Charlie Puth

23:55You have this great, you know, I use the term origin story a lot on the podcast, but you have this moment, you're interested in music, clearly, and you know you have a facility with music. Have I made it clear? Well, there's a keyboard in front of you, which Al Pacino did not have. But you went to Catholic school. I did, yeah. You had a moment in Catholic school when, is this correct, an organist, someone who played the organ for you guys at a mass or something, wasn't present. Do we have an organ sound? I don't think we do. Did we get you this or did you bring it? I brought it just because it has my initial CP on it.

24:37Very nice. It's not my piano. It's tiny enough where it's not super invasive. You're that self-involved that you need your name on everything. Very narcissistic. Okay. I saw your license plate on your car when you drove. It was Puth Rules. Yes. Puth's in here. Yeah. But yes, the church organist didn't show up and they were going to play it. It was the time of life where they would play things on tape. I don't even know if that exists anymore. but they were going to play the whole mass on tape and awkwardly pause it. And so they sometimes wouldn't pause it correctly. And, and then I was like, I'll just, I just, I know the whole, um, uh, mass from memory.

25:15I've heard the songs, uh, so many times because I thought it was like, if you look at a cup with a deer on it, you're going to remember what the deer looks like. If you, you know, uh, have a bit that you have to memorize, like it's, uh, if you read it enough, you're going to remember eventually if you read it enough times, I thought that It was the same thing for everybody, just with sound. And apparently it wasn't typical. And that's how I discovered it. It's funny that you thought, well, wait a minute. Okay, the organist is in here, the person who was supposed to play. How can I make this about me?

25:46Yeah. Well, I would do that, but then have nothing to back it up. But you thought to yourself, oh, I've heard these a bunch of times, so I'll just go up and play them. And you didn't know that was unusual. No, I didn't because, again, I thought it was just like if you study for a vocabulary test, if you need to memorize the definition of whatever, and not the word whatever, I know. Actually, what is the definition of anywho? You read a bunch of definitions, you're going to memorize them because you heard it so many or read it so many times. I attribute it the same feeling with sound. If I hear a James Taylor song 10 times, I'm going to know it right away.

26:28Right. It endlessly fascinates me. That's why I - That fascinates me too. I love your TikToks. I really love your TikToks because, and this is where it all started, I love when you explain something that I've been hearing and it's around, but now you're explaining why so many songs sound like this. I remember watching one, I forget what it's called, but that whole trend in music where there's a soft and a loud, a soft and a loud, a soft and a loud oscillating, and it's become such - The side chain compression. Side chain compression, which we - Mm, mm, mm, mm, mm. Yeah, and it's - That was so cool.

27:03Yes. I'm sorry. Do you want me to do it again? Oh. No, no, no. You mean what Charlie did. What Charlie was doing. I don't know. She meant what Charlie was doing musically was the one you were interested in. That's what I like. That's stunning. Were you trying to beatbox? No, I was - What were you doing? I was choking on a chicken bone. Okay, that makes sense. But so, no, but what you were doing was you start explaining what that is, and I realized I have heard that a million times. Right. And it's always associated with like a club. It's in like every, you know, episode of Euphoria. There's people crying, crying with lots of makeup.

27:36And it's like, whatever you do it, please. I don't want to do it again. Sounds like a peaking distress or something. Sona, I don't understand. You really love this, don't you, when I do this? That's exactly what Charlie did. Please, Charlie, I beg you. So everybody understands, like, if you went up to someone on Larchmont right now and was like what what does dance music sound like they would go they would put their hands if you're in new jersey they would put their hands in the other be like oh that's my my goal is so everyone knows that that's like you know the broad terminology of like what dance music sounds like but my goal is to like take it one step further for people for them to understand that that all that is is just volume automation you know like right that's just me rising falling rising falling rising falling and it's just volume down volume up volume down volume up but then what's cool is you talk about how a lot of people would think okay that's in club music now yes it is but you'll say well they were doing it in the 70s with or in the 60s with this then the 70s they you know Donna Summer and Donna Summer it wasn't as obvious though it was just more of like a a way to it was more of like a really secret engineering trick right a little spice that they're putting in and not telling anybody and then everyone exaggerates it more and more and more it's like in so many other things in music you can hear something's going on in sun session records in the 19 in 1954 55 and it's now we can say well it's kind of just sounds kind of very much country but at the time it sounded very different to people because and then people just kept tweaking it and tweaking it and it became yeah you know i mean everybody wants more of what they like so yeah like when i first heard uh the black album metallica like sad but true

