Yoda (song)

Last updated
"Yoda"
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic
from the album Dare to Be Stupid
ReleasedJune 18, 1985
RecordedFebruary 20, 1985
Genre Comedy rock
Length3:58
Label Scotti Brothers
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Rick Derringer

"Yoda" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic from his third album, Dare to Be Stupid (1985). It is a parody of the song "Lola" by the Kinks. Inspired by the events of the movie The Empire Strikes Back , the song is told from the point of view of Jedi-in-training Luke Skywalker and concerns his dealings with Master Yoda on the planet Dagobah. The song was initially written and recorded in 1980, during the original release of The Empire Strikes Back and achieved success on The Dr. Demento Show; however, securing permission from both Star Wars creator George Lucas and "Lola" songwriter Ray Davies delayed the physical release of the song for about five years.

Contents

"Yoda" was never released as a single, nor was a music video ever made for it. Nevertheless, the parody has gone on to be one of Yankovic's most famous songs. It was re-released twice in 1994: on his second greatest hits set and the box set Permanent Record and also on the 2009 compilation The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic . The song is also a staple during Yankovic's live shows, and an idiosyncratic chant dubbed "The Yoda Chant" is often performed during the song's middle portions.

History

Early success

"Yoda" was originally written by "Weird Al" Yankovic in 1980 when the epic space opera The Empire Strikes Back was playing in theaters. [1] The film introduced the character of Yoda, the ancient Jedi Master who trains Luke in the ways of the Force following the demise of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Yankovic later jokingly said that, "Prior to The Empire Strikes Back, the thought of writing a song about Yoda had never occurred to me." [2] He considered writing a song based on the "break-out character", but was unable to find a suitable piece to parody until one of his friends proposed that he use "Lola"—"which I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought of myself, since I was such a huge Kinks fan." [2]

Yankovic wrote and recorded a version of the song, using only an accordion, with "Musical Mike" Kieffer blowing milk bubbles and making hand sounds, [3] on a 4-track cassette Portastudio. [1] [2] This version of "Yoda" was a success on The Dr. Demento Show, and peaked at number one on the "Funny Five" countdown for several weeks. [2] This early demo was later released on the sixth volume of Dr. Demento's Basement Tapes. [4]

Obtaining permission

"Lola" was written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, the Kinks. Kinks.jpg
"Lola" was written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, the Kinks.

Yankovic wanted to include the song on one of his albums, since the demo version had been so popular. However, securing permission from both George Lucas and the Kinks delayed the physical release of the song for about five years. Although Lucas eventually gave Yankovic permission, the song's publishers turned Yankovic down. "Yoda" might have remained unreleased had it not been for a chance encounter between Yankovic and Ray Davies, who wrote "Lola". When Yankovic asked him why he had not given his permission, Davies responded that he had never been asked. Davies ultimately gave Yankovic permission to record the song, and the song was later released on Yankovic's third album, Dare to Be Stupid . For subsequent parodies, Yankovic has attempted to approach the songwriters themselves for permission rather than their publishers whenever possible. [1]

"Yoda" was re-recorded on February 20, 1985. [5] This version of the song does not feature an accordion and is truer, musically, to the original Kinks song. Yankovic later said, "It's kind of a backlash from the first album, where we had accordion on everything. It just became a little overwhelming to me." [1]

Continuing popularity

After Dare to Be Stupid was released, Yankovic considered "Yoda" a "cool album track" rather than a potential single due to the age of both The Empire Strikes Back and the original song. [6] This, and the fact that the majority of the album's video budget went to the then-current "Like a Virgin" parody, meant that a "Yoda" video would not be feasible. [6] Nevertheless, the song has gone on to be one of Yankovic's most famous parodies and a fan favorite. [7] The song was featured on the Greatest Hits Volume II (1994), [8] the box set Permanent Record (1994), [1] and the 2009 compilation The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic . [9] The song appeared on "The Time Machine" episode of The Weird Al Show , and on the compilation album Radio Disney: Kid Jams . [10] [11]

