What does Weezer mean?
45sThe origin of the band's name is a fun, quick trivia that fans and new viewers alike will want to know.
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In this Wired Autocomplete Interview, the members of Weezer answer the web's most searched questions about the band, covering topics from the origin of their name and album titles to their iconic riffs and tour plans. The conversation provides a mix of personal anecdotes, musical insights, and playful banter, offering fans a glimpse into the band's history and personality.
Chapters
[00:18]
Origin of the Name 'Weezer'
The name 'Weezer' came from a childhood nickname for Rivers Cuomo, who had a strong accent when speaking as a child. He had listened to lots of NWA, and the word 'Weezer' was in his head.
[00:30]
Album Naming Colors
Weezer albums are named after colors, but the first album wasn't originally called 'Blue.' They started referring back to the first album as 'Blue' later, and the color naming convention stuck.
[00:45]
Cover of 'Africa'
The cover of 'Africa' by Toto came about after a fan's neighbor was playing the song, and the band reposted a fan's request, leading to a journey that resulted in the cover.
[01:10]
Musical Sophistication
Patrick Wilson notes that the chord changes in 'Africa' are sophisticated yet smooth, making it a great song.
[01:27]
Collaboration with Olivia Rodrigo
Weezer collaborated with Olivia Rodrigo, who was very nice. They flew from LA to another part of the world and played pickleball together.
[01:42]
Why Weezer is the Best Band Ever
The band believes their perseverance over the years is why they're in the discussion for best band ever, along with the music itself.
[02:10]
Why is Water Wet?
Rivers Cuomo jokes that it's all in the wrist, but doesn't reveal the secret.
[02:22]
Upcoming Tour
Weezer has an amazing concept for a tour in September in the USA and Canada, and tickets are expected to sell out.
[02:36]
Fan Nickname
Weezer fans don't have an official name, but a suggestion is 'Weezoids.'
[02:48]
Best Riff
Patrick Wilson likes the riff from 'Maladroit' (likely 'Keep Fishin''), while Rivers Cuomo mentions 'Island in the Sun' as a riff.
[03:19]
Iconic Riff
The iconic riff is from 'Island in the Sun'.
[03:34]
Weezer Logo
The Weezer logo is a simple 'W' that has remained consistent, and it's important for bands to have a strong symbol.
[03:48]
Best Song Vote
Rivers votes for 'Say It Ain't So' as a classic, while Patrick votes for 'Crab' (likely 'Crab' from 'Maladroit'), and internationally it's 'Island in the Sun.'
[04:03]
What is 'Wees'?
The band guesses it's an apostrophe S, but it's unclear.
[04:16]
Meaning of 'Say It Ain't So'
The song is about a boy-girl relationship where the girl has left him, and he's expressing intense passion and remorse.
[04:45]
Personal Experience in Lyrics
Rivers came up with the lyric 'Hey, you look like Buddy Holly' years ago, when big black frames weren't popular, but they've since become more accepted.
[05:26]
Magic: The Gathering
The band plays Magic: The Gathering, and they've incorporated it into their tour name. They also hang out with the game's creators.
[06:06]
Meeting Kurt Cobain
The band met Kurt Cobain, and Rivers says 'He created us.'
[06:32]
Pickleball and Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo gave Rivers a pickleball set, which is where his pickleball participation starts and ends.
[07:00]
Lyric from 'Buddy Holly'
The lyric 'I'm kind of like squaring off with these guys' is from 'Buddy Holly.'
[07:18]
New Album 'Weezer' (Gold)
The new album is called 'Weezer' again, with the color gold. It's not about currency, it's about staying gold.
[07:45]
Tour with The Shins
Weezer will tour in September with The Shins.
[07:57]
How to Weezer Someone
To 'Weezer' someone, you play the riff from 'Buddy Holly' to get them interested, then you make a clip and the girl takes off.
[08:26]
Family Friendly
Weezer is extremely family friendly, though there might be a few moments where you'd want to take the kids to another room. They're not very demonic.
