Watch out, Justin Timberlake! Jimmy Fallon’s got a new singer with Southern roots jumping into the musical comedy scene with him. Country star Luke Bryan’s lunch date with Fallon in New York City turned into a quizzical dilemma about an issue that haunts so many of us: Just how do you pronounce gyro?
To solve the problem, the duo launched into a song called “I Don’t Know How to Pronounce Gyro,” which debuted on The Tonight Show Monday, March 13.
For the episode, Fallon recounted grabbing a bite with the “Fast” singer at a typical outdoor food cart. “It got a little awkward when Luke was ordering, because there was kind of a strange moment,” Fallon said. “It’s not just him. I’ve been there myself. Quite frankly, it’s something a lot of people have experienced. Here, let me show you what I’m talking about.”
The video then cut to footage of the men’s lunch date, where Fallon ordered the falafel plate, but Bryan stammered through an order before finally giving up. “Are you OK?” Fallon asked. “Not exactly,” Bryan replied.
The footage switched to Bryan in a studio singing the heartfelt lyrics: “I was born in Southwest Georgia / Always tried to make my daddy proud / But of all the things I learned there / Never learned how to say that word out loud / I just want something to eat / Made with a vertical rotisserie of lamb meat.”
Fallon then popped into the frame, waxing poetic about the foodie predicament with lines like, “Wish they’d just call it a lamb tzatziki wrap” and “I could eat a thousand ounces / If I just knew how to pronounce it.”
The 42-year-old talk show host and 40-year-old country crooner then focused on phonetics with guesses ranging from “hy-wroll,” “jia-roll” and “gwy-ro” to the less serious “guys-whoa,” “guy-roll” and “why-go.”
The food fest finally reached a pinnacle when the cart chef told them it’s pronounced ee-ro.
In a show of true bromance, the two ecstatically celebrated their newfound knowledge in perfect harmony, singing, “No more fear-o / You’re a hero / ‘Cause now I know it’s ee-ro,” and concluding, “I finally got some peace of mind.”
