Synopsis

Set on Tatooine, the video presents Weird Al Yankovic as Obi-Wan Kenobi, wandering through the desert before encountering a hooded pianist who seems to channel the dark side. Yankovic then arrives at a makeshift Mos Eisley cantina, where he performs with a band of Jedi-styled musicians and a collection of Star Wars-inspired characters. For the finale, multiple versions of Al appear together in the desert, turning the song's galaxy-spanning story into an intentionally low-budget but highly affectionate parody.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed over two days in 1999. The desert material was shot in the Mojave Desert near Baker, California, while the cantina scenes were filmed in an air-conditioned studio.

• Temperatures reportedly reached approximately 120 degrees Fahrenheit during the desert shoot. Several crew members suffered from heat exhaustion.

• Some desert sequences could only be filmed once because footprints in the sand would have complicated repeat takes.

• The final shot was created by strapping Yankovic to a crane and spinning him roughly 50 feet above the ground, rather than using a conventional camera dolly.

• Yankovic kept the production relatively simple because the song runs more than five minutes, the budget was limited, and footage from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace could not be used.

• Friends, relatives, and acquaintances filled several roles. Yankovic's second cousin Tammy played Queen Amidala, while a Tower Records clerk he knew appeared as Mace Windu.

• The production avoided most recognizable Star Wars aliens to reduce potential copyright complications. A silhouette resembling Yoda was one of the exceptions.

• The hooded pianist's concealed face was a running joke involving Yankovic's keyboard player, Ruben Valtierra. Yankovic later explained that the character was kept partly hidden so as not to frighten small children.

• The video was included as a bonus feature on the 1999 concert DVD "Weird Al" Yankovic Live! It was later included in the 2011 Star Wars Blu-ray box set as part of a collection of Star Wars-related spoofs.

• An Easter egg on the concert DVD contains Yankovic's own commentary track for the video.