This WAS LEGENDARY! | "Weird Al" Yankovic - The Saga Begins (Official Video) (REACTION)

[@yvonnesanders4308]

The best synopsis of star wars there is

[@thesuminer]

I personally love Ode to a Superhero

[@adamhegge9063]

I just realized that he's foreshadowing the clone wars at the end!

[@theeternalsw0rd]

Fun fact: According to an article by AARP, Don McLean admitted that his kids were big fans of Weird Al, and played this song on repeat so much around the house that he almost sang Weird Al's lyrics instead of his own when performing American Pie.

[@Osma777]

I do this all the time. I'm not super familiar with American Pie (I'm not QUITE that old), but I know the chorus enough to get it stuck in my head all the time, and I tend to accidently mix the lyrics up between the two constantly.

[@jlinkous05]

Don hated the attention and had hoped his song would be the last performance that he'd ever have to do. So I can understand his love for the parody!

[@alricaneshama]

LMFAO

[@skygazer858]

@@Osma777 I am quite that old and I do it too. 😆

[@marciusnhasty]

​@@Osma777 When I've discovered this video Madonna's cover was all over MTV and I didn't know it's a cover or that this video predates her version of American Pie. I simply thought he's covering Madonna again just as he did Michael more than once.

[@Capt_Hangry]

I recommend Smells Like Nirvana or Tacky next. But all of his stuff is great

[@cathyg6164]

I love weird Al

[@krystarobinson8219]

Seeing this in concert is the best thing ever. He has people dressed up as Storm Troopers. Also, in the line "I'm still here and he's a ghost", he carries out the word "he" for a while. He changes the length every time he preforms it.

[@ProfCoyote]

Not just any people, each city he goes to he and his people have reached out to whatever local branch of the 501st (IE the creme de la creme of Star Wars cosplayers) to do the honor guard.

[@xenxander]

i saw it live performed at Universal. For my birthday.

[@krystarobinson8219]

@ I’ve seen it a couple times, and I’m going again next year.

[@xenxander]

@@krystarobinson8219 If I could join you I would but alas I'm not too close to that place anymore ;(

[@krystarobinson8219]

@@xenxander oh I’m not seeing him at Universal, that’s way too far. He’s coming to Darien, NY in July.

[@mrkelso]

"Smells Like Nirvana", Cliff! As a lyricist, it's right in your pocket!

[@kingmasterlord]

but it's _hard_ to bargle nawdle zouss

[@simplysmile712]

My favorite Weird Al song!

[@JohnPaul-hm2ys]

A great request.

[@lynette.]

Fantastic call.

[@calililylookeylou266]

Smells like Nirvana music video AND in Concert same with Like a surgeon & Dare to be Stupid

[@michaelbaumert9533]

'Foil' is another one that's pretty good.

[@zoetercy9208]

Pretty good. Foil is amazing!!!!

[@heathergarnham9555]

When my boss is getting on my nerves i always think 'stick it in your pointy ear'

[@whichway-557]

R.I.P Qui Gon Jin Greatest Jedi

[@johnmorghuhn8505]

"Bedrock Anthem" is a great song as well

[@Leannabananaism]

Genius

[@Dajokaz]

Hey Cliff, to keep in the Star Wars theme : Weird Al "Yoda" ! It's hilarious and awesome ! ✌️👍

[@baskervillebee6097]

Yoda and Luke Song Bad Lip Reading "Seagulls Stop It"

[@tommc3622]

🎶"I saw the little runt sitting there on a log in the middle of a swamp down on Dagobagh..."🎶

[@Dajokaz]

@@tommc3622 hey! No spoilers!!! 😉

[@LadyDragonborn]

@@baskervillebee6097 OMG Seagulls… I haven’t watched that in forever. It’s epic. I’m off to reacquaint myself with that masterpiece! Oh, and I second Weird Al’s “Yoda”

[@this.is.a.username]

don't forget Star Wars Gangsta Rap

[@salsonny]

Genius.

[@ZenSponge]

Them: There are no bards in Star Wars! Weird Al: Hold my accordion.

