Apr 042011
 

We’ve seen Friday reimagined as a dark narrative about loneliness. We’ve seen it parodied in songs like Thursday. We’ve even seen it played by an orchestra. Leave it to Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon to pay homage by doing the craziest thing of all: adding more fun.

The back story is slightly complicated, but the important thing is that Fallon’s fans were able to raise $26,000 for charity, forcing Colbert to come on the show and sing the maligned Rebecca Black “song.” Colbert starts by crooning alone, on a pitch black stage, his voice choked with emotion. This is the performance one might expect – as it seems completely unexpected. Of course Colbert would come on the show and totally make fun of the song by turning it into a broken-hearted, country-tinged love song.

When Colbert gets to the line, “I see my friends,” however, the lights come on and The Roots charge in with fervor. The band clearly missed the memo about making a parody, as they unleash their not inconsiderable skills on the song. Even rapper Black Thought cruises by in a disembodied car door. By the time Taylor Hicks power slides to the front of the stage, the crowd is in a state of pandemonium.

So what that Hicks forgot the words? So what that Colbert and Fallon harmonize like two cars crashing? So what that this song is commonly referred to as the worst song ever made? In the hands of these dedicated performers it becomes the anthem the original writer always wanted it to be. By the end of this performance, there is something wrong with you if you aren’t having fun fun fun fun.

Check out more Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at the show’s website.

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  One Response to “Watch: Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and the Roots Pay Homage to “Friday””

Comments (1)
  1. They actually raised close to 50,000

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