It took a few years after meeting in the early 1990s for the two to begin writing music of their own. Black and Gass eventually wrote their first song after Black had been dumped by a girlfriend called Melissa, a non-comedic song. The two have since admitted to feeling embarrassed about the song, though they occasionally sing it during interviews when telling their story. Their second song came about when Black was listening to the Metallica song "One" and told Gass that it was "the best song in the world". Gass told Black that they couldn't write the best song in the world, but Black put a twist on it and said they could "write a tribute". Gass played an A-minor chord on his guitar at the apartment and the two spent three full days crafting the song. When it was done, Gass mentioned that they "knew they had something". The song made the duo realize their comedic potential. The two would initially call themselves "Responsive Chord" for a brief period of time whilst rehearsing the comedy act.