One of the defining characteristics of “Weird Al” Yankovic’s remarkable career is his ability to change with the times. Music shifts and evolves, and Yankovic keeps pace, working in rock, hip-hop, blues, and, yes, polka. So it’s no surprise that he eventually got around to writing an original song that is such a perfect Weezer riff it might as well be a Weezer song: “Skipper Dan.”

Wired explains that the song tells a heartbreaking and relatable story about a passionate kid who works really, really hard to become an actor and winds up working at a theme park, running jungle cruise rides in the role of Skipper Dan.

Everyone has experienced career frustration and failure. Modern Western culture tends to focus on the movie stars who make success seem easy and assured — all you have to do is do the work! But Yankovic’s lyrics get to the lie: “Hit the boards and paid my dues / And got phenomenal rave reviews” he sings, “But the years have come and gone / And I’m sorry to say that’s not the way that it’s all worked out.”

Nathan Rabin notes that part of the song’s appeal, aside from how catchy it is, is he note of hope and resilience Yankovic injects into the depressing topic. It’s more subtle and deeper than most of Yankovic’s tunes.

To appreciate what “Weird Al” Yankovic is doing here it helps to remember there was once a band called Extreme who had a mega-hit with the ballad “More Than Words,” and that they made an uber-serious video to promote it. But perhaps it’s not necessary, because “You Don’t Love Me Anymore” is simply a great song on its own.

As noted by Yahoo! News (which considers it to be “probably the best original song in his entire discography”), the song employs the classic Yankovic strategy of starting off sincerely and then slowly ramping up the absurdity. Through it all, he maintains a deadpan, serious tone that belies the insanity of a relationship gone way off the deep end.

The AV Club reports that Yankovic liked the song so much that after the surprise success of “Smells Like Nirvana” he fought to have it released as the second single from the album. The label was reluctant to release an original, so he had to agree to make the video a parody in order to get the song out there. And thank goodness he did, or we might not know about lyrics like “You know, I even think it’s kinda cute the way / You poison my coffee just a little each day.”

One sign of a true musical legend is that one song that the fans always scream for, that one signature song that separates the casuals from the true fans. For “Weird Al” Yankovic, that song is “Albuquerque.”

It’s epic — more than 11 minutes long and jammed full of lyrics (at nearly 2,000 words it’s basically a short story). Consequence of Sound considers “Albuquerque” to be Yankovic’s best original, calling it “strange and singular.” Vaguely in the style of George Thorogood or the Rugburns, it’s a hard-charging rocker that tells a crazy, stream-of-consciousness story. As music critic Nathan Rabin explains, the song is a meta-joke on the very concept of “story songs.” Yankovic rambles his way through the tale of a man who wins a ticket to Albuquerque and starts a new life there. It’s absolutely insane, but the energy level is off the charts and it’s catchy as heck, too.

In the end, the song’s ability to keep the listener engaged in its story is a testament to Yankovic’s incredibly songwriting skills. Entertainment Weekly reports that Yankovic didn’t have high hopes for an 11-minute original, but his fans love the song — they even voted it his third-best song in a Rolling Stone readers’ poll.

“Weird Al” Yankovic’s original music tends to follow a formula: Happy, pop melodies wrapped around surprisingly dark and disturbing lyrics. “I Remember Larry,” in the style of 1970s/1980s New Wave music is one of the best examples. You don’t get a specific band vibe here — it’s just a great rock song about an old friend named Larry.

But, as noted by Geek News Network, Larry is kind of a sociopath. Yankovic seems to be fondly recalling his adventures with Larry, but those adventures are not fun: Larry makes endless prank calls, fills his toothpaste tube with glue, and cuts his hair for a laugh. No wonder the song builds to a climax where Al kidnaps Larry and … puts an end to his pranks for good.

Part of the secret of Yankovic’s success is his musicianship — he’s never coasted on a silly idea or easy parody concept. As music critic Nathan Rabin notes, the music here is surprisingly complex, with layers of harmonies and dense guitar work. On top of that, the humor of the song comes from a relatable place. We’ve all had a Larry in our lives, a person who masks passive-aggression in humor and “harmless” pranks we’re not allowed to get upset about. In that sense, the song if wonderfully cathartic.

AZ Central ranks “Lame Claim to Fame,” “Weird Al” Yankovic’s southern-rock inspired banger (Laughing Squid suspects it’s an ode to Southern Culture on the Skids), the best song on his 2014 album “Mandatory Fun,” and it’s easy to see why. The song’s a straightforward rocker with an irresistible hook, and the lyrics are all about the dubious celebrity connections people try to brag on: “One time I was in the checkout line / Behind Steven Seagal / Once I’m pretty sure Mr. Jonah Hill / Was in the very next bathroom stall!”

As music critic Nathan Rabin explains, the song is not just catchy — it’s smart too. Many people have been thrilled to have a celebrity encounter, or tried to name-drop a famous person in order to make themselves look important or cool. Yankovic’s lyrics always pivot off of scenarios that everyone can relate to, which is part of his success.

Yankovic, who has been famous for decades, understands that we name-drop celebrity connections and encounters in order to wrap ourselves in reflected glory. But the more remote and tenuous that connection is, the less glory it conveys — until we’re actually making ourselves look sad by trying to leverage it. Once again, Yankovic rings brilliant songwriting, hard work, and serious musicianship to a song that could have been a throwaway, but instead is one of his best original compositions.