[@CorvusCorone68]

hear me out: accordion in a cantina performance. or at a Hutt's palace

[@XboxJohnBrown]

In order to prep for this song to come out right as the movie came out, Al caught up on the books and was reading plot speculations and was eventually able to get an early screening. He was such a Star Wars nerd that he didn’t have to change much of anything

[@ingiford175]

Came here to say this

[@fullmetalcrusader]

Me too lol

[@jlinkous05]

He wrote the song before the screening. Once he watched it, he was like "Pretty close!" and had to revise very few lines.

[@thenathanhaines]

He had to send the lyrics to Lucasfilm to get clearance to release it. Needless to say, the negotiations _were_ short.

[@GaryRPeters]

@@thenathanhaines Al shot first.

[@kekkomartin5848]

#1 You should do "Yoda" a parody of "Lola" by the Kinks. #2 Darth Maul appears at the end of Solo...which is well after he supposedly died

[@johnwraley3326]

Fun fact: Darth Maul did not, in fact, die as is shown in the Clone Wars animated show as well as the cannon comics and novels.

[@matthewteague623]

It's not just that he made the lyrics fit so seemlessly into the original tune. It's also that the emotion of the original tune perfectly fits. You know Anakin is this young kid, with all the potential anyone in the Galaxy could ever ask for. And you know it's going to end badly. That keeps the bittersweetness of the original "day the music died."

[@Swift96]

Check out "Foil" next. It's a parody of "Royals" by Lorde.

[@ezradanger]

His ability to so perfectly parody American Pie while also so perfectly telling the story of The Phantom Menace in my opinion makes this one of the best written songs of all time.

[@LoveClassicMusic0205]

This song is Weird Al's masterpiece. He managed to tell the entire story of the movie in five minutes, all the while making the lyrics fit to the music of American Pie. Genius.

[@Rainbow.Pegacorn.Cosplay]

How many people can make "midichlorians" sound musically poetic?

[@mikeanderson1722]

@@Rainbow.Pegacorn.Cosplay The grammy for best use of the word 'prepubescent' in a song goes to...

[@JamieS1992]

i feel like his best is white and nerdy

[@whichway-557]

well said my friend

[@Greenpizzacomics]

He is a genius. And from Obi Wans perspective. Next level.

[@KevynJacobs]

May The Weird Be With You.

[@ItsMe-cz1pi]

"Foil", one of his best

[@Stonn2222]

Love that one!

[@ShizuruNakatsu]

Also do Yoda! I went to a Weird Al concert here in Ireland a few years ago, and he did both Star Wars songs and it was amazing! He wears all the costumes on stage too.

[@lyianx]

I never had the chance to go to a Weird Al Concert, but ive heard its a hellofa show.

[@livvyweimar7362]

Next has to be "Yoda" sung to the tune of "Lola"

[@AuthorTLGray]

Loved it. Am enjoying this Weird Al adventure with you. Smells Like Nirvana.

[@charlesdailey6028]

"Tacky" is definitely one of my favorites and it has a lot of celebrity cameos.

[@decentpotatoes]

My speech teacher literally (in class) said “Let’s ignore the last three movies, they’re not cannon, they’re fan fiction.”

[@nationalsocialism3504]

Facts

[@DravenGal]

"Tacky" is a rather under rated one, I feel...

[@hotrod7868]

He does a version of the Backstreet Boys. I want it that Way. But it’s about eBay.

[@JesterGambit]

“Trapped in the Drive Thru,”is one of my favorites.

[@sophiet1576]

I've seen Weird Al sing this in concert. He wears the same outfit on stage and he's joined by the 501 legion all dresses as storm troopers, Darth Vader and C3P0 and sometimes Boba Fete. They dance while Al sings. The background is a million twinkling lights. Weird Al puts on one hell of a show.

[@davehendren4996]

I think you would appreciate the song “Bob”. The entire song is palindromes. Not only is each line the same backwards and forwards he also makes them rhyme. Lyrical Genius!

[@russb24]

It would be helpful to prepare by watching the video for Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" first to get the full impact of the parody.

[@chriswhinery925]

Yes for a guy who pays so much attention to lyrics Bob would be a great choice! Very clever song.

