I Lost on Jeopardy

"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
Writer(s) Original song by Greg Kihn, Steve Wright; parody lyrics by "Weird Al" Yankovic
Producer(s) Rick Derringer
"Weird Al" Yankovic singles chronology
"King of Suede"
(1984)		 "I Lost On Jeopardy"
(1984)		 "This Is The Life"
(1984)
"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D track listing
  1. "Eat It"
  2. "Midnight Star"
  3. "The Brady Bunch"
  4. "Buy Me a Condo"
  5. "I Lost on 'Jeopardy"
  6. "Polkas on 45"
  7. "Mr. Popeil"
  8. "King of Suede"
  9. "That Boy Could Dance"
  10. "Theme from Rocky XIII (The Rye or the Kaiser)"
  11. "Nature Trail to Hell"

"I Lost on Jeopardy" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic from his second album, "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D. The song is a parody of "Jeopardy" by The Greg Kihn Band, and its refrain "Our love's in jeopardy". The parody's lyrics center on the then-former game show Jeopardy!, hosted by Art Fleming; a syndicated revival, with Alex Trebek, began three months after the single's release.

The song became the fourth music video released by Yankovic, and featured a number of cameo appearances including Kihn, Fleming, Yankovic's mentor Dr. Demento, original Jeopardy! announcer Don Pardo, and Yankovic's parents.

The song has been referenced several times on the game show itself, including once as a category on the current Alex Trebek-hosted version, and later when Yankovic appeared on Rock & Roll Jeopardy!. It was the subject of an Audio Daily Double on the daytime episode that originally aired on October 23, 1984, when the contestant who got the clue was asked to identify the artist of the song from an audio sample of the song but failed to do so, and the subject of a Daily Double on the April 27, 2012 episode of the show, but the contestant receiving the clue--which consisted of the release year and some lyrics--failed to identify the song.[1] The song was played over the closing credits on the second episode of Rock & Roll Jeopardy! on which Yankovic appeared.

The song has appeared on several compilation albums, including Greatest Hits (1988), Wacky Favorites (1993), and Permanent Record: Al in the Box (1994).[2]

Track listing

7" single

  1. "I Lost on Jeopardy" – 3:26
  2. "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead" – 3:37

12" promo single

  1. "I Lost on Jeopardy" – 5:31 (Extended Mix).
  2. "Mr. Popeil" – 4:40

Music video

The music video,[3] shot on May 24 and 25, 1984 and directed by Francis Delia,[4] takes place on a reproduction of the 1964–1975 Jeopardy! set.

In his game, Yankovic plays against a plumber (Mr. Leroy Finkelstein from Brooklyn, New York) and an architect (Mr. Millard Snofgen (who happens to be Al's brother) from Carbondale, Illinois), both with a Ph.D. The board contains a series of befuddling and nearly-impossible clues from these categories: "T.V. Themes", "Nuclear Physics", "World Geography", "Food", "Potpourri", and "Famous Accordion Players". Although the other contestants manage to get their questions right, Yankovic misses every clue, finishing with a score of -$6,750 and proceeding to give up.

Don Pardo proceeds to tell Yankovic of what he did not win: neither consolation prizes nor "a lousy copy" of the home game. Furthermore, Pardo tells Yankovic that he has made himself look like a jerk in front of millions of people, and has brought shame and disgrace to his family name for generations to come as a result of his disastrous showing while his score continues to plummet and his podium begins to break down. Pardo tells Yankovic that he will not come back the next day and that he is a "complete loser" as the camera cuts to the board, now replaced with cards saying "complete loser". Art Fleming raspberries Yankovic as security guards come to kick him out from the studio. Embarrassed but undaunted, Yankovic hopes his luck will change "next weekend on The Price Is Right", and is literally thrown out from the studio and later into an Alfa Romeo convertible driven by Greg Kihn himself. Kihn described the car as "a vintage sports car to approximate the one I drove in the original 'Jeopardy' video."[5] The bride in the car "would shortly become a major rock star in an all-girls L.A. band," but who must remain nameless.[6]

Radio personality Dr. Demento, the man credited with discovering Yankovic, makes a cameo appearance as a control booth technician at the 1:59 and 3:00 marks.

This would mark Fleming's last association with Jeopardy! as host, as during the time the video was shot, a new incarnation of the series hosted by Alex Trebek was being developed; that September, the Trebek version launched, and still airs in 2016. Fleming would make appearances with segments in the show's books later in his life.

Chart positions

Chart (1984) Peak
Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 81

References

  1. ↑ Woman Loses on Jeopardy! Because of "I Lost on Jeopardy" (Apr. 27, 2012)
  2. ↑ Lick, Marty (December 26, 2004). "The Weird Al Information Source". Retrieved May 15, 2007.
  3. ↑ "I Lost On Jeopardy" music video, as posted by Yankovic himself
  4. ↑ "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection
  5. ↑ Kihn, Greg (July 24, 2014). "Weird Al Yankovic and the Marketing of Genius, Greg Kihn Remembers How I Lost on Jeopardy Started with a Phone Call". Retrieved 2014-08-19.
  6. ↑ "Veteran Rocker Greg Kihn Talks “Jeopardy” Video, Zombies, Split Pea Soup, Weird Al, Churchtime Shenanigans & The Famous Girl In The Video That He Can’t Talk About". 26 August 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.

See also

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