Weird Science (song)


"Weird Science" is a song by Oingo Boingo. Written by frontman Danny Elfman, it is the theme song to the Weird Science film and television series. It was released on the film's soundtrack, as well as Oingo Boingo's 1985 album, Dead Man's Party, as a longer mix. The song reached #45 on the US Billboard Hot 100, #21 on the US Dance Club Charts, and #81 in Canada.

Recording

The song was written spontaneously by Elfman in the car, while driving home to Los Angeles, after a phone call from director John Hughes asking him to write a song for his movie of the same name. Elfman claimed to have "heard the whole thing in head" by the time he ran home to his studio to record his demo.

Music video

The music video for "Weird Science" features the band performing in an abstract laboratory. The video appeared in a number of different edits when broadcast, some featuring clips from the John Hughes film and other versions without. Elfman later expressed embarrassment at the video, stating that he was "horrified" by the outcome and that it was the only Oingo Boingo music video in which he had not been involved with production. Elfman had long felt that the song, a more commercial musical style than most of the band's previous releases at the time, was "not really a part of repertoire". The video would later be parodied on TV show Beavis and Butt-Head, at which point Elfman claimed he decided he "never to play this song again!"

Track listing

7" Single

  1. "Weird Science"
  2. "Weird Mama" by Ira and the Geeks

    12" Single

  3. "Weird Science "
  4. "Weird Science"

    12" Promo Single

  5. "Weird Science "
  6. "Weird Science "
  7. "Weird Science "