Lapti Nek/Legends

"Lapti Nek" — also known as "Lapti Nek" ("Shapin' Up And Workin' Out") — was a well-known Huttese song. The song was released by Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-Wailers and became a popular hit. Following the death of bandleader Evar Orbus, many of the surviving band members formed the Max Rebo Band and continued to perform it.

"Lapti Nek" was one of Sy Snootles's favorite songs. The phrase "lapti nek" meant "work it out" in Huttese. The song was speedily composed by Max Rebo as a major attempt to impress Jabba the Hutt in order to gain a larger payment.

The Max Rebo Band performed this song in Jabba's Palace, once on the day C-3PO and R2-D2 arrived at the palace with a message from Luke Skywalker, setting off the events leading to the rescue of Han Solo.

Lapti Nek was playing in The Tipsy Mynock cantina in 32 BBY, when the pirates Arwen Cohl and Boiny met with the Mercenary Lope.

Lyrics

Huttese

Ab queck zenick fesi
Zong jup col im in na hiz jal, ooh
Wow!
Wa toc peg qui dos gee pif, aah
Joc jarraz bas deg zorze zot
Jer wih tuster mo vey
Qui neb be og ezen on
Wok lapti nek seb not van
Goc jarraz bas deg zorze zot

Lapti nek, rat a ran wim joct co jappi qaff
Lapti nek, kiv ba ha top wep jex pi va bep
Lapti nek, rat a ran wim joct co jeppi qaff
Wow!

Ab queck zenick fesi
Jem wih tuster mo vey
Qui neb be og ezen on
Wok lapti nek seb not van
Wah toc peg qui doz gee pif ezact
Goc jarraz bas deg zorze zot

Lapti nek, rat a ran wim joct co jappi qoff
Lapti nek, kiv ba ha top wep jex pi va bep
Lapti nek, rat a ran wim joct co jappi qaff
Wow!

Deg zorze zot

Jem with tuster mo vey
Qui neb be og ezen on
Wok lapti nek seb not van
Goc jarraz bas deg zorze zot

Lapti nek, rat a ran wim joct co jappi qoff
Lapti nek, kiv ba ha top wep jex pi va bep
Lapti nek, rat a ran wim joct co jappi qaff
Deg zorze zot
Wow!

Lapti nek lapti nek
Lapti nek lapti nek
Lapti nek lapti nek
Wow!

Lapti nek lapti nek
Lapti nek lapti nek
Lapti nek lapti nek
Wow!

Basic translation

The lyrics translate into Galactic Basic Standard as:

Feel my body growing
My bones have started glowing, ooh
Wow!
The time has come for showing
That I'll shape you up and work you out
My body feels excitin'
My soul is synthesizin'
My whole frame is jumpin'
I'm workin' out and havin' fun

Work it out, you've got to move your soul
Work it out, you've got to feel the heat
Work it out, you've got to move your soul
Wow!

Feel my body growing
My body feels excitin'
My soul is synthesizin'
My whole frame is jumpin'
The time has come for showing
I'll shape you up and work you out

Work it out, you've got to move your soul
Work it out, you've got to feel the heat
Work it out, you've got to move your soul
Wow!

Work you out

My body feels excitin'
My soul is synthesizin'
My whole frame is jumpin'
I'll shape you up and work you out

Work it out, you've got to move your soul
Work it out, you've got to feel the heat
Work it out, you've got to move your soul
Work you out
Wow!

Work it out work it out
Work it out work it out
Work it out work it out
Wow!

Work it out work it out
Work it out work it out
Work it out work it out
Wow!

Behind the scenes

"We had a song, which will probably be changed because it was a little bit disco and I can't stand disco. I think it's awful and George isn't wild about it either."

―Richard Marquand on "Lapti Nek"

"Lapti Nek" was composed by John Williams's son, Joseph, for the 1983 film Return of the Jedi. In the original release of the film, Sy Snootles' voice was provided by Annie Arbogast, a member of the sound department. "Lapti Nek" was replaced with "Jedi Rocks" in the 1997 Special Edition and subsequent releases of Return of the Jedi.

