This is Fresh Air, I'm Terry Gross. Today we continue our series featuring some of our favorite

interviews of the year with Al Yankovic, aka Weird Al Yankovic. He's famous for his song

parodies, for which he writes comic lyrics to hit songs. Beat it, became Edit. My Shirona became

My Belona. Another one bites the dust, became another one rides the bus. Like a virgin? Like a surgeon.

Riden, Riden Dirty, was transformed into white and nerdy. He's recorded a mashup of songs

from Hamilton, Polka Style. Yankovic's instrument is the accordion, not exactly a mainstay of rock bands

or hip-hop. In keeping with his style of comedy, the new movie Weird, which he co-wrote,

parodies music biopics, as well as action films and film noir, and offers an alternate version of

his life. In the movie, playing accordion gives him the status of a guitar hero. Making a

words to songs that already exist is considered a high calling, the work of a visionary. Artists,

including Madonna, will do anything to get him to parody their songs, knowing their song will

become a hit of Weird Al parody's it. He becomes so popular, he's asked to be the next James Bond.

Daniel Radcliffe stars as Al Yankovic. Although Yankovic never achieved quite the status his character

does in the film, he's been quite successful. He's the third music performer after Michael Jackson

and Madonna to have a top 40 single in each decade since the 80s. He recently completed his tour

which he called the unfortunate return of his ridiculously self-indulgent ill-advised vanity tour.

You can see his new movie Weird streaming on Roku.com for free. Let's start with one of his early hits,

which is also in the film, here's Eat It.

Al Yankovic, welcome to Fresh Air. I laughed out loud during your movie.

That's so nice to hear. Thank you so much. We just heard Eat It. How did you decide to do

that Michael Jackson song? Why did you choose that one? I should mention this was the era where music

videos were really big and Michael Jackson's videos, including Beat It, were huge at the time.

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