Gump (song)

"Gump"
Single by "Weird Al" Yankovic
from the album Bad Hair Day
B-side "Spy Hard (Theme from the Motion Picture Spy Hard)", "Since You've Been Gone"
Released May 7, 1996
Format CD, cassette
Recorded January 3, 1996 at Santa Monica Sound Recorders, Santa Monica, California[1]
Length 2:10
Label Scotti Brothers
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic singles chronology
"Amish Paradise"
(1996)
"Gump"
(1996)
"Spy Hard"
(1996)

"Amish Paradise"
(1996)
"Gump"
(1996)
"Spy Hard"
(1996)
Alternative cover

Promo CD single cover
Bad Hair Day track listing
  1. "Amish Paradise"
  2. "Everything You Know Is Wrong"
  3. "Cavity Search
  4. "Callin' in Sick"
  5. "The Alternative Polka"
  6. "Since You've Been Gone"
  7. "Gump"
  8. "I'm So Sick of You"
  9. "Syndicated Inc."
  10. "I Remember Larry"
  11. "Phony Calls"
  12. "The Night Santa Went Crazy"

"Gump" is a song by American musical parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of "Lump" by alternative rock group The Presidents of the United States of America and also parodies the 1994 movie Forrest Gump. It is one of several Yankovic songs describing the events of a movie, such as "Jurassic Park" and "The Saga Begins" (and currently the only one parodied from a then-recent song).

The cover for the single is itself a parody of the Presidents of the United States of America's logo. This is one of Yankovic's shortest album parodies, second only to his remade version of "My Bologna" (a parody of The Knack's "My Sharona"). In the video for this song, Yankovic dons a bald cap. The Presidents of the United States of America themselves praised the parody and has since often referred to the "Weird Al" song during live performances.

Track listing

  1. "Gump" – 2:10
  2. "Spy Hard" – 2:49
  3. "Since You've Been Gone" – 1:22
  4. "Since You've Been Gone (Karaoke Version)" – 1:22
  5. "Callin' in Sick (Instrumental)" – 3:40
  6. "Spy Hard (Instrumental)" – 2:49
  7. "Spy Hard (Orchestral Mix)" – 2:49

Production

The song was recorded on January 3, 1996 at Santa Monica Sound Recorders, in Santa Monica, California. Before "Gump" was officially released, Yankovic played a rough version of the song for the Presidents of the United States of America on their tour bus. This marks the first time that Al was able to "see a band's reaction when they heard their parody for the first time."[1] PUSA frontman Chris Ballew said he first heard Yankovic was doing his song on television, and later became friends with the parodist. Yankovic even directed a music video for the band's song "Mixed Up S.O.B." in 2008, and has joined them on stage a few times.[2]

Music video

The music video for "Gump" is a double parody of both the movie Forrest Gump and the Presidents of the United States of America's music video for "Lump". The single's cover art is directly taken from the video shoot.

Chart positions

Chart (1996) Peak
Position
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles 2

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Yankovic, Alfred (2013), "Gump", 'Weird Al' Yankovic Official Limited Edition Trading Cards, Volcano Records (58)
  2. 1 2 www.weirdal.com "Video Facts"
  3. Ask Al: Sept/Oct 1996
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