Actors - The Saga Begins

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	Actors - The Saga Begins

"The Saga Begins" is a parody by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released from the 1999 album Running With Scissors. To the tune of "American Pie," by Don McLean, it recounts the plot of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, from Obi-Wan Kenobi's point of view. The song is particularly notable for giving an accurate account of the film, even though the song was written before the film was released. Yankovic says that he wrote the song based on information from internet spoilers. McLean not only approved the song, but he has also since said that his children have played it so much that he has a tendency to accidentally sing Yankovic's lyrics when performing "American Pie" in concert.

Track Listing

The following tracks are on the single: # "The Saga Begins" – 5:27

The song

First verse

It begins by turning "A long, long time ago, I can still remember..." into "A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far away...".

"Obi-Wan" tells that Naboo was under an attack, and he and Qui-Gon Jinn were sent to deal with the Trade Federation. Their response "didn´t thrill us, they locked the doors and tried to kill us." Following that, they met Jar Jar Binks and Boss Nass, and took a bongo (Gungan submarine) in order to get to Theed. There they rescue Queen Amidala, and end up in Tatooine, where they find a boy...

Chorus

:Well, my, my, this here Anakin guy :May be Vader some day later, now he's just a small fry :He left his home, and kissed his mommy goodbye :Sayin' "Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi :Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi"

Second verse

Obi-Wan sings about the "junkyard slave, not old enough to shave", but able to use The Force, about him "hitting on the queen, although he's just 9 and she's 14" and guessing they will marry someday.

He says Anakin built C-3PO, and his pod is really fast, and when Jabba started the podrace he knew he would win first place.

(repeat chorus)

Third verse

Obi-Wan tells that once they get to Coruscant, Qui-Gon brings Anakin into the Jedi Council, tell him "the tale about the midi-chlorians off the scale" and the council was impressed, thinking he would be the Chosen One.

"They interview the kid, and training they forbid", because Yoda sensed in him much fear. But Qui-Gon still says "Now listen 'ere, stick it in yer pointy ear! I still will teach the boy."

(repeat chorus)

Fourth verse

At Amidala's request, they return to Naboo. And "in the end, some Gungans died" (spoofing "The day the music died" that is the motif of "American Pie"). Anakin gets into a starfighter, blows up the Droid Control Ship and "a lot of folks were croakin', the battle droids were broken". Qui-Gon Jinn dies fighting Darth Maul, and Obi-Wan decides to train the boy.

(chorus 2x)

Music video

The video begins in a desert, supposedly Tatooine. Yankovic, dressed like Ewan McGregor
's Kenobi, walks until he finds Darth Sidious playing the piano. Yankovic uses the Force to get a steel guitar, and in the second verse he reappears performing in a Mos Espa cantina. In the last verse, he returns to the desert, and in the last chorus, lots of "Obi-Wans" appear singing, a possible allusion to the Clone Wars that would follow.
Some Star Wars characters can be seen, like Yoda, Amidala and Mace Windu.
The upper half of the pianist's face is always covered by the hood of the robe that he's wearing much like the Sith master Palpatine. When asked why, Al stated that "They didn't want to scare small children.", a reference to the playful bullying of Al's pianist, Rubén Valtierra, commonly used in his live shows.

Trivia

The song was played frequently on Radio Disney and later released on Radio Disney Jams Volume 2. Radio Disney took issue with his line "Do you see him hitting on the queen?" and edited it out. Yankovic, who usually doesn't like to change lyrics to suit other's needs, provided Radio Disney with an updated version, having changed the words to "Do you see him talking to the queen?" He said that the alternate lyrics were preferable to the bad edit.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for The Saga Begins ]

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