As part of the consistently clever heir to the Tonight Show‘s “Video Game Week,” Jimmy Fallon fielded an audience suggestion to put some lyrics behind one of the most iconic 8-bit melodies of all time – Koji Kondo’s theme for Super Mario Bros. The Roots‘ Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, a.k.a. “huge game freak,” took to the challenge, behind a ?uestlove beat and, only an abridged version of the melody on loop, but nevertheless a perfect dark shade of chiptune to lay out the epic saga of “the life and times of a mushroom trooper.” Was it a proper homage? What’s up with the Luigi “coward” shot? And of more importance, what video game theme song needs similar treatment?
Shigeru, Miyamoto, hero you can call me those
From where my inspiration comes nobody knows
But I kept my pockets double-stuffed like Oreos
Since creatin’ the digital kingdom of the Marios
It all began on Donkey Kong
He was just a jump man getting his monkey on
And trying to save Daisy
Was making ’em crazy
He’s come a long way since those 8-bit 80s
But who knew in the future
He’d be killing Goombas
And scooping Princess Peach from the King of Koopas
He threw a cape on his back and he became super
These are the life and times of a mushroom trooper
His brother’s a coward
Could be divine intervention from a higher power
But Mario defends Luigi spittin’ fire-flowers
And it’s weird that it’s been all these years
Since he originally appeared
But Mario’s still here
Classic
