"Living with a Hernia" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. The song is a parody of " Living in America" by James Brown, from the film ''

Rocky IV ''Rocky IV'' is a 1985 American sports drama film written, directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the sequel to ''Rocky III'' (1982) and is the fourth installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Ca ...

''. The song mostly describes the terrible "aggravation" and "back pain" that a

hernia A hernia is the abnormal exit of tissue or an organ, such as the bowel, through the wall of the cavity in which it normally resides. Various types of hernias can occur, most commonly involving the abdomen, and specifically the groin. Groin herni ...

causes. The narrator himself claims to be suffering from a hernia, and that he's "Got to have an operation".

Recording

"Living with a Hernia" is a spoof of " Living in America" by

Dan Hartman Daniel Earl Hartman (December 8, 1950 – March 22, 1994) was an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Among songs he wrote and recorded were " Free Ride" as a member of the Edgar Winter Group, and the solo hits ...

and

Charlie Midnight Charlie Midnight (born Charles Kaufman, 1954) is an American songwriter, record producer, and founder of Midnight Production House. He has been nominated for the 1987 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (Writer, " Living in America" by James Brown), ...

(which was also the theme to the 1985 film ''

''). As the title suggests, it is about

s. Note: the original vinyl and CD release of the album contained complete liner notes, which included lyrics and personnel. The 1991 re-issue, however, does not feature liner notes as a cost saving measure. When it came time to pick a song to parody as the lead single for '' Polka Party!'' Scotti Brothers Records "had some very strong ideas" and wished to have Yankovic parody a musician who was signed on the same label. After "Living in America" became a hit, the record label insisted that Yankovic parody the song, to which Yankovic obliged.Rabin and Yankovic, p. 77 In order to accurately write the song, Yankovic researched the various types of hernias. On August 4, 1986, Yankovic began recording parodies for ''Polka Party!'', starting with "Living With a Hernia".

Critical reception

The single received mostly mixed reviews.

Eugene Chadbourne Eugene Chadbourne (born January 4, 1954) is an American banjoist, guitarist and music critic. Life and career Chadbourne was born in Mount Vernon, New York, but grew up in Boulder, Colorado. He started playing guitar when he was eleven or twel ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

was critical of the parody, and wrote that "'Living in America' in its original version has all the overblown grandeur needed to make a good parody target, but 'Living With a Hernia' just isn't funny." Christopher Thelen of the Daily Vault noted that "Yankovic even falls flat tackling" Brown with this parody. In a positive review, Keith Thomas of ''

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'' called the single "a comical classic", praising Yankovic's lampooning of Brown's stage performance. He was particularly pleased with Yankovic naming specific types of hernias as opposed to cities in the United States. He concluded that, "Some people say Weird Al's appeal will wear out utI beg to differ."

Music video

Yankovic noted that "it was a real thrill to do James Brown. I'm a total non-dancer, never went to any dances in high school, but if I analytically dissect a dance routine I can figure it out." Choreographer Chester Whitmore was hired to accurately create the dance scenes featured in the video, which was shot on the concert set used in the movie ''Rocky IV''.

Track listing

# "Living with a Hernia" – 3:16 # "Don't Wear Those Shoes" – 3:35

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

External links

Living with a Hernia
music video on YouTube/VEVO {{authority control Songs about diseases and disorders "Weird Al" Yankovic songs 1986 singles Songs written by Charlie Midnight Songs with lyrics by "Weird Al" Yankovic 1986 songs Funk songs James Brown Scotti Brothers Records singles