Sophia Michaels
Jimmy Fallon put The Root’s musical improv skills to the test during Friday’s episode of The Tonight Show, challenging the band to make up songs about veteran audience members in honor of Veterans Day.
Fallon first called on an audience member named Larry, who served in the Army. “If you could go on a trip anywhere in the world, where would it be?”
“Probably California,” Larry decided before enthusiastically adding, “Smoke them trees!”
After gathering a few more lighthearted facts about Larry, Fallon turned it over to the Roots.
“Lary McDaniels, too high to get over it/He’s the Snoop Dogg of the Army,” singer Tariq Luqmaan Trotter belted out on the spot. “Going to California, smoke them trees/Only in a window seat.”
Larry clearly loved the tune, enthusiastically dancing around and mimicking smoking a joint as the band played.
Next up, an Army veteran named Kayley revealed she would call her grandma if she won the lottery (not her boyfriend, who was sitting next to her in the audience) and that unused workout cables were her “dumbest” purchase.
“Her name is Kayley, she loves her family/So if she hit the lottery she’d call her Grammy,” Luqmaan Trotter sang over a country melody. “The dumbest thing she ever bought was workout cables/Her boyfriend’s with her, so you won’t be able/Don’t call her Katie/Don’t call her baby/Her name is Kayley.”
The last jingle was dedicated to Adrian from the Army, who discussed his rather unique first concert experience: Tyrese after the circus. “Ringling Bros. used to have a concert series right after the end of the circus, and you’d stick around, and [Tyrese] sang the Coca-Cola song.”
But after learning that Adrian is a bit of a musician on his own, Fallon invited the war hero to play alongside the Roots. Playing the guitar, Adrian helped the Roots perform another original song.
“I hope you aren’t nervous/Let me thank you for your service,” the song went. “He saw Tyrese at the circus/It was awesome.”
