‘Weird Al’ Yankovic could possibly be the smartest musician ever. He has produced over 20 albums using his humor and an accordion to craft parodies that leave many (myself included) bobbing heads back and forth in marvel at his greatness.

I can still remember the first Weird Al Yankovic CD I purchased. It was his Off The Deep End album and I instantly fell in love. I would play the album over and over again to memorize the words to Smells Like Nirvana, You Don’t Love Me Anymore, and The White Stuff. In fact, Taco Grande is the sole reason I have a somewhat decent Spanish accent.

So what can this creative, parody-producing, polka-playing, curly-haired musician teach us about romance? Actually, it’s quite a bit.

Lesson 1: Take it and make it your own.

I would be the first to argue that they don’t make music like they used to. This can be both a bad and a good thing. It’s bad because many of the songs you hear on the radio today feature some sort of synthesized voice or heavy beat laid over an oldie-but-goodie. It’s a good thing however, because as we expand the boundaries of musical styles, we get to experience new music and songs that leave us in awe.

Apply this discovery to your romance. There are several different approaches on how to be romantic. You could ask your neighbor and they could tell you three romantic things to do off the top of their head. You can enter ‘romantic ideas’ in your favorite search engine and get over 3 million results. (While you’re at it, pop ‘portland romantic’ in your search engine. Thank you in advance.)

Many of the ideas include flowers, dinner, and some form of dim lighting. This is all well and good, but if you’re just recycling the same ol’, same ol’, you’re not expanding the boundaries of the romance in your relationship. To me, that is a bad thing.

Lesson 2: Don’t be afraid to be different.

If you had told me when I was a kid that I would fall in love with polka-infused parodies about poodles and slime creatures from outer space, I would have laughed at you heartily before running to my dad and asking him to beat up your dad. Yet, here I am, rocking out to Like a Surgeon and Amish Paradise.

Since high school, ‘Weird Al’ knew the style of musician he wanted to be. Your partner is with you because of who you are. Your uniqueness is probably what made you stand out from the crowd. Use that individuality to your advantage. If you both love going to movies, incorporate romance into your movie watching. If you both like watching how gamma rays transition in direct proportion to the height of the sun on a Spring evening, watch more sunsets together. If the two of you are both into collecting Star Trek Christmas ornaments, well…let me get back to you on that one.

I happen to be quite different than my usual counterparts. (Case in point: I just incorporated ‘Weird Al’, Star Trek, and gamma rays into a post about romance. 5 points to me!) I use my individuality to my advantage by planning dates for my partner that incorporate my many quirks that she just can’t resist.

Lesson 3: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic definitely has a formula. He takes popular songs, re-writes the lyrics based on a certain subject, and throws in a little accordion or burp at the end and PRESTO! Another grammy-winning hit. I would say that this formula works for him. So much so that others have tried to duplicate his work, but they don’t even come close.

If you have a formula that works for you, just do it. If you can use this formula again and again and it produces the smile and gratitude from your partner, even better. And if you get the romance planning down to a science where you can use your formula, receive that appreciation, AND your planning becomes quicker and easier every time, super-duper-fantastical!

So take it from me, er ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, on how ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic has helped me to be the romantic me…wait, I’m so confused. I think I’ve gone Off The Deep End.

Until next time,
Stay Romantic.