[08:56]
Demonic Concerns
The band jokes about being angelic as well as demonic, and that music is powerful, so they might have cast spells unintentionally.
[09:24]
Spelling of 'Weezer'
The band discusses the spelling of 'Weezer' with an H, and how to get rid of three E's.
[09:49]
Most Surprising Question
The most surprising question was the demonic one.
The interview offers a lighthearted and insightful look into Weezer's history, music, and personality, revealing the stories behind their name, albums, and iconic songs, while also promoting their upcoming tour and new album.
Mentioned in this Video
Study Flashcards (10)
What is the origin of the name 'Weezer'?
easy
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What is the origin of the name 'Weezer'?
easy
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It came from a childhood nickname for Rivers Cuomo, who had a strong accent when speaking as a child.
00:18
Why are Weezer albums named after colors?
medium
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Why are Weezer albums named after colors?
medium
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The first album wasn't originally called 'Blue', but they started referring back to it as 'Blue' later, and the color naming convention stuck.
00:30
How did Weezer's cover of 'Africa' come about?
medium
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How did Weezer's cover of 'Africa' come about?
medium
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A fan's neighbor was playing 'Africa', and the band reposted a fan's request, leading to the cover.
00:45
What does the band attribute to being the best band ever?
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What does the band attribute to being the best band ever?
easy
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Their perseverance over the years, and the music itself.
01:42
What is the name for Weezer fans?
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What is the name for Weezer fans?
easy
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They don't have an official name, but a suggestion is 'Weezoids.'
02:36
Which song does Patrick Wilson consider to have the best riff?
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Which song does Patrick Wilson consider to have the best riff?
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He likes the riff from 'Maladroit' (likely 'Keep Fishin'').
02:48
What is the iconic riff according to the band?
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What is the iconic riff according to the band?
easy
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The riff from 'Island in the Sun'.
03:19
What is the meaning of 'Say It Ain't So'?
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What is the meaning of 'Say It Ain't So'?
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It's about a boy-girl relationship where the girl has left him, and he's expressing intense passion and remorse.
04:16
What is the new Weezer album called and what color is it?
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What is the new Weezer album called and what color is it?
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It's called 'Weezer' and the color is gold, symbolizing staying gold.
07:18
Who is Weezer touring with in September?
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Who is Weezer touring with in September?
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The Shins.
07:45
💡 Key Takeaways
📊
Origin of the Name
Reveals the personal and linguistic origin of the band's name, a key piece of trivia for fans.
00:18
💡
Perseverance as Key to Success
The band credits their longevity and perseverance, offering an insight into their mindset.
01:42
💡
Meaning of 'Say It Ain't So'
Provides a clear interpretation of one of their most famous songs, deepening listener understanding.
04:16
💬
Kurt Cobain Influence
Rivers Cuomo states that Kurt Cobain 'created us', highlighting a significant influence.
06:06
📊
New Album Concept
Announces the new album 'Weezer' (Gold) and its symbolic meaning, relevant for fans.
07:18Full Transcript
[00:00] the "Wired Autocomplete Interview." [high-pitched guitar riff] - Okay. What does Weezer mean?
[00:18] when I was like two, three years old. I reminded him at that age And I said, "Why?"
[00:30] - [Patrick] Why are Weezer albums named after colors? And it, that happens to be the color. but they didn't call it that
[00:45] Then they started referring back to the first album - Why did Weezer cover "Africa?" of somebody whose neighbor was playing "Africa"
[00:58] And I think I reposted it. And somehow this girl in Ohio, she was like, And so she went on like a journey
[01:10] - The chord changes are so sophisticated but smooth But it is such a great song. - [Patrick] Weezer x Olivia Rodrigo.
[01:27] after like a, was it again? like another part of the world and the next day flew from LA She was so nice. - So nice.
[01:42] - And then we went and played pickleball - Why Weezer is the best band ever. - I think what like, the way we persevered throughout the,
[01:57] throughout the years is why we're in that discussion. Oh, and the music. That's the clear answer. - Yeah. Why is water wet?