[@signa8]

Aw, you shouldn't have spoiled it

[@davehendren4996]

@@signa8 In this case, I don’t think I spoiled anything. If you know what your in for, I think it helps you appreciate the genius of it all the more. I’ve seen other reactors struggle with the song because they were spending all their time trying to figure out the lyrics rather than just enjoying the work. But in most other cases you would be right.

[@spddiesel]

Fun fact: supposedly the guy with the cane at the end of the video (that never shows his face) is actually Bob Dylan.

[@GeneL-lt2oi]

the last scene was a forecast to clone wars

[@arpaul89]

More Weird Al - The Night Santa Went Crazy - Headline News

[@neolithiumproduction]

Weird Al is still around in fact. One of his recent parodies I love is "Party in the CIA" which is a parody of Miley's "Party in the USA". Other great songs of his are "Smells like Nirvana", which the Nirvana crew adored, and "Tacky", which was done with several comedians.

[@DemonKingVI]

Frankly, I'd love to see you do "Ode to a Superhero" an underrated one in my opinion.

[@car_tag]

I think you're almost ready for Albuquerque. There's a fan movie version on KZbin with a crapton of views. It is something some won't appreciate without being more accustomed to his music.

[@chrislambert9903]

Almost ready but not quite ready yet

[@robertheuston6351]

I did hear somewhere that Don Maclean who wrote “American pie”, actually finds himself singing this sometimes live instead of his own song.

[@matthewgordon3281]

Love Weird Al. Have you ever listened to the B52s? Not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoy them.

[@matthewkreps3352]

Iirc, this was the piano player's first music video as part of Al's band. And it's the first time Al plays the Guitar.

[@ShizuruNakatsu]

I've been waiting for this. Time for Trapped in the Drive-Thru!

[@EbonRaven]

I'd love to see you react to Weird Al's "Your Horoscope for Today". It's one of my favorite of his silly songs. :)

[@russb24]

Shout out to Al's band, who have been with him a very long time and can seemingly cover any song ever written in any genre. You can see them here in the club scene. I can't tell if the one playing Sidious is his regular pianist, but I assume so.

[@mustangdebbie56]

That's his keyboardist, Ruben Valtierra. The drummer, Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, has been with Al since 1980. Jim "Kimo" West and Steve Jay, guitar and bass, joined in 1983. Ruben joined in 92 so he's the "new guy". They are all in the video and are still performing with him. They just finished their latest tour.

[@anonymouscali7966]

You definitely need to check out Stephen Lynch: Priest, Craig, D&D, Special Olympics

[@johnsmithfakename8422]

Legend says Weird Al made this video after watching ONLY the trailer for the movie.

[@mpaynew]

My understanding is he wrote this and published it before the movie came out. He guessed so well that they looked into who leaked the script to him.

[@mpaynew]

The song was recorded on April 20, 1999, and the movie was released on May 19, 1999

[@therealduz-t6762]

Came here to say the same thing.

[@The_One_In_Black]

Via Wookieepedia: "Lucasfilm declined Yankovic a look at the script due to the high secrecy of the film, so the musician had to search "all the leaked info I could about the movie from all the various Star Wars websites, and was able to piece together the basic plot of the movie." Still, the final mix of "The Saga Begins" was held until after Yankovic had seen an advance charity screening of the film."

[@AnotherWun]

Wanted to bring that up too.

[@thenathanhaines]

​@@The_One_In_BlackThat's because Al is more interested in being a pro than in flexing. He nailed it with this one.

[@paulquaife7974]

The only problem with weird Al is once you hear his version you can not hear the og with out singing his lyrics

[@RJLupin-zu9xv]

Don McLean has had this problem on stage. No joke.

[@larsbonzai]

Yep. To this day, I sing these chorus lyrics when I hear the original song😂

[@tonybunch8921]

Weird Al is a perfectionist. I'm sure that you may have noticed that through his vocal, musical, and stylistic mimicry of the original source material. If you want to see some stellar physical style and dance mimicry, along with his usual wit and intelligent lyrics I suggest "Living With a Hernia".

[@TopherG117]

They didn’t kill Maul off early. He had his own story in the TV shows. Love your content though bro!

[@GeraldWalls]

Midi-chlorian are the Powerhouse of the Force. Not to be confused with Mitochondria, the Powerhouse of the Cell.

