Fear The Walken -- C-Eye Design :: Flash :: Christopher Walken Cowbell Soundboard

November 10, 2007 1:24 PM

More Cowbell
posted by y2karl (52 comments total)

Even more cowbell, the timeline (Soon to be a major motion phicture)
posted by growabrain at 1:29 PM on November 10, 2007

I got a fever.
posted by Elmore at 1:33 PM on November 10, 2007

> It incubated online for years, only recently reaching the mainstream as the ultimate universal inside joke.

"Universal"..."inside joke"...it can't be both. This skit is like "Where's The Beef?," only with added, inexplicible staying power.
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:39 PM on November 10, 2007

If only god is immortal..then...cowbell is god.

There can be no other reason....
posted by HuronBob at 1:47 PM on November 10, 2007

The SNL skit [YouTube].
posted by ericb at 1:49 PM on November 10, 2007

Of course, there's a Wikipedia page: More Cowbell.
posted by ericb at 1:51 PM on November 10, 2007

There's something oddly pleasing about playing the cowbell with the song.
posted by puke & cry at 1:51 PM on November 10, 2007

The SNL skit [YouTube].

Well, thanks. One of these days I will get around to watching it for the first time.
posted by y2karl at 1:54 PM on November 10, 2007

.
posted by dhartung at 1:56 PM on November 10, 2007

Well, thanks. One of these days I will get around to watching it for the first time.

You're most welcome. As I had never seen the skit before, I thought I'd share it with others who (like me) never understood the "needs more cowbell" reference. Sorry, if supplying the additional information/links ruins the "inside joke."
posted by ericb at 2:08 PM on November 10, 2007

I was serious--I have never seen the skit.
posted by y2karl at 2:12 PM on November 10, 2007

LESS COWBELL!!!!
posted by The Deej at 2:14 PM on November 10, 2007

One of the few times I found Will Ferrell funny. Of course Christopher Walken was the funny part...
posted by Eekacat at 2:16 PM on November 10, 2007

LESS COWBELL!!!!

noooooooooooooo
posted by needs more cowbell at 2:18 PM on November 10, 2007 [3 favorites]

Thanks, ericb, for the link. An inside joke isn't a joke if you're not, uh... inside, if you know what I mean.
posted by wafaa at 2:22 PM on November 10, 2007

No, it's not an inside joke if nobody's outside.
posted by knave at 2:26 PM on November 10, 2007

y2karl's getting a crank call later tonight... from Bruce Dickinson.

Yes, the Bruce Dickinson.
posted by GuyZero at 2:29 PM on November 10, 2007

I was serious--I have never seen the skit.

So we were both "cowbell virgins!"
posted by ericb at 2:41 PM on November 10, 2007

LESS COWBELL!!!!

noooooooooooooo
posted by needs more cowbell

Hey, hey, calm down. I said "less cowbell," not "less needs more cowbell." So don't take it so personally.
posted by The Deej at 2:42 PM on November 10, 2007

Excellent. Now I can load the SWF onto my phone and play random-access cowbell quotes during lulls in conversation.
posted by meehawl at 2:44 PM on November 10, 2007

And -- I never realized Walken was an accomplished dancer until seeing the Fatboy Slim 'Weapon Of Choice' music video (directed by Spike Jonze).
posted by ericb at 2:48 PM on November 10, 2007

Christopher Walken for President 2008.
posted by ericb at 2:49 PM on November 10, 2007

Hey, hey, calm down. I said "less cowbell," not "less needs more cowbell." So don't take it so personally.

What we need is more cowbell and Les Nessman.
posted by wafaa at 2:51 PM on November 10, 2007 [2 favorites]

ericb needed more cowbell... and he got it.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 3:06 PM on November 10, 2007

I never realized Walken was an accomplished dancer until ...

Walken accomplishes looking like Christopher Walken attempting to dance. See also the newest Hairspray movie. Fun to watch, not because he's a good dancer, but rather b/c it is Christopher Walken dancing!
posted by found missing at 3:10 PM on November 10, 2007

What we need is more cowbell and Les Nessman.

Walken, Will Ferrell and WKRP... now that's the WWW.
posted by wendell at 3:16 PM on November 10, 2007

Ya' learn something new everyday!

"Chris also had a chance to show off his dancing talents in the film, Pennies from Heaven, where he stole the show with a top notch dance routine. Later, at one particularly memorable party, Walken was personally praised by both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly for his performance in that film. A film that would also turn out to be MGM's very last musical."^* -- video

posted by ericb at 3:28 PM on November 10, 2007

Oops -- proper link for "Pennies from Heaven" video.
posted by ericb at 3:29 PM on November 10, 2007

Great!
posted by found missing at 3:36 PM on November 10, 2007

Walken, Will Ferrell and WKRP... now that's the WWW.