29:27the really bright 90s large like a motorcycle fucking like metal uh kind of kind of sound then i started here that that came from or might have been inspired by like living on a prayer Bon Jovi or another Mutt Lang record where they were experimenting. But where did what came before living on a prayer? I'm generalizing. Like in the air tonight, Phil Collins, big Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins gated drum sounds. Everything you can trace. The cool thing about music is that you can trace everything back to something. Yes. And that's the thing that's true of my business has been comedy. And it is so important for people to know no one's coming along with a fresh slate.

30:13Everybody is coming to their, call it a craft, call it a pastime, call it a career, whatever. They're all coming to it with this gumbo that they grew up eating, you know, that was just a mix of so many other influences. And everybody's starting with that. So you could, you know, you could say, oh, my God, I like the most hardcore thrash metal. yeah but those guys will tell you well actually i was listening to you know reo speedwagon in high school and you'd be like wait a minute reo speedwagon and i'm making this up because i don't think that's possible no but i like but you know i mean it they heard something in that that then they extrapolated and pulled out and got to where they wanted to go like do you remember the first time you ever saw i guess the video or the uh of like kinnison at uh danger fields yeah when he just got up there and started yelling yelling yeah yeah had anybody done that in comedy before where they just like i just got back from a seven i'm saying like like i dice had his like you know a cigarette behind the ear kind of like yeah stick and everything like that but like where did that come from the netty murphy thing did that come from a like they're brian regan not cursing at all in his in his bits i don't know if you're enemies of these people or no I hope you're friendly with all of them.

31:36You've not named an enemy yet, but if you keep going, no, I don't, I don't have enemies. I would listen to like 2005 Dane Cook where he's cursing all over the place, but then I'd hear like a couple of years prior, Brian Regan, where he wasn't. It was like, maybe he was listening to that, but just like added in the curses for like extra effect. Like I think a lot of comedians are also musicians too, because I think that there's a lot of parallels. Well, we talk about this a lot. I bring it up a lot because it fascinates me. everyone in comedy uh envies musicians i believe whether they consciously or unconsciously do it i very consciously um envy musicians because i i always look at a musician as um someone who's not judged moment to moment and i envy that but but that's not right well no but but not what i'm saying moment i mean when you start and you play one of your songs people aren't playing i like this part oh no no I don't like that part oh but I like this part again oh but I don't like this part now that's not how they think about music um and that is very much comedy is moment to moment like you get a laugh and then you you do another thing and like less of a laugh and then sometimes like oh and then like oh yeah and I don't think that happens in music and I think I've always envied if you go out and play your hits everyone's going to be so happy the whole time Springsteen's back out there now yeah with the e street band and i think i gotta go to that show yeah yeah it's gonna be amazing but no one's no one's no one's saying okay i like this this part of this song oh i don't like this part as much i but no comic ever gets to the point where they're not judged i think moment to moment in my opinion i'm sure bruce has had fans who are like do we have to hear the fucking rising one more time do we have to let's get to glory days let's get to yeah i've I just put out an album, and of course, I'm like, any artist that says that they're not reading reviews or scouring the internet is lying.

33:39I am like, I look at these reviews as much as my child. And you nurture them. You nurture them. I take them too seriously sometimes. My wife tells me to stop looking at them. I saw this one, and everyone's entitled to their opinion. and I saw this one review saying that Charlie just put out an album and it is just another soulless attempt at trying to be an artist. And that really hurt my feelings because I actually did. I put my, my heart and soul in this and I didn't make this album to make a bunch of hit songs. I wanted to actually talk about, you know, uh, fatherhood, my family and like, and other things like that.

34:16And they're like, boo, doesn't have a catchy hook. It's like, I've had, I, you know, I had my song attention. You just want to mention. You just want to, I had that song out. It was a number one record, and we couldn't sell 3 ,000 tickets in, I think it was Chicago. It was like 2 ,000 tickets. 2 ,000 people is a lot, but it was a tour meant for 5 ,000, 6 ,000 people. I've had hit songs out. People knew the hits more than they knew me. My goal on this album was for people to know me. And sometimes I get jealous of comedians because you know their personality. Like when I first time I saw Ralphie May, it's like I became obsessed with like Greg Giraldo.

