Comedy and music are have always been joined at the hip, and that especially applies to performers from the sketch-comedy institution Saturday Night Live. (For a real deep dive on that subject, check out Questlove’s excellent documentary Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music.)
One of the show’s definitive two-way talents was Adam Sandler, though a lot of casual fans forget about his musical skills. Now they have a reminder: In a newly resurfaced clip from the 1992 Just for Laughs festival in Montreal, the "Sand Man" performs a solo acoustic snippet of Bob Dylan’s 1973 folk-rock classic "Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door." His take is hilarious and technically impressive, drawing both cheers and laughter as he channels the snarling Guns N’ Roses version.
- YouTubeyoutu.be
Sandler coyly giggles and vaguely explores his signature gibberish voice, picking through clean chords on his Fender Stratocaster. The real highlight, though, is his voice: He starts with a relatively faithful Axl Rose imitation, even stretching out the word "more" into a perfect "mo-oh-wuh," but he ramps up the intensity (and the octave) toward the end—resulting in a shriek that, in his words, sounds like "Axl turning into [famously screechy All in the Family character] Edith Bunker." Incredible.
Just for Laughs posted the clip on various social media channels, including a YouTube supercut called "Saturday Night Live Cast Members Can Sing!" The video also includes live footage from Tina Fey (singing a slinky cabaret tune), Martin Short (crooning a randy Sinatra-styled ballad), Jimmy Fallon, Sarah Silverman, and Jim Belushi.
Music has, indeed, been a through line of Sandler’s career, from numerous performances on SNL ("Lunch Lady Land," Opera Man) to film roles (he played the title character in 1998’s The Wedding Singer) to comedy albums to stand-up tours.
"I used to get so scared on stage and so nervous when I didn't have a guitar," he told NPR in 2023. "And I'd forget my lines. I'd forget my jokes, that kind of thing. And then, when I started playing guitar on stage and singing funny tunes, I had more confidence than usual. At least I could—I knew I could play guitar a little bit, and I knew the lines already from the song. I was like, OK, I memorized that, so let me just try that." Having the guitar, he said, "helped relax" him.
And it’s still a major part of Sandler’s comedy, even helping him process his grief. One of his finest moments is a musical tribute to late friend and SNL co-star Chris Farley—a piece featured on his solo tours, his Netflix special 100% Fresh, and the SNL episode that he hosted in 2019. It’s a Springsteen-leaning ballad that brings plenty of sharp one-liners, a psychedelic guitar solo, and some heartbreaking moments of reflection.
"The first few times we played that song, I would tear up and I couldn’t really sing it well because I’d get so emotional and then I felt it and was able to get it out there," he told "Happy Sad Confused" host Josh Horowitz.
Keep on strumming, Sand Man.
