Jeopardy (song)
Encyclopedia
"Jeopardy" is a hit song released in 1983 by The Greg Kihn Band
on their album Kihnspiracy. It is the band's first and only Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100
singles chart, reaching #2 in March 1983 and also hitting #1 on the dance charts the following month.
Composition/Chord Structure:
The song is written in the key of D minor. The song switches to the relative F Major Key in the song's Pre-Chorus.
music video
depicting a wedding disintegrating into a nightmare.
.) Kihn screeches in horror at the sight. The entire congregation turns into zombies (possibly referencing Night of the Living Dead
) except for Kihn, who makes his first attempt at escaping. Just as he is halfway down the aisle between the church's pews, a gigantic, tentacled monster emerges from the church's podium. The monster pulls him to the center of the church. Kihn, in retaliation, breaks off a piece of a pew and uses it as a spear. He pokes and cuts into the tentacle with the "pew spear," and the monster goes back down into the floorboards. Kihn then uses it like a guitar and sings the last verse to the crowd. He then makes a second run for the door, the congregation coming after him, and this time he succeeds. Next is seen what looks like a successful end to the proceedings, but it is revealed to be a movie watched by burning skeletons of the bride and groom. The screen dissolves to reveal that this has all been a dream of Kihn's. Kihn then takes a bottle of champagne and sneaks out the back way of the church. He jumps into a convertible and glances over, just in time to see the bride-to-be from the video's beginning running away from her own wedding. He pulls in front of her, and she gets into his car. (Its license plate reads "LIPS.") They pop the cork of the champagne bottle and ride off into the sunset.
.
" was released by "Weird Al" Yankovic
in 1984. Kihn appeared in a cameo
in the music video for Yankovic's parody, driving the car into which Yankovic is thrown after being kicked out of the NBC studios.
The Greg Kihn Band
The Greg Kihn Band is an American band that was started by frontman Greg Kihn and bassist Steve Wright. Their most successful singles include "The Breakup Song " and "Jeopardy" .-History:...
on their album Kihnspiracy. It is the band's first and only Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart, reaching #2 in March 1983 and also hitting #1 on the dance charts the following month.
Composition/Chord Structure:
The song is written in the key of D minor. The song switches to the relative F Major Key in the song's Pre-Chorus.
Music video
The song was featured in a surrealisticSurrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
depicting a wedding disintegrating into a nightmare.
Plot description
A bride-to-be gets out of her car screen right and enters a church. Soon afterwards a groom-to-be (portrayed by Kihn himself) gets out of another car screen left and enters an adjoining church. Entering in the groom's back entrance, he is readied for his impending marriage (to another bride) by his parents, who nudge him into the church's main hall. Inside the main hall, a children's choir is seen singing the song's first chorus, the minister, the rest of the groom's family, as well as the groom's ushers (portrayed by Kihn's band). The (other) bride is led by her father, who rather forcefully gives her to Kihn. As the minister recites the vow questions, Kihn turns his head backwards multiple times, as he cannot help feeling that something is amiss at the ceremony. He looks at his parents and notices that they are handcuffed together. The minister asks Kihn for the ring. He looks at this bride's parents and sees that the hands that are being held together in a handshake of friendship merge and morph into a bone-destroying blob. The minister asks Kihn for the ring again. He looks at his aunt and uncle and notices that they are literally joined at the hip. The minister asks Kihn for the ring a third time, this time using sign language. He reaches into his coat pocket and finds the ring, puts it on the bride's hand and takes off the veil. The bride proves to be a zombie, who lets out an earth-shattering screech. (This is a possible reference to Bride of the MonsterBride of the Monster
Bride of the Monster is a 1955 sci-fi horror film starring Bela Lugosi, along with Tor Johnson, Tony McCoy and Loretta King Hadler. It was produced, directed and co-written by Edward D. Wood, Jr....
.) Kihn screeches in horror at the sight. The entire congregation turns into zombies (possibly referencing Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
) except for Kihn, who makes his first attempt at escaping. Just as he is halfway down the aisle between the church's pews, a gigantic, tentacled monster emerges from the church's podium. The monster pulls him to the center of the church. Kihn, in retaliation, breaks off a piece of a pew and uses it as a spear. He pokes and cuts into the tentacle with the "pew spear," and the monster goes back down into the floorboards. Kihn then uses it like a guitar and sings the last verse to the crowd. He then makes a second run for the door, the congregation coming after him, and this time he succeeds. Next is seen what looks like a successful end to the proceedings, but it is revealed to be a movie watched by burning skeletons of the bride and groom. The screen dissolves to reveal that this has all been a dream of Kihn's. Kihn then takes a bottle of champagne and sneaks out the back way of the church. He jumps into a convertible and glances over, just in time to see the bride-to-be from the video's beginning running away from her own wedding. He pulls in front of her, and she gets into his car. (Its license plate reads "LIPS.") They pop the cork of the champagne bottle and ride off into the sunset.
Video production
Exterior shots of the video were filmed in San Francisco's Mission DistrictMission San Francisco de Asís
Mission San Francisco de Asís, or Mission Dolores, is the oldest surviving structure in San Francisco and the sixth religious settlement established as part of the California chain of missions...
.
Parody
A parody of the song titled "I Lost on JeopardyI Lost on Jeopardy
"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"...
" was released by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
in 1984. Kihn appeared in a cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the music video for Yankovic's parody, driving the car into which Yankovic is thrown after being kicked out of the NBC studios.