34:56And like, I just I felt like I knew their personality. Yeah. They both passed, haven't they? Yeah. That's OK. Oh, man. I just named two people that passed. OK. It happens, you know. People die. You know what I mean? Like, I know you're I feel like I know you because I've obviously grown up watching you and like your delivery. It's like you are who you portray yourself to be. And whereas a musician, it takes a couple of years for people to get to know you, unless you just nail it right out of the park. That's interesting to me that you have worked with so many great artists and then you yourself have had so many hits.

35:29People know your name and now you're saying, yeah, I really want to get into the autobiographical part of songwriting and have people connect to you that way. That makes perfect sense to me. As far as critics go, there's no escaping criticism. And I got to a point in my career where I don't look for it. I have, you know, sometimes you are just confronted whether you want to know it or not with the good and the bad, but, and usually people tell you, if there's something really mean about you out there, you'll find out because your garbage man will say, Hey, you see that you know uh and i'll say well i i didn't but thank you um i don't think you're the worst fuckhead in the world well i appreciate that uh why are you eating so much dairy yeah yeah now the dairy is another issue we'll talk about the dairy um it's coating your stomach for the morning yeah uh but i would agree with your wife that you don't i don't think it's necessary to seek it out because you know when you're doing work that you like that's important to you and so that's why I would agree with her that you going on the internet and looking for what do people think about Charlie Puth is unnecessary.

36:54Everybody does it though. I mean it's and I totally agree with you it is completely unnecessary but like it's it's almost like it's almost like high school you just like want validation sometimes you poured your heart and soul into this and you just want people to at least like take a listen to it and understand. But, and there are so many, there's millions of people that already haven't. Listen, I'm coming across as if I'm scolding you or telling you this is ridiculous. I completely understand what you're saying, but I've spent a lifetime around people, uh, that are looking for validation. And then they're like, well, first I got to do this sold out series of concerts at Madison Square Garden.

37:35And then I'm getting knighted in England. And then I have to go to Spain where they're actually making me a member of the royal family. And it's just one of these funny things about human beings. And trust me, anytime I do anything, I think this is the test of whether I'm any good or not. And I recalibrate every time I set all the clickers back to zero. I think you guys could agree that all the clickers go back to zero and it's like, you're giving a small toast at a Christmas party. Yes, I know. But these are good friends of mine and this has to be the greatest toast of all time. And if it isn't, I'm nothing.

38:17So I'm telling you that, yes, we're all ridiculous people. But at the same time, because I'm not you, I can say you do not need to be hunting on the internet and reading. Oh, good. Someone wrote something nasty. I need to read every single word of it because I don't think it serves you. It doesn't serve your creativity. I don't think it's doing anything. No, it doesn't. And you don't know what that person's going through, which is they really, you know, they made it. They wanted to do what you're doing possibly or they have biases of course they do i've experienced i've had interactions like that before there was this like bartender who was very rude to me and then i i was i was i'm never rude to people because i i always have that like mentality of like they might be going through something and it turns out that like he didn't get into the school that i went to and like it's very well aware that i went to that school it all had to do very little with the fame aspect with the school aspect.

39:14And I ended up having a great conversation with him about music. Right. Was this Berkeley? This was somewhere in Woodstock, Vermont. But I mean, was the school Berkeley? Oh, the school was Berkeley. Yeah. Ever been to Woodstock, Vermont? Yes, I have. Gorgeous. Yeah. Beautiful. New England. And yet, this person's living in beautiful Woodstock, Vermont, and they're bitter and angry, you know? Maybe not anymore. No. I think after they, they already had a resentment towards you. Then they met you and you were really nice. Yeah. he's twice as bitter now. And he's nice. Yeah. He should have been a dick is what you're saying.

39:50If you'd been a dick, then this guy would be so happy right now. I'm glad I'm not him. Then I'd be a dick. But now he's, I mean, he's probably not alive anymore. I'm just going to put it out there. Oh my God. This took a turn. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I think there's a good chance that person no longer walks the earth and it's your fault. But anyway, let's move on. God.

