sense of humor that I did way back then. I don't express myself. You know, when I first started out, I kind of felt like I needed to live up to the. The nickname Weird Al, and I was maybe weirder than I needed to be. And I look at old interviews myself that I did in the 80s, and I just cringe like, oh, who is this person? Just obnoxious.

[Rachel Martin]

I felt like that person was performing.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Yeah, Very, very performative. So I've been, you know, since then I've been trying to just let my inner weirdness shine out and don't push it, don't force it. Like, I'm weird enough as it is.

[Rachel Martin]

Yeah, but I imagine you felt some kind of pressure, like people were responding to the character. And so you're like, when, when do I lean into that and when do I step away from it?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

I don't think people today approach me in the same way or think that I'm bouncing off the walls 24 hours a day. I think people realize I am who I am. And Weird Al is almost ironic because I'm one of the more normal people in showbiz. I.

[Rachel Martin]

We end the show the same way every time with a trip in our memory time machine.

[Unnamed NPR Representative]

Ooh.

[Rachel Martin]

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about, Elle. Okay, so here we go. You go back to your past. You pick one moment. It's a moment you wouldn't change anything about. It's just a moment you want to linger in a little longer. Okay, what moment do you choose?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Is it shallow to pick something career related? Career related. Okay. Well, this has got family, too. Okay. This is like a perfect storm. So this'll work. This would be in 2014. My last album's mandatory fun had just come out, and it was the end of the first week, and it was doing really, really, really well. And in fact, it was battling with Jason Mraz to be the number one album on the Billboard charts. And as I explained, the Billboard charts mean a whole lot to me. And it was just blowing my mind the whole week thinking that, like, I was, you know, I really even had a shot at being number one on the charts because literally no comedy album had ever in history debuted at number one on the charts. And the last person to even reach number one was, like, Alan Sherman, like, 50 years prior to that. So it was kind of crazy what was happening. And I was at a taping of the show at midnight, the late night game show. And I was in the green room just about ready to go on, and my manager was there. Would you come with me? There's something we want to show you in the green room. And I walked into the green room and my wife and my daughter and my in laws were there, and they had a huge banner, number one, and a cake. And my daughter had made a big drawing for me. And it was just like this, you know, it's like everything good in my life happening at the same time. So my family and my career, and it just hard to beat that. That was just a real moment for me. I still get a little choked up about it even thinking about it.

[Rachel Martin]

That's a lovely memory. Thank you for sharing that. Weird Al Yankovic will be on tour this summer. Don't miss it. Weird Al, thank you so much.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

My pleasure. Thank you, Rachel.

[Elena Moore]

That was Rachel Martin in conversation with Weird Al Yankovic on the NPR podcast Wildcard. If you want more from Wildcard, you can watch Rachel's conversations on YouTube. Just search for Wildcard with Rachel Martin and you can catch up with Ted Lasso's Brett Goldstein, author Zadie Smith, actor Jesse Eisenberg, and a whole lot more. In the meantime, we will be back on your feeds tomorrow as normal with your weekly roundup. I'm Elena Moore. I cover politics. And thank you for listening to the NPR Politics podcast.

[Unnamed NPR Representative]

As conflicts spread across the Middle east, it can be hard to keep up with important developments. Stay on top of the world with the State of the World podcast from npr with journalists across the Middle east and around the globe. We get you caught up on what matters in just a few minutes? Listen to State of the World from NPR. Every weekday.

Pop culture Happy hour NPR's easy, breezy, laid back pop culture podcast has brought you the best in culture for the past 15 years.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

That means we spent the last 15 years talking about what exactly?

[Unnamed NPR Representative]

Bad reality TV at actually Good Marvel movies?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Actually awful Marvel movies?

[Unnamed NPR Representative]

Reboots? Pop music?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Prestige dramas?

[Unnamed NPR Representative]

Netflix slob. That's 15 years of buzzy pop culture chit chat. And here's to many more. With you along for the ride. Listen to Pop Culture Happy Hour on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is already the fastest selling video game console of all time. That's despite the technology behind it lagging years behind its competitors.

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Without saying it, Nintendo is selling a culture.

[Unnamed NPR Representative]

On the indicator, we unpack the unusual business strategy that transformed a tiny Japanese toy company into a global multimedia giant. Listen to the Indicator from Planet Money. Wherever you get your podcasts.