[@GeraldWalls]

My daughter, who just got her Masters in Cellular and Molecular Biology, told me that every cellular biologist tries to drop the Powerhouse of the Cell meme somewhere in their papers.

[@dinofreak222]

True Star Wars fans will always remember this absolute gem!

[@lightheartreactions4829]

Absolutely, more Weird Al!!!

[@russb24]

One of my favorite Weird Al songs in 2020 was "Germs", a mashup of a few Nine Inch Nails songs. I'll let you figure out why.

[@karlbecker8775]

If you want something relatable, meaning you recognize the original song, you would like Tacky or Party In The CIA. If you feel silly and just want something fun, Trapped In The Drive-Thru or Albuquerque. Loving the reactions, dude!

[@chrislambert9903]

I don't think he's ready for Albuquerque

[@karlbecker8775]

@@chrislambert9903 LOL! I don't think any of us were.

[@danytaylor8971]

It's one of the only songs where he doesn't continuously change the words on the chorus, and I think it's exactly so that we start singing it at the end with him just like you did 😁

[@DScotsman1]

Another one that would blow your mind would be Perform This Way. Simply crazy!

[@susanstein6604]

It’s often assumed that you’re a Star Trek fan or a Star Wars fan but you can be a fan of both.

[@lyianx]

I like *some* of the Star Wars content. Dont really care for hardly anything Disney has done with it, but the Universes of both are fun. I also like Stargate and Babylon 5.

[@RJLupin-zu9xv]

You get to see his band in this video. The drummer (Bermuda Schwartz) has been with him since 1980. Steve and Jim (Bass and Guitar) have been with him since 1982. They all still call Rubén (the piano player) the "new guy" since he only just joined in 1991.

[@capstan50g]

This has to be Weird Al's magnum opus. So lore-accurate and also so funny! Great reaction, Cliff!

[@michaelernst3731]

You should see his Other Star Wars song based on the song: Lola, called: Yoda. Al also did this song before the first move released based all on rumors and leaks.

[@chrismaverick9828]

I would add immense, endless props to ANY band who can play this song. The drum part alone is a small treatise in schizophrenic psychosis. The fact that Al's band has been doing all these various songs of all different types FOR DECADES makes them possibly the most technically skilled band in history. If they don't get Rock Hall status at the end of the day then it is not a museum worth speaking of.

[@stevebeeson4297]

Bro do trapped in the drive thru

[@AriMalatesta]

You NEED to watch the live version (spoiler alert: the 501 Legion steps in.)

[@emyconker]

Impossible not to sing along. This earworm sticks around dude.

[@billtroxell7583]

I'm a huge SW fan myself and this was a great song that lived up to the fans exepections, I think. AL the myth, the Legend

[@TUUK2006]

The fact that he wrote these lyrics BEFORE the movie came out, based in internet leaks and rumours make him even more of a genius.

[@chrismaverick9828]

If I'm not mistaken, this video marked Weird Al's transition from the afro'ed glasses nerd to what is, even my straight-assed self can admit, a verifiable hunk of a musician. He fit the part perfectly and it kind of marked a turning point in his career where he went from cheap parody to serious parody. It was stunning to see him without the hair and glasses, and he's been rocking it ever since.

[@chezellis]

For one of his originals: 'One More Minute".

[@aaronreynolds1504]

You should really check out the song Tacky!

[@MG-fh7su]

Hell yes. Do "since you've been gone" next !!!

[@penismightier9278]

The last line of that song is fucking brutal. I love that so much.

[@MG-fh7su]

@penismightier9278 it's the best line in a song ever. And I relate to it soo hard these days lol

[@moodyblues1273]

Weird Al sure has a great voice. Genius!

[@robby1816]

This is (IMHO) the best reaction video on the internet. Whenever I want to hear some Weird Al, I end up back here watching it.

[@elvistochong1701]

I seen the prequels at the theater. They were fine. The last 3 were smoldering piles of crap. Weird Al is a genius.

[@isaiahboozer4439]

2:01 this is my favorite tiny joke out of all of Al’s songs/music videos. The force grabbing of the guitar is PERFECT and never fails to make me laugh.

[@Haightread]

Great reaction! Glad you're a SW nerd too! Let's get old school with the Weird Al and do "The Night Santa Went Crazy"!