Live performances

"Yoda" was played at the end of every show for the tours promoting Yankovic's albums Dare to Be Stupid, Off The Deep End , Alapalooza , Bad Hair Day , Running with Scissors , Poodle Hat , Alpocalypse , and Mandatory Fun . [7] [12] He also occasionally used it to end shows of his 2018 Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, and it is included in the 2022 version of the Unplugged Medley, which ends Yankovic's current set as part of the Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent Ill-Advised Vanity Tour. Starting with the Touring with Scissors tour in 1999, the song has been preceded by that album's Star Wars –themed single, "The Saga Begins". For the Straight Outta Lynwood tour, the band moved both songs to the middle of the set, and performed "Albuquerque" as their finale. Beginning in June 2010, "Yoda" has again been the final encore. [12] Unlike the album version of "Yoda", which uses the same instrumentation as "Lola", Yankovic adds accordion accompaniment in live performances; this can be seen on the video releases "Weird Al" Yankovic Live! and "Weird Al" Yankovic Live! – The Alpocalypse Tour . [13] [14]

Since 1992, an a cappella chant (often referred to as the "Yoda chant"), originally performed during the bridge of "Another One Rides the Bus" in 1991 during the Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary Show, has been included in live performances, and is considered a staple of Yankovic's shows. Midway through "Yoda", the band slowly ceases playing and goes into the chant, which Yankovic wrote himself. Originally, the chant consisted mainly of mnemonic syllables accompanied by synchronized movements from the band. Over the years, the chant has grown to include, among other things, pieces from "Grim Grinning Ghosts" (the theme to Disneyland attraction The Haunted Mansion), phrases from The Trashmen's "Surfin' Bird" and "Frère Jacques", and elements of the "Hawaiian War Chant" and the "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi" chant. On the Mandatory Fun Tour in 2015, a piece of the "four-way-crimp" from The Mighty Boosh was also added, [15] and on the Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour in 2022, an excerpt of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was added to the chant in addition to a Balinese kecak.

In 2015, as part of Comedy Central's Night of Too Many Stars , a benefit for New York Collaborates for Autism, Yankovic performed the song with 13-year-old Jodi DiPiazza, a noted autistic pianist. [16]

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<i>Bad Hair Day</i> 1996 studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Bad Hair Day is the ninth studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on March 12, 1996. It was Yankovic's last studio album for the Scotti Brothers label before it was purchased by Volcano Entertainment in 1999. The album produced an array of hit comedy singles; lead single "Amish Paradise", which lampoons both Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" and the Amish lifestyle, charted at No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Gump", which parodies "Lump" by the Presidents of the United States of America and the movie Forrest Gump, reached at No. 102.

<i>Alapalooza</i> 1993 studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Alapalooza is the eighth studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1993. By the completion of his previous album, Off the Deep End, Yankovic had already written all of the original songs that he planned to use on his next release. This new album, which would eventually be titled Alapalooza in reference to the music festival Lollapalooza, consisted of seven original songs and five parodies. It produced three parody singles: "Jurassic Park", "Bedrock Anthem", and "Achy Breaky Song". "Jurassic Park" was a top five hit on the Canadian magazine The Record's single chart.

<i>Off the Deep End</i> 1992 studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Off the Deep End is the seventh studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1992. This album was the first album self-produced by Yankovic, after six albums with Rick Derringer. Recorded between June 1990 and January 1992, the album was a follow-up to the unsuccessful soundtrack to Yankovic's 1989 film UHF. Off the Deep End and its lead single "Smells Like Nirvana" helped to revitalize Yankovic's career after a lull following his last hit single, "Fat", in 1988.

<i>Dare to Be Stupid</i> 1985 album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Dare to Be Stupid is the third studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 18, 1985. The album was one of many Yankovic records produced by former McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer. Recorded between August 1984 and March 1985, the album was Yankovic's first studio album released following the success of 1984's In 3-D, which included the Top 40 single "Eat It".

<i>"Weird Al" Yankovic</i> (album) 1983 album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

"Weird Al" Yankovic is the debut studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic. The album was the first of many produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer. Mostly recorded in March 1982, the album was released by Rock 'n Roll Records as an LP and on Compact Cassette in 1983.

