Pop punk legends Tweak return with a mashup of kungfu, parody and nostalgia proving that the band’s mischievous spirit is still alive and well. ‘Bruce Lee’ and the accompanying video show the band at their very best and deliver laughs from start to finish.
An edgy rock intro segways straight into a hip hop parody verse complete with faux-gangster accent. Garth Barnes boasts ironically that “Erry single hater in the club gonna drop/ When I hit them with the Hiroshima Kung Fu chop”. The level of parody is extreme on this one, so prepare to laugh your ass off.
The main course of the video is footage of Bruce Lee doing his thing with Tweak’s lyrics flashing into view. Lyric videos can be humdrum but in this case the retro font and subtitles give you a chance to see the sharpness of their wit. Added to this are scenes from pop culture spanning generations including Game of Thrones, Paris Hilton and Gangnam style.
By their own account Tweak goes “Chuck Norris in the chorus” as the song pivots to the light hearted pop punk that Tweak is best known for. What’s less expected is the bridge that takes on quirky ballad quality of Bohemian Rhapsody. We’re one chorus away from the end of the song and I haven’t stopped laughing the entire time.
The song ends with a martial arts takedown and a subtitle that reads “[Punches dick]”. This song and video are an absolute masterpiece of silliness and parody. While we all remember the Tweak songs of our youth thanks to the thick sheen of nostalgia, this has still managed to become one of my favourite Tweak songs ever. Watch the video below.
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