I Lost on Jeopardy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “I Lost on Jeopardy” | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||
| Single by "Weird Al" Yankovic from the album "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D |
|||||
| B-side | "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead" (7" version) "Mr. Popeil" (12" version) |
||||
| Released | June 4, 1984 | ||||
| Format | 7", 12" | ||||
| Recorded | December 12, 1983 | ||||
| Genre | Comedy | ||||
| Length | 3:26 | ||||
| Label | Scotti Brothers | ||||
| Producer | "Weird Al" Yankovic | ||||
| "Weird Al" Yankovic singles chronology | |||||
|
|||||
| "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D track listing | |||||
|
|||||
"I Lost on Jeopardy" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic off his second album, "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D. It is a parody of "Jeopardy" (and its tag line, "Our love's in jeopardy") by Greg Kihn set in the original Art Fleming version of the game show Jeopardy! The song spawned the fourth music video released by Yankovic, and featured a number of cameo appearances, including Fleming, Kihn, Yankovic mentor Dr. Demento, and original Jeopardy! announcer Don Pardo, whose voice is heard in the song, and Yankovic's own parents. The song has appeared on several compilation albums, including Greatest Hits (1988), Al in the Box (1994), and Wacky Favorites (1993).[1]
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
[edit] 7" single
The Following tracks are on the single:
- "I Lost on Jeopardy" – 3:26
- "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead" – 3:37
(The promo 7" single only contains "I Lost on Jeopardy".)
[edit] 12" promo single
The Following tracks are on the single:
- "I Lost on Jeopardy" – 5:31 (Extended Mix)
- "Mr. Popeil" – 4:40
[edit] Music video
The music video, shot on May 24, 1984 and May 25, 1984 and directed by Francis Delia,[2] takes place on a reproduction of the 1960s - 1970s Jeopardy! set; the 1980s version of the show, with a new set and Alex Trebek as host, would debut fourteen weeks after the single's release. The recreated vintage set omitted the exclamation point from the show's logo.
In his fictional game, Yankovic is matched against "a plumber, and an architect, both with a Ph.D." (announced respectively as Leroy Finkelstein from Brooklyn, New York and Millard Snofgren from Carbondale, Illinois). Presented with a series of befuddling clues (such as "Number of bricks in the Great Wall of China"), Al misses every one, finishing with a score of MINUS $6750. He doesn't get any consolation prizes (a twenty-volume set of the Encyclopedia International, a case of Turtle Wax, and a year's supply of "Rice-a-Roni, the San Francisco Treat", nor even "a lousy copy of the home edition" of Jeopardy!, as announced by Pardo), and is told that he has brought shame and disgrace to his family name for generations to come as a result of his disastrous showing. Embarrassed but undaunted, Yankovic mentions that he hopes his luck will change "next weekend on The Price is Right". Al gets literally kicked out of the NBC studios into a waiting car...driven by Greg Kihn himself!
The video was shown during the closing credits of an episode of Rock & Roll Jeopardy! on which Yankovic appeared as a contestant. Yankovic actually did lose his game; the winner was Gary Dell'Abate.[citation needed]
[edit] Categories and clues presented
Al's game includes the categories T.V. THEMES, NUCLEAR PHYSICS, WORLD GEOGRAPHY, FOOD, POTPOURRI, and FAMOUS ACCORDION PLAYERS.
- WORLD GEOGRAPHY $20: Number of bricks in the Great Wall of China
- FOOD $20: Secret ingredient found in both Cheese Whiz & Crazy Glue
- FAMOUS ACCORDION PLAYERS $60 (Daily Double - Yankovic himself plays the accordion): This German baroness could suck the chrome off a fender
- POTPOURRI $100: [The mathematical equations known as the Lorentz transformation, which Albert Einstein used in formulating his theory of special relativity]
- T.V. THEMES $100: [Chinese script]
[edit] References to the Kihn "Jeopardy" music video
- As Yankovic is being taken away, he clutches to his podium, tearing a piece of wood off. In the "Jeopardy" video, Kihn tears a piece of wood off a pew as he is pulled toward the center of the church.
- The end of the video shows Yankovic being ousted from the game show studio into a convertible driven by Kihn with license plate LOSER. In the "Jeopardy" video, Kihn drives away with his would-be bride in a convertible bearing license plate LIPS.
[edit] Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Billboard Hot 100 (US) | No. 81 |
[edit] References
- ^ Lick, Marty (2004-12-26). The Weird Al Information Source. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
- ^ "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
