Star Wars has provided ample fodder for many would-be Mel Brooks types to try their hand at video parodies, but are you aware of the plethora of Star Wars song parodies or homages? Many of them are homemade and absolutely hysterical not only for their lyrical content but the quality of the singing. One of my favorites of these types is called “I Wanna Learn the Ways of the Force” sung to the tune of “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness. (One of my guilty pleasures, I must admit.) There is also “We Didn’t Start the Star Wars” sung to the tune of that Billy Joel song about starting fires and you can catch the video version here at You Tube. But while these amateur Star Wars parody songs and homages provide their own distinct pleasure, they are often hard to track down or impossible to download. The Force.net offers a showcase for the lyrics and some MP3 files you can listen to, however, that give you a glimpse into just how rich, fertile and fecund the Star Wars universe is for those who can combine music and hmor.
When you’re talking parodies, you pretty much are forced to begin with Weird Al Yankovic. I’m not exactly a huge fan of Weird Al, but he hit the jackpot not once, but twice when tackling the Star Wars galaxy. His most famous parody for Star Wars is probably The Saga Begins, which takes Don McLean’s “American Pie” to places far beyond our borders. Told from the perspective of young Obi-Wan Kenobi, “The Saga Begins” is an epic retelling of The Phantom Menace storyline featuring the instant classic chorus of: “Maybe Vader some day later / Now he’s just a small fry” in connection with ultra-young Anakin Skywalker. Here is a link to an incredible video of the song featuring Lego Star Wars figures on You Tube.
Weird Al also took on Ricky Martin’s one-hit wonder showcase with his hilarious parody titled “Livin’ La Vida Yoda.” Why is that this song is unbearable in its original incarnation, but becomes far more palatable when sung by Antonio Banderas or parodied by Weird Al? La Vida Yoda” is fast and catchy and has some great parodic lyrics: “He’s got a premonition / This kid’s gonnna kill us.” Here’s a link to a You Tube video featuring some terrific animation of figures that can dance rings around Ricky Martin. (I still can’t believe that guy got famous for fourteen minutes because of his alleged dancing ability.)
My favorite Star Wars song parody has to be the takeoff of Barry Manilow’s classic “Copacabana” that replaces the Star Wars cantina as the site of love and murder. The best part is that you will SWEAR that is Barry Manilow himself singing. Heck, maybe it really is for all I know. And the lyrics are just painfully funny. If you aren’t familiar with Manilow’s original version, it is a narrative song that tells a story and so is filled with lots of description such as “Her name was Lola / She was a showgirl.” Well, this Star Wars parody follows perfectly. It begins with “Her name was Leia / She was a princess” and takes it from there. My own favorite line, and one that never fails to make me laugh is “His name was Yoda / He was a Muppet.” If you haven’t heard this, then immediately head over to You Tube and watch this amateur but exceptionally well-made video to the song.
Of course, no mention of Star Wars parody songs would be complete without a tribute to the Simpsons. Mark Hamill’s guest appearance on the show was a classic and here is a link where you can his legendary performance of the song “Luke Be a Jedi Tonight” from Guys and Dolls.
