I Lost on Jeopardy

Infobox Single
Name = I Lost on Jeopardy


Artist = "Weird Al" Yankovic
from Album = "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D
Released = June 4, 1984
B-side = "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead" (7" version) "Mr. Popeil" (12" version)
Format = 7", 12"
Recorded = December 12 1983
Genre = Comedy
Length = 3:26
Label = Scotti Brothers
Producer = "Weird Al" Yankovic
Last single = "King of Suede" (1984)
This single = "I Lost on Jeopardy" (1984)
Next single = "This Is the Life" (1984)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D
Type = studio
Tracks =
# "Eat It"
# "Midnight Star"
# "The Brady Bunch"
# "Buy Me a Condo"
# "I Lost on Jeopardy"
# "Polkas on 45"
# "Mr. Popeil"
# "King of Suede"
# "That Boy Could Dance"
# "Theme from Rocky XIII (The Rye or the Kaiser)"
# "Nature Trail to Hell"

"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), "" (1994), and "Wacky Favorites" (1993). [ cite web | title = The Weird Al Information Source | last = Lick | first = Marty | url = http://www.al-oholicsanonymous.com/faq/wais.html | date = 2004-12-26 | accessdate = 2007-05-15 ]

Track listing

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".)

12" promo single

The Following tracks are on the single:
# "I Lost on Jeopardy" – 5:31 (Extended Mix)
# "Mr. Popeil" – 4:40

Music video

The music video, shot on May 24, 1984 and May 25, 1984 and directed by Francis Delia, [ cite web | url = http://movie.guygordon.com/index.php?action=show&mediaid=828765372794 | title = "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection | accessdate = 2007-05-16 ] takes place on a reproduction of the 1964-1975 "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 $-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 our home game", 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 as his score continues to plummet and his podium begins to break down. Embarrassed but undaunted, Yankovic mentions that he hopes his luck will change "next weekend on "The Price is Right". Al is literally thrown out of the studio 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.Fact|date=September 2007

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 (sic) & 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]

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.

Chart positions

References

ee also

*List of singles by "Weird Al" Yankovic
*List of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic