My favourite fact about this song is that Don McLean's kids sung it to him constantly and he was very afraid he would accidentally sing Weird Al's lyrics by mistake
I think the best part of this song is that it's a legitimately good summary of The Phantom Menace. All the major plot points get touched on, and even the weirder beats get brought up in good humor.
I've screamed at a concert once in my life and that was when Al performed this when I saw him live. I thought the concert was over when suddenly storm troopers came out on the stage. I love this man. I've listened and laughed so much to his songs but this is my favorite.
According to Weird Al's website, Lucasfilm's official response to this song was, "You should've seen the smile on George Lucas' face." They loved it so much, they included the video as a bonus feature in a Star Wars spoofs compilation for the 2011 Blu-ray box set release of the saga.
At Lucasfilm, they know the *song* American Pie. czcams.com/video/uAsV5-Hv-7U/video.html (1971) The kids watching the new Star Wars movies only know the American Pie movie in 1999.
If I was Don McLean, I would not only be proud of creating one of the best Americana pop songs ever but also one of the best “spoofs” ever. Haha so amazing the way Al treats the songs and even more amazing how the OG artists love them so much.
Saw him in concert 3 times, my neighbor was his base guitarist amd gabe us back stage tickets , I was just a little kid , weird al came over to us all three times, said hi to my and my sister talked a little signed our back stage tickets, and left a lasting impression, I ❤ WEIRD AL, still the too 3 concerts I've ever been to 😂😂
Kurt Cobain asked not to make the parody of Nevermind about food. The end result the band loved. As a teenager growing up in the 70s and trying to irritate my parents with rock music I’m sad I didn’t discover that Weird Al song until after my dad died,
🎉❤😂😎👏 there is saying out there somewhere You know when your a successful performing artist is loved by near all when not only are fans are singing Along your lyrics but the PARODY weird Al lyrics too. 😂 Or you know you've made it when u get that call from Weird Al's team wanting to a parody of ur music and or videos.
It's when you notice small details that Al got right too, like freaking TAKING THE PADAWAN BRAID OFF after Qui-Gon died. All of that before the movies were even out. Freaking masterpiece.
I don't think people realize how much work he puts into these creations. I remember seeing one of his videos, I think it was 'Fat' and they ran Michael Jackson's 'Bad' in a split screen, Al did a great job mimicking the original video. It was similar in 'Like a Surgeon' where they have that random lion walking like in Madonna's video.
The cool thing about this parody is that it strikes the same melancholy tone as American Pie. You know it's not going to end well for Anakin. So Al didn't just write a brilliant new set of lyrics, he imbued them with a genuine sense of grief and longing. Especially the idea of this bright kid with all the potential in the world and how innocent he is now. I'm not really a Star Wars fan, but I still feel all the emotions while listening. So I think it's his deepest song.
That was definitely not his intent, haha. Dude just wanted to write a song about a massive pop-culture event by parodying a massive pop-culture staple. He did the same thing on his following album for the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man film, penning "Ode to a Superhero" as a parody of Piano Man.
@@swishfish8858 I dunno, I think Al is pretty deep and smart. I sing this song and ode to a superhero to my 3 year old when he goes to sleep. I think both capture the spirit and moral of the stories. With this, a kid with all the potential in the world ruined by war. In spider man, the great power comes great responsibility, as well as that anyone can be “good enough” to be a hero.
@@valentinlageot4101 They got out of their own way and allowed skilled writers write without picking everything that would make the movie worse. It was more that Disney ignored Rogue One until it happened to get completed
Actually, Al's tours, over the last few years, are his originals only, no parodies, but he performs one different cover every night. His voice is amazing. There's a bunch on youtube that people who've been able to sneak a video, have posted. Check out his cover of Natural Woman and then Rebel Yell. His range is amazing.
I fell in love with bye bye miss American pie when I heard it on the radio as a teen because the vocals are fantastic. I just found this. Al performs it super close to the original, you could have thought the piano intro was copied right off the cd. A lot of verses even rhyme with the original... He leaves out the next to last verse though, I wish he didn't because it's my favorite (going a bit syncopated), but the original track is 8 minutes so it's completely understandable.
The musicianship here - its probably the best 'non-cover' of American Pie ever, apart from being funny as hell. Everything is arranged and played super tight.
That's how Al and his band do it! They all take the musicianship very seriously, making the songs great to listen to even after you go "oh ha ha I get it" to the lyrics, lol
I've listened to this song so many times I still get them confused, when American Pie comes on, I sing a line from this, then line from that and it sounds horrible
Thats not a piano, it actually has a much stupider name with about 9 paragraphs of information gathered from extended universe stuff that is no longer canon because disney
I've seen Weird Al a few times in concert, and him and his band are amazing. Al is a really good singer and his band are amazing musicians both in and outside of the band. They've been together for about 40 years or so, have no major controversies, and just go to show that you can make it in the music industry and not be a jerk with a million scandals.
Really crumby songs get hundreds of millions of hits on youtube. It bothers me that there are hundreds of millions of people who have no idea this masterpiece exists.
Right? How do they all get their instruments to sound like other bands so damn closely? Some earlier songs are hit or miss with that, but starting mid to late 90s they pretty much nail it every time. I'd say you have to be an absolute expert on your instrument to pull that off that well. (And the occasional guest musician _from_ the original band doesn't hurt either, lol)
Seriously. The fact that they can nail any genre or style, plus that they've been together (and with Al) for so long, makes them arguably one of the greatest cover bands in history. Major props to Jim West (guitar), Steve Jay (bass), Rubén Valtierra (keyboard), and Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz (drums). More people need to know who they are.
Don McClean himself said he had issues remembering his own words to this song and kept singing Weird Al’s version because his kids wouldn’t stop singing it. Lol. That’s how you know it’s good! Weird Al is a genius.
"The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost" became "met up with Darth Maul, now he's toast." "They caught the last train for the coast" became "Now I'm still here and he's a ghost."
@@nthgth It's episode 1 through 3. The only reference to anything after 3 is "maybe Vader someday later" but Anakin is given the name Vader by Palpatine in episode 3 so that doesn't require the original trilogy.
