Weird Al Yankovic is a music legend, being one of five musicians with a top 40 hit in 4 decades. The others? U2, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Kenny G. He is the undisputed king of parody songs, with some of his parodies becoming more memorable than the original song. As the wise sage, Homer Simpson once said, “He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life.” Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain even admitted he didn’t realize he’d made it big until Weird Al parodied “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” With a “biopic” about the singer (with Daniel Radcliffe playing Yankovic) set to be released, now seems like a good time to look at the best songs Weird Al has done about the movies.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 Jurassic Park
Universal Pictures
This song is a parody of the song “MacArthur Park,” specifically Richard Harris’ version of the song, the same Richard Harris who was the first Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies. The original is about a breakup. Weird Al’s version is a recap of 1993’s Jurassic Park. The lyrics are filled with clever references to the movie, with mentions of chaos theory and the scene where a T-Rex kills and eats a lawyer, which according to the lyrics, means they’re not all bad. Though getting disemboweled does make Yankovic kind of mad. Jimmy Webb, who wrote and sang the original version of “MacArthur Park”, is a fan of Weird Al’s version, and has even invited Yankovic on stage to sing the parody version a few times.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
5 Spy Hard
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures
Written specifically for the Leslie Nielsen movie of the same name, this song is a parody of James Bond theme songs, with the biggest influence being the Tom Jones’ title track for Thunderball. Yankovic himself appears in the movie’s title sequence, much like Sheena Easton did in For Your Eyes Only. Yankovic even gets to swat away the title of the movie and does a double-take when his own name comes up in the credits. As for the songs itself, it’s pretty funny. Honestly, there are actual Bond theme songs nowhere near as good as this song is. The song is all about the life of a spy, being ready for anything. There’s even mention of the spy agency the spy works for having a great dental plan, something Weird Al would state the CIA has a better one than the FBI in “Party in the CIA.” Props to Yankovic for holding that final note for as long as he did. Originally, the producers were planning on looping it, but decided not to when they learned Weird Al could actually hold it as long as required.
4 Gump
Paramount Pictures
“Gump” is a parody of the song, “Lump,” by the Presidents of the United States of America. It’s a recap of 1994’s Forrest Gump. The song itself is pretty funny, with the funniest lyrics referencing the scene where the titular character shows President Lyndon Johnson his butt when he asks where Forrest got shot. It’s a testament to the power of Weird Al that his lyrics are so good that they influenced the original song. The final lyrics of Weird Al’s version are “That’s all I have to say about that,” a reference to how Forrest Gump ended some of his stories, most notably his speech at a protest in Washington DC. When the Presidents of the United States of America sing the original, they will sometimes end the song the same way Weird Al did in his version.
3 Yoda
20th Century Fox
“Yoda” is a parody of the song “Lola” by the Kinks. It was released in 1985 on Yankovic’s album, “Dare To Be Stupid.” Yankovic’s version is told from the perspective of Luke Skywalker and recounts the Jedi’s experiences with the ancient Jedi master in The Empire Strikes Back. The lyrics are filled with great humor, as can be seen with lines like “I know Darth Vader’s really got you annoyed/but remember if you kill him, then you’ll be unemployed.” The song is even funnily prophetic, as later lyrics state Luke signed a long-term contract to make Star Wars movies for the rest of his life. Remember, this song came out in 1985. In 2017, Mark Hamill reprised the role of Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi, 34 years after Return of the Jedi came out in theaters. Luke even has a scene with Yoda in The Last Jedi! It’s impressive how accurately Weird Al called it.
2 Ode To A Superhero
Via: Columbia Pictures
This song parodies Billy Joel’s classic, “Piano Man.” Weird Al’s version recaps the events of Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man movie. One of the best things about the song is how every major character gets some hilarious barbs thrown their way, with the two best ones being about Norman and Harry Osborn. Harry’s is all about how he’s got a crush on Mary Jane, but as the lyrics state, “but to his great surprise/it seems she prefers guys/who can kiss upside down in the rain.” Norman’s are all about how his formula drives him nuts, and that he’s flying around in a “dumb Power Rangers mask,” but he’s scarier without it on. No matter which character is being discussed, the lyrics are gut-bustingly funny. It’s almost impossible to think of Billy Joel’s song and not want to sing “sling us a web/you’re the Spider-Man/sling us a web tonight” instead of the original lyrics.
1 The Saga Begins
“The Saga Begins” parodies Don McLean’s classic song, “American Pie.” McLean’s song is about the mourning of his dead musical heroes and the cultural transitions America was undergoing when the song was first released in 1971. Weird Al’s version is a faithful recap of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Sung from the perspective of Obi-Wan Kenobi, “The Saga Begins” is one of the best and funniest songs Weird Al has ever done, specifically because it’s such an accurate retelling of the movie it’s about. Weird Al’s lyrics are wonderful, with a great chorus in “My, my, this here Anakin guy/may be Vader some day later/now he’s just a small fry.” The real impressive part involves the creation of the song. Yankovic scoured the internet for leaks about the movie’s story and plot before it was released. When Yankovic finally saw the movie, he only had to change two lyrics before releasing the song. Don McLean himself has admitted his love for the song, and even confessed to almost singing Weird Al’s version during concerts because McLean’s kids sang the parody version so much. That’s how you know this song is legendary.