40:14I've got to get into music because I can't be a comedian anymore you're sick I'm just a broken man you're so sick but it's going to be fine it's like when you watch the sitcom and you hear like you know they're there everything's going to be okay and then you hear the audience clapping like aww and then you have to and then like cousin Uncle Jesse comes in and you have to some sort of like comedic break. I'm like, anybody want to go get tacos? Ah! And then the credits fucking roll. Going on tour. Going on tour. And this is a big tour. Big tour. What's the name of it? Is it named after your album?

40:55It is the Whatever's Clever World Tour. And I will be on stage with my band. And they're the best band in the music industry. They make me sound so good. and it's just a joy to share the stage with them every single night. You have to come to a show. I would love to come to a show. You come to the Forum show. And maybe, if you want me to come out, sing a song. I know this is coming so I want to save you the embarrassment. No, I'm serious though. And you just, you throw out a key because I also have perfect pitch. I feel like you actually might. Comedically, I have perfect pitch. I never, oh wait, I just did that thing about a guy killing himself.

41:32Yeah, you did. So, What's another song that we might all know that you like? Something in The Way She Moves, James Taylor, Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond. What's it? Pitbull? I was doing a Pitbull sing earlier. I wrote a Pitbull song. Which one? It didn't do very well, but I wrote one. It was called, oh God, it was part of a movie. This was back in 2014. Was it Men in Black? It was Men in Black. It was called Celebrate. and it was a, I just want to celebrate. And then he did his thing and we've been around the world, same song. I'm Pitbull. Yeah, yeah. I'm Pitbull and I'm here to say, I'm going to rock the USA.

42:17Oh my God. I was driving in to work today and I was flipping around FM radio, which I never do, just randomly. And I heard this song and I'm like, what is that? and they were whoever the rapper was i found out later on it's pitbull was sampling baby you're the one down down this 1950s late 50s or 60s hit and i um what is this what is that song called because what i was going to ask you is if you can sing a song that you like and see if it's actually in the key of what the song all right i'm gonna sing um has uh runaway and we're gonna get in trouble because we can't uh do these songs but it's gonna be a very expensive guest that i I am.

43:00Yeah, I forget. Well, don't even sing. Don't even sing. We'll figure it out in post, too. Sing the first song. Sing the first note of a song that you like. Well, I'm going to see. Wow, this is incredible. Like, do you know Sweet Caroline? Sweet Caroline. Yeah, not so well. I mean, I hear the way the Boston Red Sox crowd sings it. And we know they've been drinking. And they've got... 40 days? You sing a lot? I'm going to give you 40 days. That's Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks. 40 Days I do not know that song How about a Jack White song? I don't know any Jack White song We are gonna be friends Ideally a song I know So I can see if he's correct You know We are gonna be friends Fall is here Hear the young Oh you're stumping me I usually know every song Okay It's a very famous song And I'm ashamed of you

43:49We can get off it if you want But like I just No I feel like I wanna hear this Cupid by Sam Cupid Draw back your bow I don't know that song What the fuck is wrong with you? I don't know that song either. I don't know it. Sam Cooke died so that you could live. Oh my God. What? I mean, we got to bring it up in the right time. What about a Beatles song? Oh yeah, a Beatles song. Well, of course, we all know those. Help, I need somebody help. I think that's B minor. It starts off in. Yes, it is. Okay, so you - Help, I need some. Is that, did I just sing in B minor? Well, you're doing it in D minor.

44:22Yeah, yeah. Well, I fixed it. I often fix Beatles songs. You know the first chord's B minor, So you definitely have some extra recollection. I do. I remember that. That's fascinating. Okay.

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45:28Okay, I'll admit something. You talk about this song where you make fun of your prior self and talk about how I used to be cringe. And I think one of the reasons I identify with that song is that I always want on this podcast to underscore that that is the human condition. It's not the Conan O 'Brien condition. It's not the Charlie Puth condition. It is the human condition that we are very self-critical. And we think our former selves were illegitimate. And then we've slowly worked our way to legitimacy. Or we're not quite there yet, but we will be someday. And I think that's just a fallacy. I think we, so your song was about how I used to do this.

46:11I used to wear my hair differently. I used to try and throw out these words to seem cool. and I think, yeah, this song is special, was resonated with me just because I think I do that about musicians. I think they're real, you know? They're real because you can sit here and you can make magic with this keyboard and you can write these songs that two billion people will listen to. And I think, oh, that's many, many levels above what a comedian does. And I think a lot of comedians do that. I think a lot of us lower ourselves around musicians because I just, I think we put musicians on a pedestal and maybe rightfully so.

46:52I don't think you lower yourself. You just sang the fucking national anthem, right, Timmy? But I understand. I didn't sing it as high as I think I could sing it. But this is very, I didn't know that this was going to be so introspective. This is very, continue. I'm sorry, I won't. No, I like it. Every now and then, some real stuff breaks out here and we try to clean it up in editing and add fart sounds. Why do you think comedians will lower themselves when they're on musicians? comedians are all about uh they're well defended you know they're it's all about um keep the conversation keep the conversation moving um slip and move and make fun of yourself before someone else can make fun of you there's a lot of tricks that we all employ because really we're just protecting ourselves a lot of these a lot of really funny comedians grew up not being able to fight and this is what we could do and so it literally is kind of a weapon it's a survival mechanism and these aren't new observations this is as old as time but i do think that um a lot of comedians can grow up thinking yeah i do this because i literally had to to make my mark or survive in some way not literally survive but survive these social situations and then music just feel so instantly like, oh my God, that's great.

48:10Do more of that. You know, when you come across someone who's playing the piano really well, you just think instantly, oh my God, that's like God is speaking through them. And I don't think we think that way about comedy. God is not speaking through me. And if he was, God should be sued. But you know what I mean? And so I'm not, this isn't false modesty. This is what I really believe is that when someone is playing with these sounds and manipulating them in a way and creating these patterns seemingly without effort. I know there's a lot of practice involved and there's a lot of work, but when they sit down and they're just messing around and you see the film get back, the recut version of Let It Be, when you see that and you see Paul McCartney sitting with his bass and he's frustrated because they need a song and he just starts over and over again banging.

49:07And then you see it become the song Get Back through sheer force of will and creativity. And he does it in real time. And it's this song that again is in my head and I could make noises to simulate it. I know the scene you're talking about. Yeah, and he's just there with his, I mean, they're like, they need something. And he just keeps with a bass, which I did not think of as a songwriter's instrument. I think it's guitar or it's often keyboard or piano, but he's there with a bass and he's just, and he's like, okay, yeah, yeah. I see what it is now. It's don't sing too much. You'll have to pay.

49:46McCartney isn't cheap. And McCartney, he's monitoring this stuff right now himself. He listens to this podcast because he knows. Right. I gotcha. I gotcha. See what you've done? Because he's the master of... None of this is... All of this is not even about me. It's not... If a musician... The reason... Well, not the reason. This is how I'll say it. Musicians that make it all about themselves are the first to fall, in my opinion. Because it's not... I didn't invent this chord. This is some God particle thing. And then we apply our human experience. And the chords... That sounds ugly. But when you put...

50:25It starts to resolve. Like that does something that can make anybody for a hundred people in here. And I played like a fire alarm. Everybody would like, you know, wince and the cover of their ears, but you can, they're not going to do that. If I do, I'm going to be like, they're not going to, there's a difference. Like you can do that. That's a very primitive example, but like you can do that through intervals and chords. And then it's our goal as humans and job as humans to put our experience in what was made for us already. Yeah. The stage was set. You know, it's interesting. The parallel that I always find is because there are certain rules that exist, obviously, in Greek tragedy.

51:09I mean, the Greeks invented so much. Great salad, by the way. Oh, geez. But I just looked at Sona because she's part Greek. Like I invented the salad? Well, your people did and I'm proud of you. You're welcome. My gut feels amazing every time I eat what you've made. Welcome. Welcome. But you know, there's dramatic structure. There's dramatic structure and if you look, you know, plays, novels, any story has a dramatic structure. Sitcoms have a structure. You know, and then you look at a lot of it is creating tension and then resolving tension and that's what so much of music is is you know you and then you're on the e you're on the you know and then you get back to the a and you're just like there's this feeling of yeah happy happy sad yeah happy tension resolve yeah and it's just I think it's the soundtrack for most mood stabilizer commercials is, you know, someone's, oh, I don't feel good, I don't feel good.

52:18But then you tried Milleastra, you know, and then, yeah, yeah. Same chords, and it's usually a ukulele or something. Yeah, yeah. And then all the side effects. Yeah, yeah. Side effects include massive diarrhea, more diarrhea. Your diarrhea will have diarrhea. People near you will have diarrhea. That's called sympathetic diarrhea. They changed the key. Yeah, they changed the key a bit. Also, diarrhea in a higher key.

52:49But you know, that, I remember there's a, I'm trying to think, there's a Led Zepp. Diarrhea in a higher key is what the tour should be called. I'm going on tour. Or just open with that song. I think it's cashmere, you know. Yeah, we really got to be careful because Jimmy Page, Jimmy Page is on the same. He's watching on the same Zoom with Sir Paul. Uh-oh, there he goes. That's a song that stays forever. And then it's, I mean, these are very simple, elemental changes, you know? And I don't know, I don't know that song that well. It's not in my head, but, you know, it's like it's in, it's almost like it's in E for a long time and then it goes to E7.

53:33And so you can sort of see like the ice is starting to break and it's agonizingly long. and then suddenly it goes to like A. And every time that happens, every time I hear it in any context, I think I've just seen the face of God. And it's the simplest move in the world. But that is, I think, what a lot of people in comedy do as well, which is you create this tension of what this person is saying is completely outrageous. And then laughter is the resolution. People laugh and it's like, oh good. We're out of that long sustained E7 and now we're into an A. It's like, oh, yes, this person just saved the day.

54:10And what it is is creating this unbearable tension and then breaking it. I've just ruined everything by trying to explain. People hate this. I knew walking in here that I was, you know, your staff is wonderful. They were like, it's going to be fun. It's like, yeah, I know it's going to be fun. But what you're not telling me is that it's going to be thought provoking. I always have really interesting, awesome conversations with Dave Chappelle, yourself, Will Ferrell. It's never, I feel like the common misconception when you have a sit down with a comedian or an actor is that they're going to be 100 % that person that you're thinking of.

54:47Right, right. There's so much more to that. Every time, Will's a really good friend of mine. I'm sure you know him as well. He's an enemy. Okay, he's an enemy. And so is Chappelle. You just named my two arch enemies. I hate those guys. And they have no talent. None. None. None. Sad what happened to them. Anyway, continue. My media training is... Whatever you do, don't mention Will Ferrell or Dave Chappelle, DeConnor O 'Brien, because he hates them. No, they are two spectacular geniuses, in my opinion. I'm not slapping my knee laughing at talking to them. I'm like kind of like really intrigued what they have to say because there's a lot of parallels drawn.

55:32Well, it's the same thing that happens to me if I'm talking to, you know, the times that I've had a chance to have a conversation with, say, a Paul McCartney. I don't I don't walk away thinking, what the hell was that? He he made no music while we spoke, you know, and it's the same thing, because the first time I met Steve Martin years and years and years ago, when I was a writer on Saturday Night Live, I went into the meeting to pitch him ideas thinking he's going to have an arrow through his head by 1978, 1979. Like the jerk? Yeah, he's going to, you know, there's part of you that thinks that's who you're going to be talking to.

56:07Yeah, exactly. That it would be that era. That's the era that I first, that's how I first experienced Steve Martin. And then you walk in and it's this very, very serious, serious as a heart attack guy who's trying to figure out what he's going to do that week. talking in a very soft-spoken voice, and he can access that, but he's not going to do that right now. So fascinating. So that's fascinating to me, yeah. Yeah. I am me all the time. I guess if you see me at Chipotle, I'm not going to be how you see me on the internet. So I guess it's the same thing. I have days where I'm super quiet, and I don't want to be like, music, music, music.

56:50Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, and there are days where it's the last thing you probably, like, I don't want to do that today. Oh, I just want to watch Doug, have you ever seen Doug DeMuro on cars? Carsandbids.com. I don't think I know that. I don't know that. It's just this super niche community of car lovers of the modern era. Like, if I can tell you all you need to know about the Saturn view. Oh, wow. I just, I love. So cars of the modern era. Cars of the modern era. Anything below 70s, I don't know what a fucking 79 Corvette is supposed to look like. Right. But I can tell you everything about the Scion XB.

57:28The Leaf? Do you know anything about the Leaf? The Nissan Leaf. Like, I love... Even phones, I like that LG. I love that. A guy just going on and on about, okay, I got this Nissan Leaf. And, you know, it runs at 40 watts. I bumped it up to 41. This sucker will do, out of the gate, it'll do 35 miles per hour at top speed. I do know the statistics. It's a straight four-cylinder. You got a four under that hood? In that leaf? What do you got in that leaf? You got a four? Do you know what I sit about? I think about when my wife's trying to watch her heated rivalries and whatever. Oh, my God. I lay down and think, why did the Yukon Denali in 2002, I'm serious, why did GMC have this beautiful insignia on this chrome door handle on the Yukon Denali in 2002 and then in the 2003 model year, they got rid of it?