Star Wars Insider 89 noted the irony of what is essentially a workout song being "performed with gusto for the morbidly obese Jabba." The song can be heard on the "jukebox" in the Star Wars Galaxies game, under the name "Max Rebo 1." It is also heard in Jabba's throne room.

In Russian, "lapti" means "bast shoes," usually made from bast of the birch tree and worn by peasants.

Commercial releases

The film version of the song has never been commercially released due the original masters being lost. An alternate version appears on the Return of the Jedi soundtrack, with Michele Gruska on vocals. The Huttese lyrics in this article are from this soundtrack version; the words lapti nek do not appear in the film version. An English version of the song entitled "Fancy Man" can be heard on the From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga documentary. This version also has never been commercially released.

Remixes

Lucasfilm Ltd. officially sanctioned a number of remixes to promote the release of Return of the Jedi:

• Lapti Nek (Special Extended Dance Remix) 12" Single:
  This collector's edition single, released in 1983 by Polygram, contains two dance remixes of "Lapti Nek" by Steve Thompson. The Club Mix features lyrics in Huttese performed by Michele Gruska while the Dub Mix is an instrumental track.

• Lapti Nek Overture (From Return of the Jedi) 12" Single by Urth:
  This single was released by Warner Bros. Records, Inc. in 1983 under the Bantha Music label. The band Urth was formed specifically for this recording. The "Lapti Nek Overture" combined Huttese lyrics, by Annie M. Arbogast, Ewokese lyrics, by Ben Burtt, and English lyrics by Joseph Williams. Joseph performed as part of Urth, on vocals. Both tracks were produced and arranged by Jay Gruska.
  • Track Listing
    • A. Urth - Lapti Nek Overture (From Return of the Jedi) (Vocal) (3:51)
    • B. Urth - Lapti Nek Overture (From Return of the Jedi) (Instrumental) (5:24)

Meco releases

Meco has released a few versions of "Lapti Nek" on various records:

• Ewok Celebration (1983 12" LP Complete Album), released by Arista (catalog number AL 8-8098) and produced by Harold Wheeler, Lance Quinn, Meco Monardo and Tony Bongiovi, included: "Track 2. Lapti Nek (5:10)"
• Ewok Celebration/Lapti Nek (1983 7" Single), released by Arista (catalog number AS 1-9045) and produced by Lance Quinn, Meco Monardo and Tony Bongiovi, included: "Track 2. Lapti Nek (7" Edit) feat. Huttese lyrics by Annie M. Arbogast (3:00)"

Appearances

• Star Wars: Tiny Death Star (Non-canonical appearance)
• Cloak of Deception audiobook
• Star Wars: Battlefront II (Only in Hero Assault mode)
• "And the Band Played On: The Band's Tale"—Tales from Jabba's Palace
• Star Wars: Empire at War
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed game
• File:SWG logo sm.png Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
• Star Wars: Demolition
• Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (First appearance) (Pre-1997 releases, and Limited Edition release only)
• "Lapti Nek": The Music Video from Jabba's Palace
• Shield of Lies (audio version only)

Sources

• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (soundtrack)
• Return of the Ewok
• "Lapti Nek": The Music Video from Jabba's Palace
• From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga
• "Star Wars 101" – Star Wars Galaxy Magazine 5
• "Caravan of Courage: Star Wars on Television" – Star Wars Insider 32
• "The Farce is Back" – Star Wars Insider 35
• "The Ultimate Return of the Jedi Insider's Guide" – Star Wars Insider 67
• "Who's Who in the Max Rebo Band" – Star Wars Insider 67
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
• File:SWGTCGsmall.jpg Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – Threat of the Conqueror (Card: Intense Performer) (backup link not verified!)
•  Max Rebo Band in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
•  Snootles, Sy in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
• Slugthrowers: An Overview of Popular Music and Musicians in a Galaxy Far, Far Away, Part 2 on StarWars.com (article) (backup link not verified!)

Notes and references

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