A Monday Afternoon Musicale Fit for “May the Fourth Be with You” Day

Music from a Galaxy Far, Far Away….

I’ve proudly waved my Star Wars fan flag since 1977. Admittedly, I was a bit of a holdout at first—much like my character Jim Garraty in “The Summer of Two Movies,” I didn’t rush to see George Lucas’s original space-fantasy adventure. But once I finally took my seat in that theater, I was hooked for life. Since then, I’ve managed to catch every installment on the big screen, usually right when they premiered (sometimes even with popcorn in hand before the opening crawl). Whether I’ll be able to keep up this tradition when The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters later this year remains to be seen—but I’m hopeful the Force will be with me!

For me, one of the true joys of any Star Wars film is its unforgettable musical score. Back in 1977, John Williams’ sweeping, Romantic-era-inspired music—brought to life by the legendary London Symphony Orchestra—completely transported me from the first triumphant chord of the Main Title, echoing through a packed theater at Miami’s Concord Plaza mall on a brisk October afternoon when I was just 14. I fell so deeply in love with the soundtrack that, for my 15^th birthday, a thoughtful friend of my mom’s gifted me the original 2-LP album. Since then, I’ve collected just about every version imaginable—from vinyl to cassette to digital (Amazon Music, anyone?). It’s safe to say my devotion to the music runs almost as deep as my love for lightsabers.

So, in honor of May the Fourth Be with You Day, I’m sharing a few of my absolute favorite Star Wars themes—each one handpicked from official YouTube sources, so you won’t find any fan edits or copyright violations here (Jedi honor!). Set your blasters to “stun” and enjoy the musical magic!