Weird Science (song)


"Weird Science" is a song by American new wave band 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 fifth studio album, Dead Man's Party, in a longer mix. The song reached No. 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 21 on the US Dance Club Charts, and No. 81 in Canada. It is Oingo Boingo's most successful single.

Recording

The song was spontaneously written by Elfman in his car while driving home to Los Angeles after a phone call from director John Hughes asking him to write a song. 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, where it was the titular characters described it as "complicated", and Elfman himself poked fun at with "How come they didn't let that dude back in Duran Duran?" Elfman claimed that following this broadcast he decided he "never to play this song again!"

Track listing

7-inch single

  1. "Weird Science" – 3:45
  2. "Weird Mama" by Ira and the Geeks – 2:50

12-inch single

  1. "Weird Science " – 6:38
  2. "Weird Science" – 3:45

12-inch promo single

  1. "Weird Science " – 6:00
  2. "Weird Science " – 5:38
  3. "Weird Science " – 6:38