[@roadkillontheweb2873]

Al is a national treasure

[@shawnjohnson9763]

Foil is absolutely hilarious. It takes a dark turn halfway through, but it's a riot.

[@Av3rageD4D]

Thanks Cliff! Appreciate you and taking your time to bring us content. Gotta do “Smells like Nirvana” as others have mentioned. See ya soon 😄

[@tufif]

This song was on store shelves less than a week after Phantom Menace premiered!

[@wtimmins]

Fun original song from Weird Al: One More Minute. Fun cover medley from Weird Al: Polka Face

[@djkrazykaly]

next you need to listen to Yoda, Gump, Headline News, Money for Nothing/ Beverly Hillbillies, and EVERY ONE of his Polka tracks, cause THOSE are the tracks on his albums where al goes HARD!

[@taoist32]

No one reacts to Gump! Maybe because not many know the original band, and the song is only a couple minutes long.

[@nahiag]

What's even crazier is that this video was made before the movie came out. The amout of research about leaked info is amazing, he even attended a tour if I remember correctly.

[@vitrify]

Weird Al as Issac Newton in ERB. That will lead you to dozens of Epic Rap Battles of History - and those could lead you to Dan Bull. His catalogue has several collaborations with the Stupendium. Between these three channels, you could be set for ages! 😁

[@CliffBeatsOfficial]

I’ve done all ERBS I believe 😊 🙏

[@Jon_from_LI]

I'd love to be in the audience during Al's concert. You know as well as I do that the entire audience will be singing in the chorus of each and every one of his songs.

[@lindahansen45]

Please more Weird Al. Just found your channel, btw. Very well done :)

[@norbertzillatron3456]

Other movie summaries to "classic" tunes: "Jurassic Park" kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZmXq6mHm6mbn5I "Ode To A Superhero" kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3O7eqSrhreEl6s "Yoda" kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJXYaXxnnLykoZY

[@cjghanem7169]

My favorite part of Weird Al concerts, and especially this song, is there will be people of all ages. 6 to 70. Grandma's. Little kids. Parents. Teens. And everyone sings this song. We all know it. How many concerts can pull such a range of people together.

[@ellenreed5236]

I’ve seen him at least 10 times since 1992 (he even sang to me once! ) and I have always been impressed by the quality of his performance and the wide range of his fans. He is the ultimate showman!

[@Sharonmarshall66]

YES. Must do his and his band's whole catalogue.

[@RDMacQ]

What's most impressive about this parody is that Al made it *without having seen the film.* This song came out a short time after The Phantom Menace premiered, and it wasn't long enough time to produce a song and video. What Al did was *extensively* combed through online spoilers- which was very hard to do back in the day- for pre-release information in order to get the full plot so he could craft the song as accurately as possible.

[@howiedavis2316]

In a word, fantastic. Al truly is a genius and his voice isn't half bad either. But writing skills are like the midichlorian count, off the charts. This song is just so singable.

[@berjo516]

Trapped in the Drive-Thru is my personal favorite. I memorized all the lyrics when I was a kid and still remember majority of them almost 20 years later.

[@southrnsweety88]

Excellent song!

[@cameronjadewallace]

I agree, I listen to it at least five to 50 times a week. I sing it at work all the time.

[@scottamann2445]

Watch a live concert version of this. He adds on to it in more hilarious ways. Also, check out Al’s song “Yoda”, a parody of “Lola” by the Kinks. It was written around the time of Empire Strikes Back. My favorite Star Wars movie and one of my favorite Al songs.

[@MrDekasOne]

It's legitimately amazing how well he tells the story of the movie while fitting it to the song

[@darylcaouette7615]

Al wrote the lyrics from just watching the trailers for the movie. He went to see the movie after writing the lyrics. Al was dead balls accurate without viewing the movie..

[@frizzman1991]

The ability to fully recap a movie to the tune of a famous song and make it sound REALLY good is just talent at an unbelievable level.

[@edwardblair4096]

After you do Yoda, do Dare to be Stupid.

[@johnnyontheslot]

Dare to be stupid is an original by Weird Al in the style of Devo. It is awesome!

[@mogwiawolf4354]

grew up listening to this and watching the video as well