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Fans of any media, but especially cinema, have their own personal connection to spoilers. While there are some that are open to sneak peeks and early glimpses, others abhor premature revelations and seek to preserve the surprise of their experience. With the reach and accessibility of the internet, production studios have been forced to act almost like clandestine organizations, keeping their projects under scrutinized protection and mandating tight-lipped secrecy from their actors — looking at you, MCU. However, a not-so-long time ago, movie spoilers were much harder to come by, making them all the more devastating for anyone caught unaware. For a moment, imagine that it’s 1999. Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace is due to release, and it’s nearly completely spoiled by…“Weird Al” Yankovic??
Ahead of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace‘s release, it has been almost two full decades since the last time we’d seen a live-action, mainline Star Wars films in a widespread theatrical release. Details surrounding the movie were shrouded in mystery and intrigue. Until, of course, you listened to the new “Weird Al” Yankovic song, “The Saga Begins,” which spoils the entire plot of the movie with shockingly accurate detail. That’s right, for all the hype and excitement around The Phantom Menace, if you were an unlucky soul that heard the new parody single before watching the film, you would be one of the unfortunate few that had Star Wars spoiled by polka extraordinaire and spoiler sleuth, “Weird Al” Yankovic.
What Does “Weird Al” Yankovic Have to do With Star Wars?
Just to get the timeline in the correct order, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace premiered on May 16, 1999, about a month before “The Saga Begins” was released on April 20 of the same year. So though it was possible that a person happened to listen to the song before watching the film, it was highly unlikely that the parody actually ruined too many movie-going experiences. However, it’s the story behind the making of the song and the fact that it’s genuinely quite possible that it could have spoiled the movie for someone that creates such a humorous snapshot of fandom life at the turn of the millennium.
“Weird Al” Yankovic is a familiar friend to Star Wars, both as a fan and as an artist. He had released the parody song “Yoda” in 1985, inspired by the events of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and the breakout popularity of the titular Jedi Master. Though he had initially written the song in 1980 after seeing the film, obtaining permissions and rights caused it to be released 5 years later. Nonetheless, the song became one of his most popular and recognizable hits that continues to be a fan favorite decades later. So, after getting permission from Don McLean to use “American Pie” in an upcoming parody, he got to work on his next Star Wars smash hit.
How Did “Weird Al” Yankovic Write & Release “The Saga Begins”?
Unlike “Yoda”, which was written while Episode V was in theaters, Yankovic wrote “The Saga Begins” before the theatrical release of The Phantom Menace. So unless he has been hiding Force-premonition powers from the public, how was Yankovic able to write such a plot accurate parody? In an interview with Star Wars fan site TheForce.net, “Weird Al” outlined the journey from researching and writing to the eventual release of the song.
With an album planned for release in 1999 as well, Yankovic wanted to capitalize on the blockbuster hype that Star Wars would bring by writing a parody intertwined with the biggest pop culture moment of the year. With consideration for the time needed to write, record, and mix the song, he had to complete it prior to the film’s theatrical release. However, despite the favorable reception to “Yoda”, Lucasfilm politely declined Yankovic’s requests for an early preview of the film. So, like any intrepid fan in the late 90s, Yankovic scavenged through the internet for rumors and leaks about the upcoming plot from various Star Wars focused websites. Using those clues, he pieced together a surprisingly accurate summary of the upcoming movie.
True to his craft and committed to accuracy, Yankovic delayed finalizing the song until after he had seen the movie himself. So, a few days prior to its public release, he donated to attend a charity screening of the film to fact-check himself as soon as he possibly could. Fortunately, likely due to the will of the Force, the song was already fundamentally accurate and, barring some minor adjustments, was released later that year to resounding success.
How Much Does “Weird Al” Yankovic’s Song Spoil ‘Star Wars: The Phantom Menace’?
The timing of the film’s release made it highly unlikely that the parody actually spoiled the plot for many people, but the accuracy of the song’s lyrics make it a possibility nonetheless. From internet rumors and scrupulous research, Yankovic wrote a song that essentially reads like a plot summary of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The song was written from the perspective of Obi-Wan Kenobi and recounts all the essential plot beats of the film, starting from his and Qui Gon Jinn’s failed negotiation with the Trade Federation. It spoils the names of characters, like the infamous Jar Jar Binks, and follows the Jedi duo to Naboo and Tattooine.
“The Saga Begins” even goes into detail about the world’s first look at Anakin Skywalker, the child destined to become Darth Vader. It highlighted his slave origins, penchant for flying, his construction of C-3PO, and even his crush on Padme Amidala (with an accurate note on each of the character’s ages too). After recounting their trip back to Coruscant, the song also name-drops midichlorians, which were an entirely new creation for the prequels that drastically changed how the Force was understood.
The song follows them back to Naboo, describing the battle that featured Anakin’s phenomenal flying and the iconic duel with Darth Maul. Obi-Wan sings a begrudging acceptance of his responsibility to teach Anakin, then the song ends with its catchy chorus about “this here Anakin guy” who “may be Vader some day later, now he’s just a small fry”.
“Weird Al” Yankovic’s parody was a creative success, with favorable reception from fans and George Lucas himself. The official response “Weird Al” received from Lucasfilm noted an incredible smile from George Lucas, much to Yankovic’s delight. Most fans today can look back on the song and laugh at its humorous lyrics and stylization of The Phantom Menace, with its infectious chorus and memorable plot. But if you were one of the select few who had Episode I spoiled by a “Weird Al” song, hopefully it’s some comfort to know that there aren’t any plans to spoil future Star Wars projects, yet…
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