SNL's Hilariously Accurate Musical Tribute to Hugo Chavez

NBC

"Saturday Night Live" gave a mocking musical tribute to deceased Venezuelan socialist leader Hugo Chavez, highlighting his calling then-President George W. Bush the devil and declaring that capitalism killed life on Mars.

Guest host Justin Timberlake played Elton John and performed an amended version of "Candle in the Wind."

“I should confess I didn’t know Hugo Chavez very well," Timberlake-as-Elton said. "I did a bit of research and it turns out President Chavez was quite a complex man. So here it goes, everything in this song is true."

Goodbye, Hugo C. You had such great style and panache

You were a man of the people and you liked to wear a sash

You called George Bush the devil when you spoke at the U.N.

You said it smelled like sulfur and you called him Mr. Danger

It seems to me you lived your life like a candle in the wind

If a candle could pull out two pistols at a press conference

You said the U.S. caused earthquakes and you outlawed Coke Zero

And on your shoulder stood your parrot with a matching red beret

You had your own TV show, it was called ‘Hello President’ (Great name)

It wasn’t about politics, you sometimes danced and made up raps

You helped to make a country the kidnapping capital of the world

But you also increased milk production by almost 50 percent

And it seems to me you once gave a speech where you encouraged shorter showers

And another thing you said was capitalism killed Mars

Yes you believed in a civilization that existed on the surface of Mars

But capitalism killed it off, when it was introduced to Mars (He actually said that)

You were a hero to your people and you never gave up the fight

We'll miss you, Hugo Chavez, because -- live from New York, it's Saturday night!

NBC did not post an official version of the performance online.