Of all the thousands of covers of John Williams’ main title theme from “Star Wars” floating around on YouTube, perhaps the most impressively elaborate is the a cappella group Moosebutter’s split-screen vocalese rendition, subtitled “John Williams Is the Man”:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGYAPr6UKhs]
And yet, somehow, it’s even more awesome that this kid recorded a marimba tribute to the a cappella version’s video:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hszyxySnAdA]
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Disco producer Meco, a.k.a. Domenico Monardo, was obsessed with Star Wars–allegedly, he watched it four times on its opening weekend. His disco version of John Williams’ theme went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWUp2MhVvwQ]
Reggae trombone legend Rico Rodriguez, apparently taking advantage of the fact that his name rhymes with “Meco,” recorded his own version, retitled “Ska Wars”:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAgk0dUiWDA]
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Guitar wonk supreme (and sometime Guns ‘n Roses member) Buckethead was caught on videotape performing his own shreddy version:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdBGFNPxcv8]
Extra points to this man for playing the theme while wearing a Darth Vader mask. Points deducted again for playing it on the bagpipes:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV-0Nj7sA24]
The pianist Richard Grayson improvised on the theme in the style of a Baroque gavotte:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDxENJgT-Zs]
YouTube user Sheepstar15 recorded a creditable two-ukulele arrangement:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGTFtUJBcwo]
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A very nice version played bluegrass-style, on a banjo:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFt-uOdhkSU]
Finally, as it turns out, there really are lyrics to the Star Wars theme, as sung here by Carrie Fisher in the Star Wars Holiday Special:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7v6OapFp9w]
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