This was the first weird al song I ever heard, when I was around 10 years old. Years later, my mom and I saw him in concert and I kept saying "if he doesn't sing the saga begins, I will literally cry" and then the concert was over ??? But no, then he came out for the encore in jedi gear, and it made my whole life. It was so frikkin' cool. 😄❤️ This might be my favorite of all his songs.
@@HufflepuffBaseball42313 Looked it up and Al recorded the single 20th of April, the movie released 16th of May, and then the single was released June 24. Apparently he used internet spoilers to write it in advance, and a charity advanced screening to confirm and make some smaller edits.
I know this came out before Phantom Menace, but man... that last shot of several copies of Al standing together... It almost makes me think he predicted Attack Of The Clones.
fun fact al wrote this song b4 episode 1 came out like 1 or 2 weeks before, he got all his info from leaks on the internet and credible sources, pretty neat
whats really funny about this song is it came out before the movie did, so weird al wrote the song based on the trailer and internet rumor and still got the story line pretty accurate.
He also paid a lot for a ticket to a premier showing Lucas was putting on to make sure it was correct. He even said in an interview he only had to change a few minor parts in the lyrics to fit the actual plot.
Actually read somewhere that the soundtrack of the movie came before the movie too, and for example one of the songs is titled "Qui-Gon's Noble End" (spoiler alert much). But still great achievement on Al side tho. Also i dont think he predicted the word "midichlorians" like come on.
As someone who grew up a major Star Wars fan and then who loves Weird Al and of course a rock classic like American Pie every time I see this I get a kick out of it. Weird Al is an absolute genius and if he's not in the RnR HOF he most certainly deserves it.
i heard that Don MacLean himself sometimes thinks of this parody whenever he's singing American Pie on stage, because of how much he and his kids love it.... you know you're doing something right when even the ORIGINAL artist loves your parody!
When I was little, my dad always played this song instead of the original and to this day I only know the lyrics to this version. I wouldn't have it any other way.
I saw Weird Al in concert last year, and this was his encore performance. And it was on May 4th, Star Wars Day. Before he started the song, he told the audience "May the Fourth be with you" and it was pretty much the best moment of my life.
Fun Fact: Weird Al wrote this song using only internet rumors. Lucasfilm wouldn't give him an advanced screening, and when he finally saw the movie, he had to change only two lyrics. He nailed the entire plot of the movie just based on rumors lmao
Weird Al said that he wouldn't have made this song without George Lucas' blessing. So he sent Lucas the unreleased song to see if he liked it. Lucasfilm replied with "you should've seen the smile on George's face when he heard the song for the first time". He loved it and Weird Al was relieved about getting the stamp of approval. BTW, Lucas was not annoyed that Weird Al's song revealed plot point from the yet to be released movie it was based on.
Fun fact: Weird Al actually wrote the lyrics BEFORE the movie even came out. He got all his information from spoilers and leaks. Impressively, when he saw the movie (as part of a preview screening IIRC), he only had to make minor changes.
Less than half of the songs on AL's 14 studio albums are parodies. AL is an incredible songwriter. I've been to 3 of his original's only tours and he is an amazing musician.
I remember this video coming on TV just randomly one day. I wasnt even watching MTV or VH1.. it just popped on like a commercial or something... and I didnt see it again for a while. It was right as the movie had come out.. I never watched any of the Star Wars movies. But this song is awesome
He's an incredible song writer. They gave Bob Dylan, a songwriter, a Noble Prize for Literature, so I don't think it would be too off the rails to give Weird Al a Nobel Prize for Literature. I personally think his parody, "Trapped In The Drive Through," was a sheer genius analysis of relationship.
Listening to this song playing out over the Celebration Stage and seeing all the lightsabers in the air at Star Wars Celebration this year solidified in me that it’s truly the best community out there and that I’m proud to be a part of it
That community is now composed entirely of simpletons and idiots for not turning their backs on Disney and Kathleen Kennedy is utter disgust and loathing.
This is his absolute top song, and not BECAUSE it's Star Wars.... that's just a perk. He truly retells the entire movie, in sequential order, and he uses all actual movie/franchise specific terms, proper names, etc yet does not have any gibberish or obscure rhyming (think like Dr Seuss style). Plus, his verses are almost all completely on par with tempo, pitch, bps, and rhyme schemes from the original song, while the music is only very slightly altered; nearly indistinguishable from the original, but still very Al. You don't really have to be a Weird Al or Star Wars fan to appreciate the amazing structure of this parody. You may not understand all the jokes, but you can still appreciate it.
One term that felt was a bit off was the word “plane” in “…flew his plane and saved the day…” but I can’t really think of a better one syllable word to put there so I guess it worked as well as it could
Well, technically he did it. There were so many adepts of Light side and only a few - of Dark. So he really brought balance between sides of the Force in the galaxy by destroying Jedi Order :)
Considering Don Mclean enjoyed this parady of his song so much he almost accidentally sang this verson during live performances just show how great Weird Al is.
To be fair, the original trilogy already established that dead Jedi’s became Force ghosts so most people just assumed it was going to work that way in the prequels too.
@@shelbyvillerules9962 yeah technically he did not become a ghost, or he did, from a certain point of view. Not a physical ghost at least. and auditory ghost perhaps
It also implies that someone taught Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader how to become a Force Ghost. I have long suspected that when Obi-Wan Kenobi became a Force Ghost he then haunted Darth Vader and turned him back towards the Light.
@@peterjohnson1379 he did not become a full ghost in canon. He figured out how, but the force "claimed" him too much before he could acheive it. it was also something that could only be maintained for a few years, but that was changed by disney for a yoda insert. In the EU yoda and obi wan both faded into the force not long after luke got his new jedi order functioning. Qui-gon faded long before ANH happened
There is this sense of hope and wonder within this song that I remember from when the movie first came out. It is perfectly captured here, and in the novel The Encroaching Storm (I think that was the title). I miss feeling like that about Star Wars.
