The lyrics reference the song's namesake, 1950s rock-and-roll singer Buddy Holly, and actress Mary Tyler Moore.

The song's music video, which features footage from Happy Days and was directed by Spike Jonze, earned considerable exposure when it was included as a bonus media file in Microsoft's initial successful release of the operating system Windows 95.

"[11] Steve Baltin from Cash Box commented, "You’ve gotta love a song that makes reference to Mary Tyler Moore.

Slightly poppier in its guitar sound than their first single, [...], this Ric Ocasek-produced song could help expand their already-growing fan base.

"[15] Johnny Cigarettes from NME commented, "A touching paean to nerdish social rejection from people who frankly deserve it.

[...] But I am totally suckered by the pop majesty of a song that employs the long forgotten phrase Oo-ee-oo and drills an indelible mark on your taste buds such that you can never forget it's supernaturally banal chorus.

American rock ditches the pity-poor-me whingeing of grunge in favour of smiling faces, celestial Beach Boys-esque harmonies and The Tune That Ate Daytime Radio.

"[17] Paul Evans from Rolling Stone noted "the self-deprecating humor" of lines like "I look like Buddy Holly/You're Mary Tyler Moore".

[20] In the climax, the video's stylist Casey Storm body doubled, and this allowed Fonzie to dance to the band's performance.

[24][25] Geffen did not tell Weezer they had negotiated with Microsoft to include the video; the band members, none of whom owned computers, were oblivious to the implications.

The music video was featured in Season 5, Episode 30 of MTV's Beavis and Butthead entitled "Here Comes the Bride's Butt" on June 9, 1995.