<i>Polka Party!</i> 1986 album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Polka Party! is the fourth studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on October 21, 1986. The album was produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer. Recorded between April and September 1986, the album was Yankovic's follow-up to his successful 1985 release, Dare to Be Stupid. The album's lead single, "Living With a Hernia", failed to chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Bologna</span> 1979 single by "Weird Al" Yankovic

"My Bologna" is the debut single by American musical parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic, originally released in December 1979. It is a parody of the Knack's hit song "My Sharona". Yankovic originally wrote the lyrics while he attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California; the original version of the parody was recorded in a bathroom across the hall from the radio station at which Yankovic worked. The title refers to Bologna sausage, specifically the Oscar Mayer brand popular in the United States. Yankovic sent "My Bologna" to Dr. Demento, who aired the song on his nationwide radio program, The Dr. Demento Show. The song was a hit on the program, and eventually gained the number one spot on Dr. Demento's "Funny Five" countdown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Another One Rides the Bus</span> 1981 single by "Weird Al" Yankovic

"Another One Rides the Bus" is a song by comedy musician "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released in February 1981 and is a parody of Queen's song "Another One Bites the Dust". Yankovic's version describes a person riding in a crowded public bus. It was recorded live on September 14, 1980, on the Dr. Demento Show, hosted by Barret "Dr. Demento" Hansen. Accompanying Yankovic was Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, who would go on to be the artist's long-time drummer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Saga Begins</span> Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic

"The Saga Begins" is a parody song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It parodies "American Pie" by Don McLean, with lyrics that humorously summarize the plot of the film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace through the point of view of Obi-Wan Kenobi, one of the film's protagonists.

<i>Greatest Hits Volume II</i> ("Weird Al" Yankovic album) 1994 greatest hits album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Greatest Hits Volume II is a compilation album of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic, featuring his best known songs that did not appear on "Weird Al" Yankovic's Greatest Hits, plus the new single "Headline News" which had first appeared on the box set Permanent Record: Al In The Box, released a month prior. The compilation album was met with mostly positive critical reviews, and it managed to chart on the Billboard 200 at number 198. However, it ranks as one of Yankovic's least-selling records.

<i>Permanent Record: Al in the Box</i> 1994 box set by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Permanent Record: Al in the Box is a four disc compilation box set of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on September 27, 1994. The album, released by Scotti Brothers Records so that the label could make monetary projections for the fiscal year, collects Yankovic's favorite songs from his first eight studio albums. The collection also includes alternate versions of "My Bologna", "Happy Birthday", "UHF" and the new single, "Headline News", a parody of "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies. It peaked at number 104 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Like a Surgeon</span> 1985 single by "Weird Al" Yankovic

"Like a Surgeon" is a song recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic that appears as the opening track on his third studio album, Dare to Be Stupid (1985). It was released as the album's second single on June 4, 1985, by Scotti Brothers Records. It was issued as a 7", 12", and picture disc. A parody of the pop song "Like a Virgin" by Madonna, its lyrics describe a hospital environment, with the same melody as Madonna's original. The track was written by Yankovic, Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, the latter two are credited as co-writers due to the "Like a Virgin" sample. Madonna came up with the parody's title, an act Yankovic generally discourages. Rick Derringer served as the executive producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jurassic Park (song)</span> 1993 song by "Weird Al" Yankovic

"Jurassic Park" is a parody of Richard Harris's version of Jimmy Webb's song "MacArthur Park", written and performed by "Weird Al" Yankovic; it was released both as a single and as part of Yankovic's Alapalooza album in October 1993. "Jurassic Park" was penned by Yankovic after he remembered the enjoyment he had when he combined a classic rock track with a recent movie theme with his 1985 song "Yoda". Yankovic decided to combine the plot of the recent movie Jurassic Park—a film about a park on a fictional island where geneticists have succeeded in cloning dinosaurs—with the classic Richard Harris track "MacArthur Park".