Me too. But you know what? I _did_ feel that way about Star Wars, at one time. it's one of many feelings we'll never get to truly know again. But we have our memories, and that's what makes them so special. :)
@@user-oq4yk1xd7d Yeah "Yankovic paid $500 to view an advance screening after writing the song, but most of his lyrics were correct, so he made minor changes; the only major change he had to make after the screening of The Phantom Menace was that Anakin did not tell Amidala that he was going to marry her, like Yankovic originally thought."
The fact that he was able to put this entire story into a well known song's music, and make it work so flawlessly is just fantastic. Ranks among his best, with Amish Paradise of course.
This was brilliant. As far as ranking amongst his best, I thought "Trapped In the Drive Thru," was a brilliant and nuanced take on relationships... with some of his most clever and witty lyrics. If I were in the unfortunate position of having to vote on his best video, I'd have to go with this one.
I’ve heard this 100 times but I’ve never seen the video. I’m so grateful to have seen this today. What amazing artistic work. Thank you for enriching our lives.
"We took him there and we told the tale How his midichlorians were off the scale And he might fulfill that prophecy. The council was impressed, of course. Could he bring balance to the force? They interviewed the kid... Oh, training they forbid Because Yoda sensed in him much fear And Qui-Gon said: now listen here! Just stick it in your pointy ear, I still will teach this boy.
Major Damage 69 I disagree. Bob is amazing, and the use of nonsensical palindrome phrases is a perfect parody of Bob Dylan's original. But lyrically, it's not as impressive as this. This is his most successful parody. So much so that Don McLean has stated that he often thinks of Weird Al's lyrics before his own.
This is my favorite of his work. Saw this video on cable when it first came out and there were some ladies in the room asking who that was, I said, that is Weird Al. They all did not believe me and one said, "that's not Weird Al, This guy is really good looking" LOL
It's really a shame, I think the phantom menace would have benefitted greatly from this scene. Obi wan singing in the cantina was beautiful characterization for him. It really shows off his more playful side which we dont see enough of in the prequels.
Why is this better than the actual movie? I love Weird Al so much. When I was a kid, my dad had Al's first album on tape and listened to it over and over. I always wanted to grow up to be like Weird Al
Weird Al has a crazy good voice. Parody aside, this song legit gives me chills. Also, they should have given Al a cameo as a Jedi in the arena scene in Attack of the Clones.
ik its 2023, but who's to say I love this. Anyway, if you haven't noticed yet, you can see yoda sitting down while Al sings several times. I think it's a nice and funny gesture.
My favourite fact about this song is that Don McLean's kids sung it to him constantly and he was very afraid he would accidentally sing Weird Al's lyrics by mistake
He admitted sometimes he sings these lyrics by mistake.
I often sing these lyrics by mistake
"mistake"
@@Kate-ew6heI mistake
He does sing this version accidentally
I think the best part of this song is that it's a legitimately good summary of The Phantom Menace. All the major plot points get touched on, and even the weirder beats get brought up in good humor.
It's crazy that he wrote the song before the movie came out
I never realized how accurate it was until I actually saw the movie last week. LOL
@@thefutureisnowoldman7653 The scripst were leaked online and there were spoilers everywhere so it was very easy to do.
@@22espec online🤣 nah man that wasnt that easy like its now.
I honestly just rewatched episode 1 and thought of this song and I can't believe how unbelievably great this song is
Watching this on Star Wars day 2024😂😂😂
yess I did that
I've screamed at a concert once in my life and that was when Al performed this when I saw him live. I thought the concert was over when suddenly storm troopers came out on the stage. I love this man. I've listened and laughed so much to his songs but this is my favorite.
In San Diego?!
@@coney6796 No, in Oslo, Norway.
According to Weird Al's website, Lucasfilm's official response to this song was, "You should've seen the smile on George Lucas' face." They loved it so much, they included the video as a bonus feature in a Star Wars spoofs compilation for the 2011 Blu-ray box set release of the saga.
Now, I remember! That's where I've seen it for the first time!))
I own the saga edition blue-rays thanks for the post.
At Lucasfilm, they know the *song* American Pie. czcams.com/video/uAsV5-Hv-7U/video.html (1971)
The kids watching the new Star Wars movies only know the American Pie movie in 1999.
Just as how his friend Steven Spielberg loved Al's Jurassic Park parody.
Al rspected George's creation. :)
It says a lot when Don McLean commented that he struggles with not using Al's lines while performing American Pie.
If I was Don McLean, I would not only be proud of creating one of the best Americana pop songs ever but also one of the best “spoofs” ever. Haha so amazing the way Al treats the songs and even more amazing how the OG artists love them so much.
Don McLean even helped write this version!
Yeah, Don said he sang the Weird Al version so many times with his kids he struggles to sing his original version sometimes.
Let’s go Brandon!
@@kodakcourage7255 Why?
The fact that this song only has 45 million views means that there are almost 8 billion people who don't know that this masterpiece exists.
Which is a crime
@@EvelynCostarf Against Humanity
I just found out today. One of the best.
I knew about the song but I didn't know it was from this I just heard it once
That is also including people that have rewatched this more than once.
Weird Al could rename himself "F*cking Awesome Al" and everybody would just be like "Yeah."
Real
Saw him in concert 3 times, my neighbor was his base guitarist amd gabe us back stage tickets , I was just a little kid , weird al came over to us all three times, said hi to my and my sister talked a little signed our back stage tickets, and left a lasting impression, I ❤ WEIRD AL, still the too 3 concerts I've ever been to 😂😂
*This is the most relatable song I've ever heard.*
Hello fellow general
General Kenobi. You are a bold one to say this out loud.
Well hello there, Keniobi
OMG I KNEW YOU WERE REAL! I HAVE LIKE 5 PEOPLE TO CALL! I KNEW I WAS RIGHT!
@@ranb00_my_beloved32 Yes Luke, search your feelings you know it to be true
Al has outlasted most of the people he's spoofed.
he outlasted George Lucas
And Michel Jackson
Cheesy Fries whos michel jackson
@Big Daddy Egg to be fair, that isn't so hard to outlast
There's a good reason for that.