58:29This is crazy. You're going to say I'm making this up? I have my notes here for the conversation? Denali right here. Why did they lose it on the door? Right here. Soda believed me! Soda believed! Did you believe me? I did. That's insane. I know. I'm very goable. Why would I go into an interview with Charlie Puz to talk about the Denali? You were so sincere. I just brought it up. I didn't know. I thought maybe he mentioned it. I don't know. You're a fool. To be fair, I thought he was serious too. Thank you, Charlie. Thank you. I have a way of committing. Yes. Yeah. I'm going to say something because we ran out of time a while ago and I've been keeping it going because I - You're having too much fun.

59:11I was having so much fun. I'm shocked you haven't been here before. And our booker, Paula Davis, I went to her a while ago and I said, let's get Charlie Puth on. I love him. I'll watch his TikToks. And she said, no, not going to do it. Not going to do it. And I kept pushing her. And she's like, no, no, no. She was like, no, we're not going to do it. And I said, why? Why can't we have Charlie on the show? And she said, because you can't handle the Puth. I gotta go. I gotta go. I can't do this anymore. I gotta go. Oh, God. I gotta go. What do you think? Is it the end of the podcast? No, yeah, it's done.

59:42It was good working with you. That was awful. Jesus Christ. You can't handle the poof. You can't handle the poof. Listen. I am so mad. I thought it was just because I was just recently taken seriously, like a year ago. I feel like people are finally, like, actually taking me kind of serious. No, it's because it lines up so perfectly with you can't handle the truth. Yeah. And what I took was, hold on. Let me explain. He's explaining it. Let me explain. Let me explain. And then your last name's poof. And so I took this iconic, what's this? You can't give me thumbs down on this. You're explaining it.

1:00:14That's the problem. Now we're going into, it's bad enough. Now imagine I'm Jack Nicholson. Yeah, it's bad enough. You can't handle the poof. No, it's bad enough you did it. That's a great, great bit. Did it end? I don't understand. Yeah, I think we're done. No, no, no. No, okay. This is how I wish we had started. And I wish this had happened in the middle and then at the end as the resolution. I see.

1:00:40Charlie, that cup has been empty for a while. You're just looking for a way out. It's just lukewarm Erewhon bone broth.

1:00:50No, what are you talking about? You are a phenomenally talented young fellow. Thanks. And I just knew, because I also, I see your sense of humor, too, when I watch your videos. I'm like, okay, this guy does what I wish I could do, and he's funny, and you're a massive success. So I was really happy to me because you are such a massive, massive success. And I haven't grown up watching you. And it's like now it's just so full circle. None of that stuff. I don't know. I don't think of myself that like this is me being as honest as I think I can be, which is I have been incredibly lucky and I love getting to do this thing, whatever it is.

1:01:32I won't put a name to it. but what I love about these conversations is trying to get to something they don't think I'm ever going to crack which is there's this thing we're all trying to figure out and now you're going to go off and I know exactly what you're talking about you're going to go off and play these amazing shows for sold out massive venues but you're still trying to see Portland's not sold out Portland is always tricky yeah but they're you know they're drinking kombucha. Yeah, exactly. I don't know if they want to hear We Don't Talk anymore. Some do. Yeah. Listen, first of all, you've now, we're not going to get Portland sold out by alienating Portland.

1:02:13So I'm just going to say I can't imagine a better place for you to play than Portland. I bet it's going to sound amazing. I mean, great donuts, great people. They can't handle the booth. Maybe that's it. Maybe they can't handle the booth. We don't have to go back to that well. We just went back to a quip that was cancerous. Yes, it was. I mean, it's toxic. It was. You should apologize. I don't know. Is there any other musician you look up to? Other than me, of course. I look up to anyone that can make a living doing it. I think that's absolutely stunning. I know that sounds, but I'm just amazed when I mean, and my goal getting into this was if I can pay my rent thinking of funny little things or being weird, wouldn't that be the most amazing thing in the world that was my idea in 1985 and it's still my idea you know it's like still like that is it's not going to get better than that um scale of things can change but the actual mission doesn't change so i'm just i'm blown away when i mean i like to sit and talk to people if i walk into a hotel lobby and someone's playing the piano there i'm just i think that must just be amazing to be able to sit and play the piano and you've got to you know you've got a standing gig and people come and they listen to you and you get some free drinks that's the part I would want and I used to that used to be one of my odd jobs is I would go well not odd I would play the piano at bars you can change the room with you know when you start playing piano man yeah I won't play any more of it but yeah God, these laws are destroying podcasts.

