"Another One Rides the Bus" is a parody

Parody

A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...

 of Queen's

Queen (band)

Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...

 "Another One Bites the Dust

Another One Bites the Dust

"Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by bass guitarist John Deacon, the song featured on the group's eighth studio album The Game . The song was a worldwide hit, charting number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100, number two on the R&B charts and...

" by "Weird Al" Yankovic

"Weird Al" Yankovic

Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...

. It originally was released on Yankovic's first EP and was later re-released on Yankovic' debut album.

Track listing

The following tracks are on the single:

1. "Another One Rides the Bus" – 4:56
2. "Gotta Boogie" – 2:21

The promo single only contains "Another One Rides the Bus".

Lyrics

The lyrics describe a person riding in a crowded public bus. In the first verse, the speaker in the song is riding in a crammed bus, then the bus stops to pick up more people. The second verse talks about various things touching the person, such as a suitcase

Suitcase

A suitcase is a general term for a distinguishable form of luggage. It is often a somewhat flat, rectangular-shaped bag with rounded/square corners, either metal, hard plastic or made of cloth, vinyl or leather that more or less keeps its shape. It has a carrying handle on one side and is used...

 and an elbow

Elbow

The human elbow is the region surrounding the elbow-joint—the ginglymus or hinge joint in the middle of the arm. Three bones form the elbow joint: the humerus of the upper arm, and the paired radius and ulna of the forearm....

. In the third verse, the speaker is trying to get fresh air but the fan is broken and the window does not open.

Development and writing

Yankovic wrote the parody and debuted it live on the Dr. Demento Show

Dr. Demento

Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....

. While practicing the song outside the sound booth, Yankovic ran into Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz

Jon Schwartz (drummer)

Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz is a drummer best known for working with the singer-songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic. The two met while recording "Another One Rides the Bus" at the Dr. Demento show on September 14, 1980...

 who told Yankovic he was a drummer

Drummer

A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...

. Schwartz agreed to drum on Yankovic's accordion case to keep a good steady beat to the song. "Another One Rides the Bus" became so popular that it got Yankovic his first appearance on a TV show, The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder

Tom Snyder

Thomas James "Tom" Snyder was an American television personality, news anchor and radio personality best known for his late night talk shows The Tomorrow Show, on the NBC television network in the 1970s and 1980s, and The Late Late Show, on the CBS Television Network in the 1990s...

. On the show, Yankovic played his accordion

Accordion

The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....

 and Schwartz banged on Yankovic's accordion case and played the bulb horns.

Yankovic desired to release the song on a record label, although no one wanted to sign him. Thus, Yankovic released the Another One Rides the Bus EP on his own label, Placebo

Placebo

A placebo is a simulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient...

. After the song started to become an underground hit, TK Records

TK Records

TK Records was an American record label started by record distributor, Henry Stone in Miami, Florida, one of several labels that he founded in the 1960s and 1970s...

 agreed to sign Yankovic and release the "Another One Rides the Bus" as a single. The rush-released 45 charted on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 singles

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles

The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...

, but TK abruptly closed due to financial troubles and the single fell off the charts.

Music video

There is no music video for this single, though The Tomorrow Show performance is included on the "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection DVD, as a bonus feature.

Chart positions

Chart (1981)	Peak Position
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...	4

See also

• List of singles by "Weird Al" Yankovic
• List of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic
• John Rocker#Controversy