Being parodied by weird al yankovic is like a huge compliment and honour.
If only Prince saw it that way.
Kurt Cobain asked not to make the parody of Nevermind about food. The end result the band loved.
As a teenager growing up in the 70s and trying to irritate my parents with rock music I’m sad I didn’t discover that
Weird Al song until after my dad died,
If Al wants to parody a work of yours you know you have arrived.
🎉❤😂😎👏 there is saying out there somewhere
You know when your a successful performing artist is loved by near all when not only are fans are singing Along your lyrics but the PARODY weird Al lyrics too. 😂 Or you know you've made it when u get that call from Weird Al's team wanting to a parody of ur music and or videos.
It's when you notice small details that Al got right too, like freaking TAKING THE PADAWAN BRAID OFF after Qui-Gon died. All of that before the movies were even out. Freaking masterpiece.
I don't think people realize how much work he puts into these creations. I remember seeing one of his videos, I think it was 'Fat' and they ran Michael Jackson's 'Bad' in a split screen, Al did a great job mimicking the original video. It was similar in 'Like a Surgeon' where they have that random lion walking like in Madonna's video.
It's still there, the greenscreen cutout makes it a bit harder too see and it's hanging down his back.
The song was recorded before the movie was released, but the video itself was filmed afterwards.
Sorry, the braid is still there until the end.
his braid is never taken off bud.
The cool thing about this parody is that it strikes the same melancholy tone as American Pie. You know it's not going to end well for Anakin. So Al didn't just write a brilliant new set of lyrics, he imbued them with a genuine sense of grief and longing. Especially the idea of this bright kid with all the potential in the world and how innocent he is now. I'm not really a Star Wars fan, but I still feel all the emotions while listening. So I think it's his deepest song.
I was thinking how well the mournful tale of American Pie fit the tragedy of Anakin as well, glad to see I'm not the only one overthinking it ;)
True
I’d forgotten the original song. So thank you❤
That was definitely not his intent, haha. Dude just wanted to write a song about a massive pop-culture event by parodying a massive pop-culture staple. He did the same thing on his following album for the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man film, penning "Ode to a Superhero" as a parody of Piano Man.
@@swishfish8858 I dunno, I think Al is pretty deep and smart.
I sing this song and ode to a superhero to my 3 year old when he goes to sleep.
I think both capture the spirit and moral of the stories.
With this, a kid with all the potential in the world ruined by war.
In spider man, the great power comes great responsibility, as well as that anyone can be “good enough” to be a hero.
I can’t believe he rhymed the whole plot of Star Wars
I know right!
It's like poetry, it rhymes
It's his world, and we're all livin in it.
🤣
XD
“The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be... unnatural.”
But the light side is too
It's just one movie, but I know what you mean.
Any fellow Jedi’s and Siths watching this for May the 4th in 2024?
Disney wishes it could make Star Wars content this good
100% I'd watch a 2 hour film of this.
They can’t make anything good anymore
If it was half as good as this Disney would be doing alright!!
they made rogue one
@@valentinlageot4101 They got out of their own way and allowed skilled writers write without picking everything that would make the movie worse. It was more that Disney ignored Rogue One until it happened to get completed
If this song isn't in the library, then the archives are definitely incomplete.
JoshuWAH!! I get it!!!
Perhaps the archives are incomplete
Jakub Mejzr
If it does not appear in our records, it does not exist.
Youngling who raised his hand: Someone erased it from the archive memory.
Mmmmmmm madam person
Al was 40 here. He looks 30 at the most
You know you're kinda right
30? Try early 20s
He's 60??? He appeared in an episode of crazy ex girlfriend this year and looks the same!
Clean living... Seriously he's like a boy scout in real life. Probably a real nice guy too
The man has aged like fine hhhwine
one of his most vocally impressive songs, he just sounds unironically excellent
Actually, Al's tours, over the last few years, are his originals only, no parodies, but he performs one different cover every night. His voice is amazing. There's a bunch on youtube that people who've been able to sneak a video, have posted. Check out his cover of Natural Woman and then Rebel Yell. His range is amazing.
I fell in love with bye bye miss American pie when I heard it on the radio as a teen because the vocals are fantastic. I just found this. Al performs it super close to the original, you could have thought the piano intro was copied right off the cd. A lot of verses even rhyme with the original... He leaves out the next to last verse though, I wish he didn't because it's my favorite (going a bit syncopated), but the original track is 8 minutes so it's completely understandable.
The musicianship here - its probably the best 'non-cover' of American Pie ever, apart from being funny as hell. Everything is arranged and played super tight.
That's how Al and his band do it! They all take the musicianship very seriously, making the songs great to listen to even after you go "oh ha ha I get it" to the lyrics, lol
It is literally impossible for me to hear the song American Pie and not start singing this song's chorus.
I've listened to this song so many times I still get them confused, when American Pie comes on, I sing a line from this, then line from that and it sounds horrible
slammedniss fun fact- the singer of American pie (sorry I’m not good with names) also makes that mistake sometimes. He said that in an interview
@@user-uo7yk3iz5q I swear I do that, too.
Which is a parody of which? Help?
@@dylanvan3300 Don McLean yes, he did
Darth Sidious can play the piano? That's the biggest kept secret in the galaxy.
Thats not a piano, it actually has a much stupider name with about 9 paragraphs of information gathered from extended universe stuff that is no longer canon because disney
@@trollshamanpwnage be it’s a piano
@@bloop1470 there's no such thing as a piano in star wars
@@trollshamanpwnage tf of course there is idiotic human being
@@trollshamanpwnage yeah, but it’s kinda pointless to correct someone on it.
Weird Al's parodies are always better than the originals. And this one is just a legendary song in it's own right.
I've seen Weird Al a few times in concert, and him and his band are amazing. Al is a really good singer and his band are amazing musicians both in and outside of the band. They've been together for about 40 years or so, have no major controversies, and just go to show that you can make it in the music industry and not be a jerk with a million scandals.
