Adam Sandler released his hilarious debut comedy album, They're All Gonna Laugh at You!, in 1993, right in the middle of his short, but memorable run on Saturday Night Live. The album featured a slew of comedic songs, which Sandler had become known for, like "Food Innuendo Guy" and "At A Medium Pace." It also contained a live cut of the comedian's SNL tune that celebrated the spoils of Thanksgiving and completely unrelated pop culture references, the appropriately titled "The Thanksgiving Song."
"Virtually non-sequitur recurring sketches about a screeching buffoon mixed with insanely detailed sonic evocations of Looney Tunes-style beatings and songs celebrating Thanksgiving turkey and gymnastic sex acts (performed at a medium pace)," SPIN wrote about the album. "Sandler was 27 when he recorded this material, and freed from the strictures of network bosses and visuals, he and his friends came up with as pure - and hilarious - a survey of the over-stimulated, under-intelligent, and joyfully offensive American male teenage id as comedy has ever whoopee-cushioned into the world."
The Sandman's true talent is being able to turn on rage and raunch in some songs while remaining innocent and silly in others. "The Thanksgiving Song" falls into the latter category, along with "Lunchlady Land" and his other holiday classic, "The Chanukah Song." Somehow, the comedian still makes us laugh at his soft, timid vocals about loving Thanksgiving, if only because there's no other song that puts the holiday on such a pedestal. If listening to Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Resturant" is tradition, then Sandler's "The Thanksgiving Song" is a celebration hymn.
One of the best moments of the live recording comes when the comedian has to silence the crowd's claps because they are "messing" with his head. From then on, it's just Sandler, his guitar and a bunch of goofy lyrics.
Here are only five lines from the song celebrating Thanksgiving, people in pop culture and the comedic stylings of Adam Sandler:
5. "Thanksgiving is a special night / Jimmie Walker used to say Dyn-o-mite."
For some reason, we love this line. Like most of the others, it makes no sense, but it fits perfectly because both statements are true. Jimmie Walker really loved saying Dyn-o-mite too.
4. "Gobble gobble goo and gobble gobble gickel / I wish turkey only cost a nickel."
Such a nice thought. At least Sandler's only talking like a turkey instead of to one, like another Thanksgiving fan, Bob Belcher.
3. "Turkey and sweet potato pie / Sammy Davis Jr. only had one eye."
Indeed, Sammy Davis Jr. only had one eye. Davis, who also converted to Judaism during his lifetime, had a popular saying about his fake eye. "Handicap? Talk about handicap - I'm a one-eyed Negro Jew," he joked.
2. "Turkey in the oven and the buns in the toaster / I'll never take down my Cheryl Tiegs poster."
Tiegs is a model, most famous for having done multiple covers of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue. She's been included on such lists as People's 50 Most Beautiful People and Men's Health's 100 Hottest Women of All Time. No wonder Sandler doesn't want to take his poster down.
1. "Turkey lurkey doo and turkey lurkey dap / I eat that turkey then I take a nap."
This is the first intersection of complete goofball lyrics being used for the sake of needing something to rhyme with "nap," which, as we all know, is a tradition thanks to tryptophan. Another popular '90s comedian used that to his advantage before.
The crowning moment of the song comes right at the end when Sandler exclaims, "I love Turkey on Thanksgiving." No truer words have ever been sang in a ridiculous song.
Thanks, Adam.
