 The show revolved around the life Carey would have lived if he had not become a stand @-@ up comedian . Carey told Helford that he thought he would have been employed in a mid @-@ level management job , which was a relatable job for most Americans at the time . Carey wanted a show that was about regular people . He also wanted to set the show in Cleveland as it was his home town and it was not getting a lot of attention . Carey and Helford drove to the city together in January 1995 to do some research . They toured the local bars to try to get the right look for the show 's bar the Warsaw Tavern . Carey and Helford also heard the song " Moon Over Parma " in one of the bars and it was used during the title sequence . 