I heard (and memorized) this version of the song as a kid before I even heard the original. True story! Still just as fantastic now as it was then.
Who didn't? This song introduced me to american pie. Its my fav song now
Same, I was so confused when I hear American Pie for the first time.
Kids......sigh.
We all know this is the OG one
Same! This is actually the first time in years I've heard this song and I can still remember a majority of the words.
Palpatine is an amazing piano player. Shame about the fact he's evil.
That all a matter of perspective.
+swissnor clever.
Sheev did nothing wrong
+vincentpol It's true tho
Valpas Kankaristo I wasn't being sarcastic. The perspective literally matters whether he's a good pianist or not.
Really crumby songs get hundreds of millions of hits on youtube.
It bothers me that there are hundreds of millions of people who have no idea this masterpiece exists.
Long ago I ceased being surprised at the incredible abilities of Al's band to cover ANY song..... I just listen and marvel.
Right? How do they all get their instruments to sound like other bands so damn closely?
Some earlier songs are hit or miss with that, but starting mid to late 90s they pretty much nail it every time.
I'd say you have to be an absolute expert on your instrument to pull that off that well.
(And the occasional guest musician _from_ the original band doesn't hurt either, lol)
Seriously. The fact that they can nail any genre or style, plus that they've been together (and with Al) for so long, makes them arguably one of the greatest cover bands in history. Major props to Jim West (guitar), Steve Jay (bass), Rubén Valtierra (keyboard), and Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz (drums). More people need to know who they are.
Don McClean himself said he had issues remembering his own words to this song and kept singing Weird Al’s version because his kids wouldn’t stop singing it. Lol. That’s how you know it’s good! Weird Al is a genius.
Don is a nice guy. I love him too, and his musics.
I have the power to change it from 689 to 690, the power’s too much
@@CoolGuyMcgeez well now it's 1k.
Your powers gone!
@@luferaupa Starry Starry Night is a brilliant song
@@luferaupa didn’t he beat his wife?
This is canon.
I once saw him and I autographed his robe
@Alexander Atkinson the fans have learned not to listen to disney on whats cannon.
@Alexander Atkinson Disney LIES
@@beefthedog2776 this song is more canon than the disney trilogy
Hopefully Disney won't say otherwise...
I love that the part of American Pie that says "the father, son, and holy ghost" is now "I'm alive and he's a ghost"
"The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost" became "met up with Darth Maul, now he's toast."
"They caught the last train for the coast" became "Now I'm still here and he's a ghost."
Critics "no one could possibly condense the entire movie franchise into a 4 min song" Weird Al "Hold my beer"
I think it's just Episode I
@@nthgth It's episode 1 through 3. The only reference to anything after 3 is "maybe Vader someday later" but Anakin is given the name Vader by Palpatine in episode 3 so that doesn't require the original trilogy.
@@JohnSmith-zl1tr No it's not. It's entirely Episode 1.
I can’t believe they went all the way to tatooine to film this
That must have taken a while.
Time Lord Gina must have taken them YEARS to get there!
maybe even LIGHT YEARS
That planet is in a Galaxy AT LEAST far far away
It takes more than half a year to get to Mars, how long does it take to go to Tatooine?
This was technically the first ever prequel meme.
Magnificent arent they?
a good one at that
With a million more well on the way
And u want a fact ? It was recorded the same day as columbine massacre.
The fuck
The sith playing the piano gets me everytime.
Im pretty sure that's meant to be paplpatine
You mean the senate
@@lorne510 Not Yet.
I AM the rhythm
You mean it's actually the sith lord we've been looking for
This was the first weird al song I ever heard, when I was around 10 years old.
Years later, my mom and I saw him in concert and I kept saying "if he doesn't sing the saga begins, I will literally cry" and then the concert was over ??? But no, then he came out for the encore in jedi gear, and it made my whole life. It was so frikkin' cool. 😄❤️ This might be my favorite of all his songs.
Haha, I can just imagine how amazing that must have been.
Soyjak but actually good memories man. But anyway you still will be soyjak
Same man
Good choice for your favorite. Mine is Dare to Be Stupid.
I've seen Al in concert. He leaves nothing on the stage. He is a true performer.
for a parody..the writing in this song is INCREDIBLE
this man is a damn genius
+Ignacio Varga Weird Al is the best.
+Ignacio Varga It's Weird Al, dude. He always makes the BEST parodies.
+Ignacio Varga this guy is the all time best at making parodies
***** AS FUCK?
Comedy is tough because everyone has their own "funny," but without a doubt, this song parody is BRILLIANT. Kudos Al.
I saw this live in concert at the AlPacolypse Tour. A long, long time ago.
I continue to be impressed by the fact that Weird Al managed to work the word "midichlorians" into the rhythm of the song
That why he's a legend, and we're left to tell his tales! 😩😩
@@scottwpilgrim he's alive and still making songs
Scott W Pilgrim yeah he’s still alive, he ain’t dead
@@scottwpilgrim WE'LL TELL HIS STORY (hamilton reference lol)
* laughs in prepubecent *
Ironically, this is by far the clearest and most informative plot summary of _The Phantom Menace._
lol
Impressively he wrote this BEFORE Phantom Menace came out, based entirely on fan theories and leaks.
In 5 minutes and 37 seconds
@@lgmmrm no way what
@@HufflepuffBaseball42313 Looked it up and Al recorded the single 20th of April, the movie released 16th of May, and then the single was released June 24. Apparently he used internet spoilers to write it in advance, and a charity advanced screening to confirm and make some smaller edits.
I know this came out before Phantom Menace, but man... that last shot of several copies of Al standing together... It almost makes me think he predicted Attack Of The Clones.
fun fact al wrote this song b4 episode 1 came out like 1 or 2 weeks before, he got all his info from leaks on the internet and credible sources, pretty neat
whats really funny about this song is it came out before the movie did, so weird al wrote the song based on the trailer and internet rumor and still got the story line pretty accurate.
He also paid a lot for a ticket to a premier showing Lucas was putting on to make sure it was correct. He even said in an interview he only had to change a few minor parts in the lyrics to fit the actual plot.
