It’s hard to believe, but Smash Mouth’s “All Star” wasn’t the only song to be featured in the Shrek film series — and it turns out that these soundtracks are serious business. Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig explained on Twitter today that his band missed out on their chance to pal around with Shrek and Donkey because they had high ethical standards.
Fellow quirky indie contemporaries Weezer were scheduled to contribute a cover of the Monkees’ hit “I’m a Believer” to the 2010 film Shrek Ever After (the fourth installment in the storied franchise), but it looked like they weren’t going to be able to make it following a bus accident. The soundtrack supervisor turned to Vampire Weekend to fill in, but Koenig declined, saying he “refused to capitalize on Weezer’s misfortune.”
Weezer were ultimately able to record the track, and Koenig made the right choice — but it was a hard choice to make indeed. “Do I sometimes regret the decision? Of course,” he tweeted. “Do I sometimes lie on Twitter and say I was on Shrek soundtracks? Yes — once.”
Read Koenig’s full story (which he confirmed to Pitchfork is true, though even then it’s on you to believe the wily frontman), and listen to a god-awful mashup of Vampire Weekend’s “Oxford Comma” and “All Star” below, because deep down you know you’re a masochist.
@YungCostanza i was just abt to tweet about weezer wrt lies i’ve told abt the shrek soundtrack. idk rivers but i love him & weezer
— Ezra Koenig (@arzE) April 7, 2016
i claimed i was on the Shrek 1 & Shrek 3 soundtracks. it wasn’t true but it saved lives. sorry if that doesn’t pass ur liberal purity test
— Ezra Koenig (@arzE) April 7, 2016
after a bus accident in 2009, it looked like Weezer might not be able to record “I’m A Believer” for the Shrek Forever After soundtrack
— Ezra Koenig (@arzE) April 7, 2016
the Shrek soundtrack supervisor reached out to Vampire Weekend abt covering the song but i refused to capitalize on Weezer’s misfortune
— Ezra Koenig (@arzE) April 7, 2016
in the end, Weezer was able to record the cover after all. i was left with no tangible connection to the Shrek soundtrack universe
— Ezra Koenig (@arzE) April 7, 2016
do i sometimes regret the decision? of course. do i sometimes lie on twitter & say i was on shrek soundtracks? yes – once.
— Ezra Koenig (@arzE) April 7, 2016
shrek, if ur reading this (and thinking abt doing more movies) let me, despot & makonnen do a song for u
— Ezra Koenig (@arzE) April 7, 2016
“As you live your life, it appears to be anarchy and chaos..but later, when you look back at it, it looks like a finely crafted novel.”
— Ezra Koenig (@arzE) April 7, 2016
that quote is from Joe Walsh – a man who knows a thing or two about the crazy game called the music industry
— Ezra Koenig (@arzE) April 7, 2016