JACKPOT!
posted by wafaa at 3:36 PM on November 10, 2007

after all, he is the opposite of Christopher Reeves..
posted by ianaces at 4:01 PM on November 10, 2007

COWBELL HERO

Coming soon for the Wii, PS3, and Xbox360!

Note: I would play Cowbell Hero if it were real. I would win many points. And then Weighted Companion Cube would come back to me.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 4:03 PM on November 10, 2007 [2 favorites]

Of all the shitty, irritating SNL-spawned stupidities, this is surely the worst. YOU'RE NOT CLEVER, GODDAMNIT. REPEATING SHIT YOU HEARD ON TV DOESN'T COUNT AS BEING WITTY. I have a special hell in mind for all the people who went around for 2 years bleating "I got a fever": they're reincarnated as a pig and forced to masturbate Chris Farley's hideously bloated decaying corpse until all tears empty into the sea.

As for the people who use "git 'r done" as a catchprase...
posted by nasreddin at 4:14 PM on November 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

"The sketch takes a great deal of liberty with the actual events surrounding the recording of '(Don't Fear) The Reaper.'"
posted by kirkaracha at 4:15 PM on November 10, 2007

they're reincarnated as a pig and forced to masturbate Chris Farley's hideously bloated decaying corpse until all tears empty into the sea.

In a van, down by the river, of course.
posted by wafaa at 4:27 PM on November 10, 2007 [3 favorites]

Crap, in other words, I heard it on TV. It MUST be good.
posted by wafaa at 4:30 PM on November 10, 2007

Another funny Will Ferrell bit.
posted by wfc123 at 4:31 PM on November 10, 2007

Having watched that sketch again, my hatred for Jimmy "Laugh in Every Sketch I'm In" Fallon is renewed.
posted by the other side at 4:31 PM on November 10, 2007

what
posted by wigu at 4:41 PM on November 10, 2007

That sketch is funny BECAUSE Jimmy Fallon is laughing. Also other things.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 4:47 PM on November 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

My favorite Christopher Walken performance was in In the Comfort of Strangers. Really ott, but haunting.
posted by DenOfSizer at 4:48 PM on November 10, 2007

Acoustic cowbell? Uh-uh. Serious cowbellists have stepped up to the Rad Monkey.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:56 PM on November 10, 2007

I played a cowbell recently at this weekly bonfire, tribal dance thing on St. Pete beach. That is one fucking hell of a way to let loose. All hail the mighty cowbell!
posted by inconsequentialist at 5:02 PM on November 10, 2007

That is one fucking hell of a way to let loose annoy everyone else on the beach with your rhythmically inept banging and clanging.

Don't take it personally, though...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:26 PM on November 10, 2007

But "more cowbell" will NEVER beat the awesomeness of "Choppin' Broccoli"...
posted by wendell at 5:47 PM on November 10, 2007

Michael O'Donoghue fucks all your mothers in hell.



Shit, did I say that out loud?
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 8:34 PM on November 10, 2007

That Pennies from Heaven clip... wow. I had always thought of Christopher Walken as an older man. I almost didn't recognise him in that. And he is actually a good dancer. Thanks for sharing that one with the class, ericb.
posted by mosessis at 9:38 PM on November 10, 2007

LOL WUT?
posted by cowbellemoo at 9:41 PM on November 10, 2007

Of all the shitty, irritating SNL-spawned stupidities, this is surely the worst.

nasreddin, you ignorant slut.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:17 PM on November 10, 2007

Of all the shitty, irritating SNL-spawned stupidities, this is surely the worst.

This is a link to the 1994 film It's Pat. Several million dollars were spent on its production. Kathy Griffin has a supporting role, playing herself.

Whereas "Don't Fear the Reaper" is an excellent song, and Christopher Walken is Christopher Goddamn Walken.

QED.
posted by gompa at 12:32 AM on November 11, 2007

Look -- it was hilariously funny -- sidesplittingly so -- the first time. The second time, it was still pretty chuckle-inducing. Then, it started showing up everywhere as cheesy animated gifs, mostly being used as avatars in myriad forums, and those forums that didn't allow avatars, had at least five members whose text sig was "MORE COWBELL!!" Three years on, it's just fucking worn right the fuck out.

Though I suppose if it replaces "FREEBIRD!" as a live-gig catcall, that wouldn't be all bad, because it's been like, what, 25 years that some moran somewhere has thought it was funny to yell that at every goddam live venue every night of the week across the entire world.

Yes, and I suppose it's about time to retire "moran," too. Color me cranky -- I passed a kideney stone yesterday.
posted by Devils Rancher at 6:25 AM on November 11, 2007

My favorite Will Ferrell sketch: Neil Diamond on Storytellers.
posted by Atom Eyes at 10:06 AM on November 12, 2007