Synopsis

Paul Simon performs "You Can Call Me Al" in a deliberately bare studio setting while Chevy Chase takes center stage as an oversized, wildly enthusiastic stand-in. Chase lip-syncs the lead vocal and dances through the song, while Simon appears with different instruments, miming the parts as they arrive in the arrangement. Their contrasting personalities and extreme height difference turn the performance into a deadpan comedy sketch built around timing, repetition, and the song's increasingly playful instrumentation.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was created as a replacement after Simon rejected an earlier version that he considered too simple-minded for the song.

• The replacement concept was developed with Lorne Michaels, who suggested bringing in his former "Saturday Night Live" colleague Chevy Chase.

• Chase lip-syncs Simon's lead vocal, while Simon mouths the backing vocals. Simon also mimes playing the bass, percussion, guitar, and other instruments heard in the arrangement.

• Chase later said he learned the song while traveling to the studio, a detail that adds to the video's spontaneous, sketch-comedy feel.

• The video turns the pronounced height difference between Simon and Chase into part of the visual joke. Simon is listed at about 5 feet 2 inches, while Chase is listed at about 6 feet 4 inches.

• Simon and Chase reunited for another music-video collaboration in 1990, appearing together in "Proof," which also featured Steve Martin.

• "You Can Call Me Al" was nominated for Best Male Video at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards.

• The video's simple format has made it a frequent reference point for later comedy and music videos, particularly those that parody lip-syncing, exaggerated performance, or deliberately minimal production.