A rock song parody targeting Hmong has one of the Twin Cities' most popular radio stations apologizing.

The spoof lyrics to the tune of Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" were sung on KDWB Radio (101.3 FM) by a sidekick during Dave Ryan's morning show last week. The parody joked about Hmong families crowding into homes and girls getting pregnant early and often.

In response to complaints, the station posted an apology on Facebook: "While we've received positive feedback from many Hmong listeners who let us know that they found the song in question very humorous, we apologize to anyone we may have inadvertently offended, as this was never our intent."

As Steve Latart's lyrics unfolded during the show, Ryan sensed the trouble ahead and didn't wait for the last line, before saying, "I am not laughing. I am not laughing at your song."

The most recent U.S. Census Bureau measure estimates that there are nearly 200,000 Hmong living in the United States, with about 50,000 of them residing in Minnesota.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482