Boy, this one darn near killed me.

Ok, hints, here we go:

2004 #1 Hit for Fantasia:  (I though Fantasia was a 1940 Walt Disney movie!).  Alternate clue:  Not a song for an agnostic

Metal Worker:  think tool, not person

colore ufficiale of the Italian football team:  Ok, so it’s a 3-letter color in Italian…

Virginia Tech team:  kind of funky name if you ask me

Senator majority leader before Reid:  Better than second with a touch of dyslexia

Something lame, in modern slang:  Or:  “Honey, I can’t find the tabasco to put on the ribs”

What’s generally spotted early on? — Note the question mark, it’s something you see but the spotted isn’t about seeing…and it’s not the animal in 16-across

Requiring no effort to take: Or where to find songs back in the day!

Sierra Nevada competitor: 2 word brewski

Best clue/answer (3-down):  “I can’t help it if you’re a jerk”  (remember, if the question uses a word, it won’t show up in the answer).  3 words.

“Hands off!”  — think baby brother or sister;  you might reply with 3-down