In a highly-produced bit, John Oliver, who tackled problems with immigration on Last Week Tonight, proposed a brand new music to exchange Lee Greenwood‘s “God Bless the USA” being performed at U.S. naturalization ceremonies — and it included a co-sign from Will Ferrell, who unexpectedly guest-starred as a crooning nation artist in a sprawling music video.
The political-comic host, himself a lately naturalized citizen, obtained right down to enterprise this week, as speak concerning the election has more and more dominated media cycles main as much as Voting Day Nov. 5. Eschewing a typical opening phase full of irreverent jokes and a rundown of the headlines the week prior, Oliver switched up this system’s rhythm by shortly transitioning to the present’s — not one, however two — matters at hand: mass deportation and an odd characteristic of the naturalization course of.
Whereas Oliver handle to get off a smattering of insults directed at Donald Trump (“an E. coli outbreak was tied to McDonald’s, but was nonetheless in some way the second most revolting factor inside of 1 this week”) and operating mate JD Vance (“your subsequent memoir, Dingus Sonata, the place I’m guessing you’ll remedy poverty by evaluating it to a turkey f—ing reuben”), the host’s tone took on a extra severe coloration as he skewered what mass deportation would seem like in impact.
Afterward, Oliver transitioned to a phase largely about Greenwood, poking enjoyable on the conservative nation singer’s missteps — corresponding to when he stated his signature music was higher than Prince’s “Purple Rain” and “Margaritaville” (which spawned a large empire to change into probably the most profitable music ever); confronted a rejected trademark utility for trying to model “God Bless the USA” for merchandise; engaged in a dispute over licensing points for the music’s utilization by the federal government; and launched “God Bless Canada.”
Towards the present’s conclusion, Oliver used his case towards Greenwood’s music being performed at ceremonies to introduce another by a “actual American treasure. Not solely will we not cost the federal government $700 a yr for it — we’re not assholes. We’ll really pay them $700 a yr.”
This system then aired a beforehand shot high-definition music video, the locales of which stretched from a contemporary neon-tinged dive bar to the waters overlooking the Statue of Liberty. Cheers erupted because the viewers made sense of who the American treasure was: Within the clip, Ferrell serenades in an impassioned half-earnest, half-satirical ballad about America’s highs (“As corn canines and apple pie / Fireworks lighting up the sky / Nascar, rodeo, barbecue / That stuff’s American / Now so are you”) and lows (“Televangelists and fossil fuels / Metallic detectors in all our faculties / Non-public prisons and Mountain Dew / That stuff’s American / Now that’s your downside too”).
Because the multi-Emmy winner strides out of the dive bar, the music video takes on exponentially extra grandeur, that includes dedicated background gamers — a string ensemble, marching band, gospel choir and harmonizing singers, to call just a few — and ridiculous props — a falling Boeing airplane door and bizarrely patriotic Tesla Cybertruck — amongst many different easter eggs. Ferrel touches on every little thing from “hundreds of medical bankruptcies” to Chuck E. Cheese, tornadoes to Spirit Halloween. “Holy sh–, I simply remembered the coup,” he quips towards the music’s conclusion.
The video, simply shy of three minutes, ends in sparkler and festivities galore, because the music crescendoes and everybody joins in to welcome new residents dwelling. Swelling trumpets accompany a cheerleader’s last splint stunt as a larger-than-life American flag unfurls and the choir sails off on a cruise line, capping off the gargantuan effort to deliver the sudden Saturday Night time Reside-like deal with to a detailed.