1:04:04They are. Billy Joel needs that 35 bucks? No. But you would hear Rodney Dangerfield sit down with Johnny Carson, and the audience would change just based on the diction and his delivery. Yes, and the expectation. And the expectation. So, like, Buddy Hackett or Rodney Dangerfield or any of these amazing comedians would sit down with Johnny Carson when I was a kid and my father and I and anyone else in the room would just be like, oh, this is going to be good. And that's what happens when you start to hear some of these iconic songs. When anyone's playing their hit, there's the, oh my God. Everyone knows what's coming and they're also delighted and excited for it.

1:04:48Right. Except if you completely change the arrangement and make it not what it's supposed to sound like. Right. the bossa nova version of piano man that's great artistic selfishness but even billy joel as he says he's and i've opened up for him a couple times one show got rained out but he's i asked him do you have me guess portland no pittsburgh oh damn it he even said he like i asked him do you get tired of playing piano man and he was like i do but the crowd's reaction is worth everything wow that's you don't quote me exactly but that's what i remember him saying to me in 2016 now get out there and open this show i'm not paying you to talk to me well the show got the show got rained out and the show got rained out and i was all bummed out he came in they were like mr joel wants to uh billy wants to come in and you know offer his apologies and he came in and he shrugged his shoulders he was like what do you want me to do and we took a picture i have a guy that thinks he needs to apologize for the weather.

1:05:53I'm going to start doing that. Sorry, guys. Eclipse. What can I do? He didn't have to do that. It was nice of him. No, he's nice. He was very nice. Listen, an absolute delight. This is fun. Congratulations. You are a new dad, which is the best thing you'll ever do. Shout out to Jude Puth. Jude. What a cool name. Hey Jude. That's what he played during his birth. That's during the birth? Yeah. That's a long enough song. All the anesthesiologists, all the doctors were saying, na, na, na, na, na, na, na. That's so cool. Yeah. Now, every time I sing it to him, he goes, that and sing by the Carpenters.

1:06:30He loves when the kids come in on the second verse. That's so cool. My daughter's name is Sandman because we were listening to Metallica. And that was fucked up. But you know what? It turns out I can't. Sandman O 'Brien. just be careful this is a public service be careful what you're listening to when a child is born because it can go any different way you know delight having you here Charlie really and best of luck on this tour you're going to kill it thank you no more diving through the internet not necessary you don't need it you're way past that long time ago I agree all right my first interview with my permanent retainer I just got it you just got a permanent retainer Is it behind your teeth?

1:07:16It's behind my teeth. No, it's right behind the forefront teeth here. Okay. I don't know why. Why would you tell me that at all? Because it's a personal victory for me. I was kind of like nervous that I was going to talk weird. No, it was perfect. Yeah. And now I have, this is my first interview with an empty colon. There's nothing, I'm completely clean down there. Completely empty colon. Is that something that we should be sharing? I mean, completely, completely. haven't eaten in six days we got it just and then right before the podcast that Shabbadoo oh my god okay I'm an awful person you're awful Charlie I apologize to you to your team awful but thank you so much for being here this was so cool really thank you for having me thank you everybody Conan O 'Brien Needs a Friend with Conan O 'Brien Sonam of Sessian and Matt Gourley produced by me Matt Gourley executive produced by Adam Sachs Jeff Ross and Nick Leal.

1:08:16Theme song by The White Stripes. Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino. Take it away, Jimmy.

1:08:25Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair, and our associate talent producer is Jennifer Samples. Engineering and mixing by Eduardo Perez and Brendan Burns. Additional production support by Mars Melnick. Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Batista, and Britt Kahn. You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts, and you might find your review read on a future episode. Got a question for Conan? Call the Team Coco hotline at 669-587-2847 and leave a message. It too could be featured on a future episode. You can also get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign up at SiriusXM.com slash Conan.

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