Star Wars is a staple of pop culture around the World and today, we observe the commemorative day which has spread quickly through media and grassroots celebrations. The date was chosen for the pun on the catchphrase “May the Force be with you” as “May the Fourth be with you”.
Today, we want to share 5 songs that are inspired by the Star Wars franchise and explore a bit deeper into their story.
1. Galactic Empire – The Imperial March
Personally, one of the bands that represent the franchise the best is Galactic Empire, a band that started as a fun project became an instant hit after they released their metal version of “The Imperial March”, Darth Vader’s theme song. The video has already surpassed the 10.5 million views on YouTube and keeps climbing up year after year.
The band was created by James Slovak (Bass Commander) and Grant McFarland (Boba Sett), two producers that have worked with bands such as August Burns Red and All That Remains. McFarland is also a member of the metal outfit HAWK (formerly known as This or the Apocalypse).
2. Kenobi – Rebelde por naturaleza
All the way from Colombia, we present to you the hardcore band Kenobi. More than showcasing a specific song, the band itself is inspired by the Star Wars franchise. The band’s name, Kenobi, was baptized in honor of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi who mentored Luke Skywalker and was an important member of the Republic.
The band has many songs with references to the Star Wars movies but we wanted to show you “Rebelde por naturaleza” which translates to “Rebel by nature”.
3. Blink 182 – A new hope
A song that appears on every Star Wars music-related list. This song first appeared on the “Buddha” demo under “Princess Leia” as the first track. It was later was added to “Dude Ranch” and it sounded way better.
It is presumed that the lyrics are about a girl that Mark Hoppus liked at the moment and used Princess Leia as a metaphor to express his feelings.
4. Queens of the Stone Age – These are not the droids you’re looking for
Queens of Stone Age released a split with Beaver back in 1998 which is really hard to find right now. In that recording, there was a song called “These are not the droids you are looking for”, a song that made reference to the mental trick that Obi-Wan Kenobi used against some Stormtroopers on Episode IV.
5. Nerf Herder – I’m the droid (you’re looking for)
The pop-punk outfit Nerf Herder released “I’m the droid (you’re looking for)” in 2016 along with an animated video. The lyrics can be interpreted in two ways, a call for attention or a way to show support for someone.
The band itself has been penned to be the creators of “nerdcore”, a sub-genre inspired on lyrics influenced by nerdy subjects. The name of the band is also a reference to the movie, specifically to the bison looking animal known as a “Nerf” and one which princess Leia expresses disgust when calling Han Solo a Nerf Herder.
What songs did we miss? Visit us on our social media profiles and let us know:
