Funky Cold Medina

"Funky Cold Medina" is a hip hop song written by Young MC and performed by Tone Lōc. It was the second single from Tone Lōc's debut album Lōc-ed After Dark (1989). The single was released on March 18, 1989, and rose to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following month. It peaked on the UK Singles Chart at #13 in May of that year.

The song title refers to a type of peach and cranberry vodka cocktail, which is presented in the accompanying video as a steaming love potion. The lyrics tell the tale of Tone Lōc's initially unsuccessful attempts to attract women. At the suggestion of a barman, he plies his intended with "that medina thing". He first tests the drink on his dog, who immediately latches onto his leg and attempts to have sex with him. Tone's subsequent encounters with women also backfire on him; first he attracts a transgendered woman^[1], and then a woman intent on marriage from the very first date (recounting his experiences on the game show Love Connection).

[edit] Song facts

This song contains samples from six songs, "Honky Tonk Women" by The Rolling Stones, "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner (whose guitar riff dominates the song), "Christine Sixteen" by Kiss, "All Right Now" by Free, "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and the introduction to "Get Off Your Ass and Jam" by Funkadelic (from which the drum break during the song's bridge is derived).

[edit] In popular culture

The song was parodied on the Canadian comedy show Buzz as Funky Cold Spadina, after Spadina Avenue in Toronto, and also by Nescafe coffee in the UK for a commercial "Hairy Ford Cortina".
Dustin the Turkey, a rubber puppet in the shape of a somewhat deformed turkey, and a popular children's entertainer in Ireland sang about his "Funky Ford Cortina" using the music from Funky Cold Medina in the early 1990s.
Funky Cold Medina was used in the film You, Me, and Dupree.
Funky Cold Medina is mentioned in the "Weird Al" Yankovic song Isle Thing, a parody of another Tone Lōc song, Wild Thing.
Funky Cold Medina is mentioned in the Sammy Hagar song Mas Tequila.
In the Cheers episode "For Real Men Only," (season 8, airdate November 16, 1989), Rebecca Howe laments her bad luck in coordinating a party, and jokes about stripping naked and gyrating to "Funky Cold Medina" just to liven things up.
In the Will & Grace episode "Dolls and Dolls", (season 5, airdate April 24, 2003), Grace and Jack take part in a "good old-fashioned folding party" in which they fold Grace's clothes while listening to the song.
Funky Cold Medina was used in the episode "My Mirror Image" of the NBC show Scrubs, when J.D.'s girlfriend Kim, crying because of her pregnancy, lies and remarks, "my brother was killed by a Funky Cold Medina".
Funky Cold Medina was used in the 17th episode of the second season of My Name is Earl at Earl's birthday party in the motel room.
Referred to several times by vocalist Flavor Flav in recordings of Public Enemy.
Funky Cold Medina is sampled in the acid techno track Funky Old Cortina.
Jeremy Roenick sang this song on Off the Record.
Funky Cold Medina was parodied as "Flaming C Arena" by a Calgary radio station for the Calgary Flames Playoffs in the 1980s.
Funky Cold Medina was used in the trailers of Shrek The Third.
Funky Cold Medina is mentioned by Ween in their song "Pandy Fackler" off the album "White Pepper".
Parodied in the former Epcot Center attraction Food Rocks as "Always read the wrapper".
In a Saturday Night Live skit, Spartan Spirit cheerleaders Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri dance to the song, which is the soundtrack to "The Perfect Cheer."
In Futurama Bender's Big Score, when Hermes informs them that his new body is a time-paradox duplicate, Bubble Gum Tate responds "A copy?! Funky Cold Medina!"