1992’s “Wayne’s World” is considered a classic and is, without a doubt, one of my all time favorite comedies. It’s also one of the very (very) few SNL based movies that took a great skit and turned it in to a great movie. It didn’t just become a movie, but built its own universe around it. One of the more underrated aspects of “Wayne’s World” is how it uses music to tell its story. It implements classic rock and heavy metal to really explore the characters of Wayne and Garth, and how they associate their world with their favorite music.
These are five of my favorite musical breaks in “Wayne’s World.” Do you have any of your own?
No “Stairway to Heaven”
For many years it argued to be just an urban legend, but as I’ve witnessed, there are two riffs music stores won’t let you play with a guitar. One of them is the opening riff to Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water,” and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” It’s often enforced. It’s also a hilarious in-joke from the writers to music lovers as a very early “IYKYK.”
Cassandra Sings “Fire”
One of the best aspects of being introduced to Tia Carrere is her great voice, which works for every song she covers during the film. When Wayne first sees her, his instant love for her drops to “Dreamweaver,” while she emphasizes the reason why Wayne falls for her with a killer cover of Hendrix’s “Fire.”
Garth likes to Play Drums
Dana Carvey is a rather skilled professional drummer, and in “Wayne’s World” he and his character are able to grab the spotlight and show off for a bit. I was wholly unaware of what an amazing drummer he was back in 1992, and here he just destroys his scene with an immense drum solo. It’s inexplicable, and we never learn why he didn’t pursue drumming professionally. It does, however, serve a great purpose in emphasizing how unpredictable Garth can be.
Garth and “Foxy Lady”
Oddly enough while we don’t get a resolution to the storyline, Garth’s reluctance to talk to his dream girl at the coffee shop is one of the funnier sub-plots of the movie. Garth has a relentless infatuation with the waitress who happens to be his ideal girl (Donna Dixon), and while fawning over her he envisions himself serenading her to Jimi Hendrix’s excellent “Foxy Lady.” It’s another beautifully staged moment giving larger, well deserved focus to Carvey’s Garth.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” Sing Along
One of the most iconic movie scenes of the 90’s, one of the best movie sing along moments of all time, and one of the funniest scenes in comedy. “Bohemian Rhapsody” was already a classic but “Wayne’s World” rejuvenated its popularity in the decade, as a classic road trip rock epic. The “Bohemian Rhapsody” sing along perfectly establishes our duo of every men, two rock loving guys who enjoy what we all enjoy doing with our buds: Singing along to great music while driving around. The sing along (whether in short form or the extended form for the music video) is an absolute classic moment in “Wayne’s World,” one that the Queen anthem will forever be associated with.