Actually read somewhere that the soundtrack of the movie came before the movie too, and for example one of the songs is titled "Qui-Gon's Noble End" (spoiler alert much). But still great achievement on Al side tho. Also i dont think he predicted the word "midichlorians" like come on.
He really must be a Jedi because if his fore sight was that good
@@kingaxolotl4085 If Jedi had good foresight the Skywalker saga would never have happened
incorrect, Episode 1 was released May 19th 1999, this song was released July 29th
People who don't like this have a low midichlorian count.
We have the highest Midi-chlorian count. Which means that you have a lesser amount. So please report to the dance floor.
METACHLORIANT,, man dontcha hate those Wars/Trek fans who DON'T get the sci-fi bullshitium data correct lol?
@@micnorton9487 those who say "metachloriant" are peasants
Midichlorians are the powerhouse of the force.
@@kukukukukuku7244 ..well on Tatueen I think we're called "slaves",, lol,, here yeah I guess serfs,, heathen,, what's your point lol?
This song is better than the entire sequel trilogy.
Over-dosing on laxatives is better than the entire sequel trilogy! 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
That is not exactly the highest bar.
It's better than the whole prequel trilogy for sure, those sucked. Sequels were much better.
@sirrobin8814 ok now that's dramatic
As someone who grew up a major Star Wars fan and then who loves Weird Al and of course a rock classic like American Pie every time I see this I get a kick out of it. Weird Al is an absolute genius and if he's not in the RnR HOF he most certainly deserves it.
Same lol
i heard that Don MacLean himself sometimes thinks of this parody whenever he's singing American Pie on stage, because of how much he and his kids love it.... you know you're doing something right when even the ORIGINAL artist loves your parody!
Michael Jackson loved "Eat It" and "Fat". In fact, a LOT of artists consider Al making a parody of their song a greater honor than a Grammy.
Kurt Cobain apparently loved Weird Al’s parody of Smells like teen spirit.
@@illlcrazymethod The only negative I've ever heard of was Cooleo who's okay with it now.
I heard Eminem also didn’t like his parody, Couch Potato
@@Atamask r/NothingEverHappens
The original of this came on and you already know I was singing these lyrics
I'm the opposite - I try to sing American Pie along with this.
What was the original?
@@Daltygaming2 american pie
Bye bye mrs american pie
@@frazyfry2 Maybe vader someday later- shit
When I was little, my dad always played this song instead of the original and to this day I only know the lyrics to this version. I wouldn't have it any other way.
This came out before Episode one I’ll never understand how it was possible to do that this is really good 👍
I saw Weird Al in concert last year, and this was his encore performance. And it was on May 4th, Star Wars Day. Before he started the song, he told the audience "May the Fourth be with you" and it was pretty much the best moment of my life.
He performed this in October 2013 for me and I loved it!
He's clearly the geek god
omg that's adorable
@@phantomphanatic2 Yup, wasn't it? :D
I was at the 2013 one
Fun Fact: Weird Al wrote this song using only internet rumors. Lucasfilm wouldn't give him an advanced screening, and when he finally saw the movie, he had to change only two lyrics. He nailed the entire plot of the movie just based on rumors lmao
Wow
Now I wanna know what two lines he changed!
@@RoseMairie According to another comment on here, there was originally a line about Anakin telling the queen that he was going to marry her
It is too precise for just internet rumors unless script security had more holes than a George Lucas plot.
Weird Al said that he wouldn't have made this song without George Lucas' blessing. So he sent Lucas the unreleased song to see if he liked it.
Lucasfilm replied with "you should've seen the smile on George's face when he heard the song for the first time". He loved it and Weird Al was relieved about getting the stamp of approval.
BTW, Lucas was not annoyed that Weird Al's song revealed plot point from the yet to be released movie it was based on.
"Weird Al" Yankovic is a National Treasure. Protect him at all cost.
He that is tired of Weird Al is tired of life- Homer Simpson
@@colleen4ever so true!
INTERnational treasure, Who doesn’t love him
Man to think this came out 25 years ago. I remember seeing this on TV when I was 3 when it first aired. God where does the time go?
“Weird Al” Yankovic desrves to be in the music hall of fame. A real genius for sure.
We should start a petition
You got a signature right here!
@@AnotherSpecialEdMom You would think such a legend would already be there.
@regalblue41 So it'll be posthumous, then?
Honestly. Most musicians struggle to be relevant for a couple years. Al’s been going strong for four decades.
Fun fact: Weird Al actually wrote the lyrics BEFORE the movie even came out. He got all his information from spoilers and leaks. Impressively, when he saw the movie (as part of a preview screening IIRC), he only had to make minor changes.
satinsguard HOLY SHIT REALLY?
@@thepi399 Yep, it's true! Charity screening of the movie let him know how little he had to change.
Are you sure George Lucas just didn’t make a movie based on this song?
@@taylormerriweather2824 No, no I am not.
Donald Lapham this story’s great! Now it just needs bad cgi and some fake English accents
25 years later and still a Gem..
Weird Al, a musical genius in his own right. He should be in the musical Hall of Fame of every genre in which he has crafted a parody.
Less than half of the songs on AL's 14 studio albums are parodies.
AL is an incredible songwriter.
I've been to 3 of his original's only tours and he is an amazing musician.
The original prequel memer.
A surprise to be sure
@@simonkim8646 absolutely welcome*
@@dimedead Only a Sith deals in absolutes!
From my point of view, Weird al is the true prequel memer
HELLO THERE
When the parody is as EPIC and classic as the original classic!
this is not parody, just epic lyrics on cool music track
@@Visnjik1986 look up american pie by don mclean
it is a parody
@@Visnjik1986 wow it's like you don't know what you're talking about
The definition of weird al songs.
He nails the narrative of Phantom Menace so well lyrically in this parody.
