"Weird Al" Yankovic doesn't usually miss. For over four decades, the man has been the gatekeeper of pop culture relevance. If he parodies you, you’ve made it. But back in 2011, things got incredibly weird—and not the fun kind of weird—when it came to his parody of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way."
It was a total mess. Honestly, for a few days there, fans thought the born this way parody weird al had been working on was destined for the digital scrapheap. It’s a wild story involving "Gaga’s people," a canceled family vacation, and a last-minute save that felt like a movie plot.
The Gaga Saga: When "No" Meant "Maybe"
In early 2011, Lady Gaga was everywhere. You couldn't turn on a radio without hearing the thumping, self-empowerment beats of "Born This Way." Al knew he had to tackle it. But he was hesitant. He actually worried that mocking a song with such a heavy human rights message might seem mean-spirited.
To offset the "bad karma," Al decided he would donate every single cent from the song and its video to the Human Rights Campaign. He’s a good dude like that.
Here is where the drama started.
Al's manager reached out to Gaga’s camp. Usually, this is a formality. Most artists—think Dave Grohl or Chamillionaire—are stoked to get the call. But Gaga's management told Al he couldn't just have a "yes" based on the concept. They insisted on seeing the lyrics. Al wrote them in a fever dream while on tour in Australia. He sent them over.
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Then came the kicker: "She needs to hear it."
This was unheard of. Recording a professional parody costs a fortune in studio time and session musicians. Al usually gets approval before spending the cash. But he wanted this one bad. He flew back to L.A., cut his daughter’s spring break vacation short, and spent days in the studio perfecting every synth pop beat to match the original.
He sent the finished track, "Perform This Way," to her team.
The answer? A flat "No."
The Internet to the Rescue
Al was crushed. He’d spent a huge amount of money and time on a song he now couldn't legally put on his album, Alpocalypse. In a move that was pretty gutsy for 2011, he decided to just put the song on YouTube for free.
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He basically said, "Look, I can't sell this, but I don't want to waste my time. Here it is. Go donate to charity."
The internet went nuclear.
Within hours, "Perform This Way" was a viral sensation. And then, the plot twist happened. It turns out Lady Gaga hadn't even heard the song. Her manager had been the one saying no the whole time without ever showing her the lyrics or the track. When Gaga finally actually heard it, she loved it. She called herself a "huge Weird Al fan" and gave him the green light immediately.
Crisis averted.
Why "Perform This Way" Is Actually Brilliant
The song itself is a masterpiece of absurdity. Instead of mocking the message of "Born This Way," Al pivots to Gaga’s own persona. He sings about:
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- Wearing a meat dress (obviously).
- Arriving in a giant human-sized egg.
- Fashion so impractical it’s basically a safety hazard.
It’s meta. It’s a parody of a person who is already a walking piece of performance art. Al’s head was digitally grafted onto the bodies of female dancers for the music video, creating this uncanny valley effect that is still deeply unsettling to watch today. It costs a lot of money to look that weird.
Does Weird Al Need Permission?
Legally? No.
Under U.S. copyright law, parody is "fair use." Al could technically release whatever he wants without asking anyone. But he’s a gentleman. He has a personal policy of never releasing a parody unless the original artist is cool with it. It’s why you’ll never hear his parody of Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page said no) or his various ideas for Prince songs (Prince was notoriously protective).
The born this way parody weird al ended up being the lead single for Alpocalypse, and it’s now a staple of his live shows. He usually performs it while wearing a giant peacock suit, which is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds.
Actionable Takeaways for Superfans
If you’re diving back into the Gaga/Yankovic rabbit hole, there are a few things you should check out to get the full experience:
- Watch the "Perform This Way" video side-by-side with Gaga’s Grammy arrival: You’ll see just how many tiny details Al’s team mimicked, from the wardrobe to the specific lighting.
- Read Al’s 2011 blog post: It’s still online and titled "The Gaga Saga." It’s a fascinating, play-by-play look at how the music industry's "gatekeepers" can almost ruin a creative project.
- Check out the rest of the Alpocalypse album: People forget that "Polka Face" (the polka medley on the same album) also features Gaga’s "Poker Face," showing just how much she dominated that era of Al's career.
The whole situation remains a classic example of why artists should talk to each other directly instead of letting managers do all the heavy lifting. If it weren't for a viral YouTube upload, one of the best parodies of the 2010s might have been lost to history.