[02:10] - It's all in the wrist, but don't tell anybody. - We're about to find out in September, in-
[02:22] the United States of America and Canada. We have an amazing concept that we're not, You better get your tickets 'cause they're gonna sell out.
[02:36] - [Patrick] What do Weezer fans call themselves? - We don't have a name. - Weezoids?
[02:48] - What Weezer song has the best riff? - I also like, what's the song off of "Malad" - Oh. ♪ We come together ♪
[03:03] - [Patrick] What Weezer song has the iconic riff? or "Island in the Sun." - "Island in the Sun" is a riff.
[03:19] Yeah. You know it. - Yeah. - What is the Weezer logo? And I thought we're gonna surely grow
[03:34] Like it's gotta, this has gotta be like, There might be a bigger W but it's the same one. It's very important for bands of our era
[03:48] to have some kind of like strong symbol. - Guess I'd vote for- - "Say It Ain't So." - That's a classic.
[04:03] - I'll say "Crab." Internationally, it's "Island in the Sun." - What is Wees? I'm gonna say this is gonna be apostrophe S.
[04:16] - #0033H9. - It's about a boy girl relationship
[04:28] The girl has left him for that reason and he's basically imploring her to, and expressing his intense passion and remorse.
[04:45] - Is it based on personal experience? - Does Weezer? - Does Weezer - I came up with that lyric years ago
[05:00] and say, "Hey, you look like Buddy Holly." I think at that time having kind of big black frames that I had gotten,
[05:14] It wasn't popular at all. But I think since then they've become more widely accepted. anything like Buddy Holly.
[05:26] - Yeah, the before times. - [Scott] Does Weezer play "Magic: The Gathering?" because of the name of our tour as well.
[05:39] of the "Magic: The Gathering" to our tour. Oh sure. - Does Weezer play "Magic," the song, at "The Gathering," the concert.
[05:52] - Yeah. - Yup. We hang out a little bit with them So my answer is yes.
[06:06] - [Crew] That can be an enough said. of meeting Kurt Cobain, It's all over now.
[06:19] - [Brian] Just Weezer. Well you did. He created us.
[06:32] Where did the name Weezer come from? Olivia Rodrigo did give me a pickleball set. That is where my pickleball participation ends and starts.
[06:46] and their pickleball, so we must be a little bit and were they the musical guests as well? - I was fighting, I dunno what the fight is.
[07:00] That's a great lyric from the song "Buddy Holly." who had a strong accent when she spoke. I think I was, you know, had listened to lots of NWA
[07:18] And so that is just in my head, that word. I'm kind of like squaring off with these guys. The new album is called "Weezer."
[07:32] - Again. The color this time is the color gold. It's not about currency, it's about staying gold. Who is Weezer going on tour with?
[07:45] We're gonna go on tour in September with The Shins. - How to Weezer someone.
[07:57] It's the riff- - From "Buddy Holly." and then you get 'em all interested. like that blue color takes over the screen
[08:09] Why Weezer became- - Well, the go away thing, and then put it towards another situation with two people.
[08:26] And you make a clip and the girl takes off. - Is Weezer family friendly? I'm gonna say extremely. where you may wanna take the kids in the other room,
[08:43] it is really straight up a real fun family act. - Ooh. - Ooh. I don't think we're very demonic.
[08:56] - How is that a concern? I don't know what's going on at Google. - We're angelic as well as demonic.
[09:09] - You mean like casting spells? - Well, music is very powerful. So you know, maybe we have cast spells, not intentionally,
[09:24] - You can cast spells and not be a demon or demonic. - Yeah. - Okay. - No. - No, because
[09:37] - But wheezer is, with an H. because you usually have all these vowels,
[09:49] "How do I get rid of three E's?" I guess the most surprising one was the demonic question, - Thanks for those questions.
[10:03] [logo beeps and bloops]