I remember this video coming on TV just randomly one day. I wasnt even watching MTV or VH1.. it just popped on like a commercial or something... and I didnt see it again for a while. It was right as the movie had come out.. I never watched any of the Star Wars movies. But this song is awesome
This proves us 2 things we might have forgotten:
1) Weird Al can really sing
2) Weird Al is pretty good looking
3)Weird Al also looks like Ewan Mcgregor
Gotta keep the likes balanced at 69
@@Holy-Rowlo88 He was 40 when this was released.
@@matthewallen445 he must drink that Paul Rudd water
Been a Weird Al fan from the beginning.
I’ve never forgotten he can really sing, he’s so talented.
No one else could do a better synopsis of Episode 1 in 5 minutes and 36 seconds then Weird Al did in this video.
@@willydawookiee1163 😆 ??? I just love when people join the discussion to add....... nothing.. No argument? Let us know when you find that person.
It's even better than actually watching episode 1
ummmmmm.... he only talked about episode 1. otherwise, i agree. this is the best summary of episode 1 possible
Even though this is a joke, it shows that Episode 1 told a great story.
Star wars cantina, Richard cheese
Due to taking place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, this is in fact the original version of this song.
And also with you
They should give Weird Al the Noble Prize for Literature. And I am absolutely serious.
Maybe in an alternate universe but, alas, not in this miserable one.
He's an incredible song writer. They gave Bob Dylan, a songwriter, a Noble Prize for Literature, so I don't think it would be too off the rails to give Weird Al a Nobel Prize for Literature. I personally think his parody, "Trapped In The Drive Through," was a sheer genius analysis of relationship.
I mean Kendrick Lamar got a pulitzer, soooo
Anyone who can fit the word “mitichlorians” as a lyric has my utmost respect!
its actualy midichlorians lol
I know I need this guy to write a whole musical nothing greater than a song that fits elaborate words into it
Mandalorian. There you guy, show me that respect stuff you speak of.
Contrary to anyone who fit the word "midichlorians" in movies has my utmost disgust!
“Um, actually, it’s mitochlorians” 🤓
Is it wrong that I heard this song WAY before heard American Pie?
Yup.
Wait, no forget what I just wrote, I thought you said something else. No, it is perfectly okay you heard this first.
WeylandYutaniInc91 I discovered this song about 4 years ago and I still haven't heard American Pie.
+WeylandYutaniInc91 yes... but it is a far, far better thing than if you had never heard either one
+Alex McCormick Look it up now and hear it.
I had this song memorized at least a decade before I even knew it was a parody. Even now when I hear the original, I chime in with Weird Al's lyrics.
Listening to this song playing out over the Celebration Stage and seeing all the lightsabers in the air at Star Wars Celebration this year solidified in me that it’s truly the best community out there and that I’m proud to be a part of it
That community is now composed entirely of simpletons and idiots for not turning their backs on Disney and Kathleen Kennedy is utter disgust and loathing.
This is his absolute top song, and not BECAUSE it's Star Wars.... that's just a perk. He truly retells the entire movie, in sequential order, and he uses all actual movie/franchise specific terms, proper names, etc yet does not have any gibberish or obscure rhyming (think like Dr Seuss style). Plus, his verses are almost all completely on par with tempo, pitch, bps, and rhyme schemes from the original song, while the music is only very slightly altered; nearly indistinguishable from the original, but still very Al. You don't really have to be a Weird Al or Star Wars fan to appreciate the amazing structure of this parody. You may not understand all the jokes, but you can still appreciate it.
One term that felt was a bit off was the word “plane” in “…flew his plane and saved the day…” but I can’t really think of a better one syllable word to put there so I guess it worked as well as it could
@@nickfbutler yeah, that's when he's talking about the podrace right? I agree it's odd
@@FionaApplewright Pretty sure that verse is about the battle of Naboo, when Anakin blews up the droid control ship from inside.
cool story bro
@@nickfbutler 'craft'? 'Flew his craft'?
"Could he bring balance to the force?"
Technically, yes.
Well, technically he did it. There were so many adepts of Light side and only a few - of Dark. So he really brought balance between sides of the Force in the galaxy by destroying Jedi Order :)
They interviewed the kid, OH training they forbid
Obi-Wan: You were supposed to bring balance to the Force!
Anakin: I did. There's 2 Sith and 2 Jedi left.
@@leesmith6739 That's not balance, though.
@@reginaldfromnigeria5206 I know I was making what's called a joke
Getting a remix by weird al is a trophy of the highest honor
Considering Don Mclean enjoyed this parady of his song so much he almost accidentally sang this verson during live performances just show how great Weird Al is.
Weird Al has "ruined" so many songs for me, I can't hear several dozen songs as their original versions anymore. And that is good.
That’s when you know a parody is good
Weird Al is the man!
Oh my god this is very relatable
You spelt "improved" wrong
As I said, as much as I LOVE this song, I won't let myself listen to it as I don't want to lose "American Pie."
"I'm still here and he's a ghost" - - - Interesting how Canonically correct that line was years in advance.
To be fair, the original trilogy already established that dead Jedi’s became Force ghosts so most people just assumed it was going to work that way in the prequels too.
@@shelbyvillerules9962 yeah technically he did not become a ghost, or he did, from a certain point of view. Not a physical ghost at least. and auditory ghost perhaps
@@mrexpendable1232 he did become a full force ghost in canon, he taught obiwan how to become a full force ghost in tatooine.
It also implies that someone taught Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader how to become a Force Ghost. I have long suspected that when Obi-Wan Kenobi became a Force Ghost he then haunted Darth Vader and turned him back towards the Light.
@@peterjohnson1379 he did not become a full ghost in canon. He figured out how, but the force "claimed" him too much before he could acheive it. it was also something that could only be maintained for a few years, but that was changed by disney for a yoda insert. In the EU yoda and obi wan both faded into the force not long after luke got his new jedi order functioning. Qui-gon faded long before ANH happened
There is this sense of hope and wonder within this song that I remember from when the movie first came out. It is perfectly captured here, and in the novel The Encroaching Storm (I think that was the title). I miss feeling like that about Star Wars.
Me too. But you know what? I _did_ feel that way about Star Wars, at one time. it's one of many feelings we'll never get to truly know again. But we have our memories, and that's what makes them so special. :)
If only Anakin was taught by Qui-Gon, he would not have turned to the dark side. The mentor you have makes all the difference ...