<i>Another One Rides the Bus</i> (EP) 1981 EP by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Another One Rides the Bus is the debut extended play (EP) by American parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released in 1981 by Placebo Records. The title song is a parody of English rock band Queen's 1980 single "Another One Bites the Dust". The EP also features three other songs, all of which are original recordings. All four songs on Another One Rides the Bus later appeared on Yankovic's eponymous debut studio album; the three original songs were re-recorded for the album, while the title song is the same version that appears on the EP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">"Weird Al" Yankovic</span> American comedy musician (born 1959)

Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is best known for writing and performing comedy songs that often parody specific songs by contemporary musicians. He also performs original songs that are style pastiches of the work of other acts, as well as polka medleys of several popular songs, most of which feature his trademark accordion.

<i>Internet Leaks</i> 2009 EP by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Internet Leaks is the second EP released by American comedy musician "Weird Al" Yankovic. Released digitally on August 25, 2009, its lead single is a parody of "Whatever You Like" by artist T.I. For Yankovic, the EP was an experiment in using the Internet as a way to release music in an efficient and timely manner. As a result, the lead single, "Whatever You Like", references the Great Recession of 2008. The EP also contains style parodies of the Doors, Weezer, the White Stripes, and Queen; all of the songs, except for "Ringtone", had been released as separate digital singles between October 2008 and August 2009, preceding the record's release.

<i>"Weird Al" Yankovic Live!: The Alpocalypse Tour</i> 2011 TV series or program

"Weird Al" Yankovic Live! - The Alpocalypse Tour is a live video recording of "Weird Al" Yankovic's concert during the Alpocalypse tour, at Massey Hall, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that aired on Comedy Central on October 1, 2011. It was released in an extended edition on Blu-ray and DVD on October 4, 2011. For copyright reasons video clips were edited out.

<i>Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic</i> Compilation box set by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic is a 15-album box set by American comedy musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on November 24, 2017. Squeeze Box marks Yankovic's second box set since 1994's Permanent Record: Al in the Box.

The Strings Attached Tour was a concert tour by "Weird Al" Yankovic. The tour began on June 5, 2019 at the Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida and ended on September 1, 2019 at the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hansen, Barret (1994). Permanent Record: Al in the Box (liner). "Weird Al" Yankovic. California, USA: Scotti Brothers Records.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Burton, Bonnie (October 27, 2006). "'Weird Al' – Nerdy Something". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2008. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  3. ↑ ""Musical Mike" Kieffer". Discogs. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  4. ↑ Dr. Demento's Basement Tapes Volume 6 (liner). Dr. Demento. 1997.
  5. ↑ Yankovic, Alfred M. (December 2007). "Recording Dates". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
  6. 1 2 Yankovic, Alfred M. (September 1998). "'Ask Al' Q&As for September, 1998". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  7. 1 2 Bosso, Joe (April 15, 2012). "Weird Al Yankovic: My 10 Greatest Song Parodies of All Time". MusicRadar . Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  8. ↑ Greatest Hits Volume II (liner). "Weird Al" Yankovic. Scotti Bros. Records. 1994.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ↑ The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic (liner). "Weird Al" Yankovic. Legacy Recordings. 2009.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ↑ "Time Machine". The Weird Al Show . Season 1. Episode 5. October 11, 1997. CBS.
  11. ↑ Radio Disney: Kid Jams (liner). Various. Walt Disney Records. 1999.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. 1 2 Yankovic, Alfred M. (December 2007). "Live Performances". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Weird Al" Yankovic (1999). "Weird Al" Yankovic Live! (DVD). Los Angeles, California: Volcano Records.
  14. ↑ "Weird Al" Yankovic (2011). "Weird Al" Yankovic Live! – The Alpocalypse Tour (DVD/Blu-ray). Los Angeles, California: Comedy Central.
  15. ↑ Blistein, Jon (June 10, 2015). "Watch 'Weird Al' Record Surreal 'Yoda' Chant in Third Man Booth". Rolling Stone . Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  16. ↑ Daley, Megan (March 9, 2015). "Watch 'Weird Al' Yankovic, Jodi DiPiazza Perform 'Yoda' at Night of Too Many Stars". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved March 20, 2017.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.