“Weird Al” Yankovic has amassed countless fans over the decades, including some of the artists he’s spoofed. And in the musical parody pioneer’s new Billboard cover story published Monday (June 9), Don McLean shared that he thinks Yankovic’s take on one of his classic hits is even better than his.
Speaking to executive editor Rebecca Milzoff, the folk-rock legend praised “The Saga Begins,” Yankovic’s iconic take on “American Pie,” in which he hilariously describes the plot of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. “When I heard his version, I thought it was better than the original,” McLean said.
“The sound quality was superb,” McLean continued, adding that he sees Yankovic as a “straight-ahead good boy” who “could be on Leave It to Beaver.”
Though it didn’t exactly match the commercial success of “American Pie” — which for many years was the longest song to top the Billboard Hot 100, before Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” dethroned it in 2021 — “The Saga Begins” is one of Yankovic’s best-loved creations. It appeared on his 1999 album, Running With Scissors.
“Oh my, my this here Anakin guy/ Maybe Vader someday later, now he’s just a small fry,” Yankovic sings on the track from the perspective of Obi-Wan Kenobi. “He left his home and kissed his mommy goodbye/ Sayin’, ‘Soon I’m gonna be a Jedi.’”
The quality of Yankovic’s vision for an “American Pie” spoof was such that McLean gave him rare permission to remake it. McLean was one of several musicians who praised the oddball hitmaker for Billboard, with Clairo and Lin-Manuel Miranda also sharing thoughts on how they both look up to Yankovic.
“Growing up with his videos was a massive thing in my generation,” the “Bags” singer told Milzoff. “Back when YouTube was really simple, it really hit home for us in middle school to watch his parodies. He always knew how to draw people in.”
“When I was a kid, I used to fantasize about being the next Weird Al, like it’s a position he applied for and got,” added the Hamilton creator. “And then you grow up and realize, ‘Oh, there’s only one of that guy.’ We’re not going to see another Weird Al.”
See Yankovic on the cover of Billboard below.