Thats why the darth maul song is "duel of the fates". Palpatine and Qi Gon are fighting over the fate of Ani.
Qui-Gon was a fanatic
He wrote almost all of this based on internet spoilers. Legend.
George Lucas also granted him an early showing so the song could be as accurate as possible
@@Azwethinkweiz17 fr ?
@@user-oq4yk1xd7d Yeah
"Yankovic paid $500 to view an advance screening after writing the song, but most of his lyrics were correct, so he made minor changes; the only major change he had to make after the screening of The Phantom Menace was that Anakin did not tell Amidala that he was going to marry her, like Yankovic originally thought."
Satyr is chill
There was widespread online spoilers in 99?
The fact that he was able to put this entire story into a well known song's music, and make it work so flawlessly is just fantastic. Ranks among his best, with Amish Paradise of course.
Even better that he did it all before the Phantom Menace even came out
This was brilliant. As far as ranking amongst his best, I thought "Trapped In the Drive Thru," was a brilliant and nuanced take on relationships... with some of his most clever and witty lyrics. If I were in the unfortunate position of having to vote on his best video, I'd have to go with this one.
It also impressed me when he set the plot of The Empire Strikes Back to Lola by The Kinks in his song Yoda
@@PacDan That either shows how predictable the movie is, or how good Weird Al is at predicting the future.
Albuquerque is better than either of these
I’ve heard this 100 times but I’ve never seen the video. I’m so grateful to have seen this today. What amazing artistic work. Thank you for enriching our lives.
In my opinion, this is the best thing to come of the prequels
This and Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars animated series.
This is probably Weird Al's most lyrically impressive parody.
"We took him there and we told the tale
How his midichlorians were off the scale
And he might fulfill that prophecy.
The council was impressed, of course.
Could he bring balance to the force?
They interviewed the kid...
Oh, training they forbid
Because Yoda sensed in him much fear
And Qui-Gon said: now listen here!
Just stick it in your pointy ear,
I still will teach this boy.
he has a few songs that are legitimately better than the originals (lyrics+)
White and Nerdy is the tops
While this song is my very favorite of his, Bob is more impressive lyrically. An entire song of palindromes is awesome.
Major Damage 69 I disagree. Bob is amazing, and the use of nonsensical palindrome phrases is a perfect parody of Bob Dylan's original. But lyrically, it's not as impressive as this. This is his most successful parody. So much so that Don McLean has stated that he often thinks of Weird Al's lyrics before his own.
"But I'm still here and he's a ghost."
CANON
Just some bros
Warner bros
😆
He can see things before they happen. It's a Jedi trait.
@@ajh3461 well then he can see years into the future
What is the name of the original song?thx bros🫶🫶🫶
american pie
This is my favorite of his work. Saw this video on cable when it first came out and there were some ladies in the room asking who that was, I said, that is Weird Al. They all did not believe me and one said, "that's not Weird Al, This guy is really good looking" LOL
One of many scenes that George lucas had to cut out from his movies.
Instead including all that CGI, what a disgrace
What about the droid attack on the wookies.
🤣
It's really a shame, I think the phantom menace would have benefitted greatly from this scene. Obi wan singing in the cantina was beautiful characterization for him. It really shows off his more playful side which we dont see enough of in the prequels.
This is what Obi-Wan was really doing on Tatooine while watching Luke.
Lol
Jedi Bard, subset of Jedi Sage.
He shaved between episode 3 and 4 😆
Just holding in a nut
I'm convinced that this is canon.
2023 i still keep coming back to this from time to time. Masterpiece
Why is this better than the actual movie? I love Weird Al so much. When I was a kid, my dad had Al's first album on tape and listened to it over and over. I always wanted to grow up to be like Weird Al
“He who is tired of Weird Al … is tired of life itself.” - Homer Simpson ❤️
AMEN
The corollary is not true. I'll never be tired of Weird Al.
When did he say that? Source?
@@feedmepaperr The Simpsons
“That '90s Show”
Episode aired Jan 27, 2008
@@80sgirl96 thanks I'll check it out
Weird Al has a crazy good voice. Parody aside, this song legit gives me chills. Also, they should have given Al a cameo as a Jedi in the arena scene in Attack of the Clones.
That would've been so amazing.
He alternatively could’ve had a cameo in either of the Clone Wars series, considering Weird Al does a lot of voiceover work in animation.
Maybe they did.
he played ki adi mundi
@@lemonferret YES
What is that drumset?! Nice kit.
How am i just now seeing this in 2023. My life is now complete 😂
Every copy of Attack of the Clones should include this as a prologue before the opening title scroll.
Every copy of Revenge of the Sith should have this as the prologue and skip Attack of the Clones completely.
@@Drums_of_Liberation Good Idea and all, but its about phantom menace
@@thewiseguy2307 "as a prologue"
Yeaaaaahhhh
And then be destroyed only leaving the prologue
Recorded: April 20, 1999
Released: June 24, 1999
Watching 20 years later.
Me too
Janitor Bob You do realize that this was recorded the same day as the Columbine Shooting, right?
@@sceneable8437 Wikipedia's page on "The Saga Begins" obviously does because that's what I was quoting. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Saga_Begins
boi it was recorded on my birthday
Has it really been 20 years?
ik its 2023, but who's to say I love this. Anyway, if you haven't noticed yet, you can see yoda sitting down while Al sings several times. I think it's a nice and funny gesture.
The best part of this song for me is how they reference Qui Gon being a ghost before it was even in the lore.
Weird AL writes all of his own lyrics. He's a genius who studies and researches before he writes. AL's predicted so many things over the years.
@@zoeym4868 haha yes, it's crazy!
Actors that have played Obi-Wan:
Alec Guinness
Ewan McGregor
James Arnold Taylor
Weird Al Yankovic
Yankovic*
Weird Al is best
Ewan McGregor is the true obi wan
@@honeyorsyrup no Alec guiness
@@thekfcman you are false