The Saga Begins – English Lyrics

• By: Weird Al Yankovic

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the world of "The Saga Begins," a masterful parody by "Weird Al" Yankovic that brilliantly retells the story of *Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace* through the iconic melody of Don McLean's "American Pie." By exploring its witty lyrics and clever narrative, you can not only appreciate Yankovic's lyrical genius but also engage with English vocabulary related to storytelling, humor, and one of the most beloved film franchises, making language learning an exciting and entertaining journey.

[English]

A long, long time ago

In a galaxy far away

Naboo was under an attack

And I thought me and Qui-Gon Jinn

Could talk the federation into

Maybe cutting them a little slack

But their response, it didn't thrill us

They locked the doors and tried to kill us

We escaped from that gas

Then met Jar Jar and Boss Nass

We took a bongo from the scene

And we went to Theed to see the Queen

We all wound up on Tatooine

That's where we found this boy...

Oh my my this here Anakin guy

May be Vader someday later - now he's just a small fry

And he left his home and kissed his mommy goodbye

Sayin' "Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi"

"Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi"

Did you know this junkyard slave

Isn't even old enough to shave

But he can use the Force, they say

Ah, do you see him hitting on the queen

Though he's just nine and she's fourteen

Yeah, he's probably gonna marry her someday

Well, I know he built C-3PO

And I've heard how fast his pod can go

And we were broke, it's true

So we made a wager or two

He was a prepubescent flyin' ace

And the minute Jabba started off that race

Well, I knew who would win first place

Oh yes, it was our boy

We started singin' ...

My my this here Anakin guy

May be Vader someday later - now he's just a small fry

And he left his home and kissed his mommy goodbye

Sayin' "Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi"

"Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi"

Now we finally got to Coruscant

The Jedi Council we knew would want

To see how good the boy could be

So we took him there and we told the tale

How his midi-chlorians were off the scale

And he might fulfill that prophecy

Oh, the Council was impressed, of course

Could he bring balance to the Force?

They interviewed the kid

Oh, training they forbid

Because Yoda sensed in him much fear

And Qui-Gon said "Now listen here"

"Just stick it in your pointy ear"

"I still will teach this boy"

He was singin' ...

My my this here Anakin guy

May be Vader someday later - now he's just a small fry

And he left his home and kissed his mommy goodbye

Sayin' "Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi"

"Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi"

We caught a ride back to Naboo

'Cause Queen Amidala wanted to

I frankly would've liked to stay

We all fought in that epic war

And it wasn't long at all before

Little Hotshot flew his plane and saved the day

And in the end some Gungans died

Some ships blew up and some pilots fried

A lot of folks were croakin'

The battle droids were broken

And the Jedi I admire most

Met up with Darth Maul and now he's toast

Well, I'm still here and he's a ghost

I guess I'll train this boy

And I was singin' ...

My my this here Anakin guy

May be Vader someday later - now he's just a small fry

And he left his home and kissed his mommy goodbye

Sayin' "Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi"

"Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi"

We were singin' ...

My my this here Anakin guy

May be Vader someday later - now he's just a small fry

And he left his home and kissed his mommy goodbye

Sayin' "Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi"

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
attack /əˈtæk/ B1	noun - an act of violence; an attempt to cause damage or injury verb - to take aggressive military action against (a place or enemy forces) with weapons or armed force
doors /dɔːrz/ A1	noun - a hinged, sliding, or revolving barrier at the entrance to a building, room, or vehicle, or in the framework of a cupboard.
kill /kɪl/ A2	verb - to cause the death of (a person, animal, or other living thing).
escaped /ɪˈskeɪpt/ B1	verb - to get away from a place where one has been imprisoned or confined
queen /kwiːn/ A2	noun - a female sovereign ruler
boy /bɔɪ/ A1	noun - a male child or young man.
slave /sleɪv/ B1	noun - a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them.
force /fɔːrs/ B1	noun - strength or energy as an attribute of physical action or movement.
marry /ˈmæri/ A2	verb - to become the husband or wife of (someone) in a wedding ceremony.
fast /fæst/ A1	adjective - moving or capable of moving at high speed.
race /reɪs/ A2	noun - a competition between runners, horses, vehicles, boats, etc. to see which is the fastest in covering a set course. verb - compete in a race
tale /teɪl/ B2	noun - a fictitious or true narrative or story, especially one that is imaginatively recounted.
fear /fɪər/ A2	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by the perception of danger, pain, or threat.
teach /tiːtʃ/ A1	verb - to give (someone) knowledge or skill.

Key Grammar Structures

• Naboo was under an attack

  ➔ Past Simple Passive

  ➔ The phrase "was under an attack" uses the past simple passive voice. The subject "Naboo" received the action (being attacked).

• And I thought me and Qui-Gon Jinn could talk the federation into...

  ➔ Modal Verb + Infinitive & "Talk someone into something"

  ➔ "Could talk" uses the modal verb "could" (expressing possibility or politeness) followed by the infinitive "talk". "Talk someone into something" is a phrasal verb meaning to persuade someone to do something.

• Maybe cutting them a little slack

  ➔ Gerund as Object of Preposition

  ➔ "Cutting" is a gerund (verb ending in -ing acting as a noun) and functions as the object of the preposition implied after "into" in the previous line.

• May be Vader someday later - now he's just a small fry

  ➔ Future Possibility (May be)

  ➔ "May be" expresses a possibility in the future. It suggests that Anakin *could* become Vader, but it is not certain.

• Isn't even old enough to shave

  ➔ Adjective + "enough" + Infinitive

  ➔ The structure "old enough to shave" means Anakin does not meet the required age to perform the action of shaving. "Enough" follows the adjective it modifies, and is followed by an infinitive.

• Though he's just nine and she's fourteen

  ➔ Subordinating Conjunction "Though"

  ➔ "Though" introduces a subordinate clause, expressing a contrast or concession to the main clause. It is similar to "although" or "even though".

• And I've heard how fast his pod can go

  ➔ Embedded Question / Indirect Question

  ➔ "How fast his pod can go" is an embedded or indirect question. Instead of asking "How fast can his pod go?", it is incorporated into the statement "I've heard...". The word order changes (subject-verb instead of verb-subject).

• So we made a wager or two

  ➔ Quantifier "a wager or two"

  ➔ "A wager or two" is an informal way to indicate a small, indefinite number (possibly one or two) of bets were placed. This avoids being too specific while implying more than zero.