TV theme songs, RIP?
—Posted by Catharine P. Taylor |
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October 19, 2006 | Permalink |
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The theme songs that are dead are the dumb ones that told the whole story in the lyrics, a specialty of Sherwood Schwartz, who created the two shows you mention. Also the specialty of SNL, top-of-mind examples being Debbie Downer or Nick Burns, the Company Computer Guy.
But if you heard the theme to The Office right now, you'd know what it was from.
Did you know...
You can hum the first few lines of Brady Bunch and ruin someone's entire day? That song has a special ability to get stuck in the head. In fact, you don't even have to hear it.
Let's demonstrate:
Here's the story....of a lovely lady.
Now, go cleanse your brain and try to get Sherwood out of your head. The evil genius.
Posted by: Jetpacks | Oct 19, 2006 9:01:19 AM
One show that has kep--and embraced--the themesong is "Weeds" on Showtime. They've enlisted different artists to do their own versions of the theme song so that it's fresh every week.
Posted by: Tony Jones | Oct 19, 2006 9:17:27 AM
this is totally irrelevant, but I was wandering... since you are all tv experts--
Full House--
Okay, the dad has really dark hair and looks of ethnic origin.. The brother in law (mother's brother) is really dark haired and has an ethnic look. all the girls are blond, fair and cute little skimpy noses.. How?
Or do I have the story all turned around?
I wanna know who was playing poker! and who was the wild card?
Posted by: nancy | Oct 19, 2006 9:18:01 AM
Ah, Nancy, nice to see you've imported your special brand of surrealistic blather from Adpulp.
Shine on, you crazy diamond.
Posted by: Dark Muffy | Oct 19, 2006 9:22:39 AM
not really. I am supposed to be packing and moving. and i dont wanna do the work part, so I am just avoiding doing that and am doing this instead. But if weeden wants to get on the act... i plan on dong 95% of this move in a Honda Civic.
Am I off topic yet?
Posted by: nancy | Oct 19, 2006 9:29:39 AM
not that two men with a truck wouldn't be deeply appreciated on Friday night!
and leave my two young guys free on Friday night to their geeky unsocial life.
Posted by: nancy | Oct 19, 2006 10:10:04 AM
I just want to see a new spin on the phrase "Previously on..." TV shows are addicted to these montages...but do they even work? Are you more likely to understand a show like Battlestar or Lost if you've never watched it, but you've seen a 30-second recap?
As for the tangential discussion of Full House genetics....Bob Saget is ethnic?
Posted by: CorruptedJournalist | Oct 19, 2006 10:24:12 AM
define ethnic--
dark hair- dark eyes- big nose.
as for Lost--
where are the men with the truck?
Posted by: nancy | Oct 19, 2006 10:28:34 AM
The only recent TV theme song i've heard is for 'My Fair Brady' on Vh1. In a similar fashion of the same Brady Bunch, the theme song set up the show so we know who was who. And it's kind of funny.
Posted by: Lindsay | Oct 19, 2006 10:54:19 AM
Besides trying to hold on to viewers, it's mostly likely more about MONEY. A shorter show intro leaves more time for advertisements, and makes the show more desirable for syndication.
It's well known that television shows have been getting shorter for some time.
Posted by: ChrisM70 | Oct 19, 2006 11:23:30 AM
wait...
time out for a word from our sponsors;
If I mention IKEA IKEA IKEA IKEA IKEA...
cause i will fit that whole dang IVAR system in my hatchback, would IKEA IKEA IKEA IKEA IKEA... throw in one of those small apartment kitchens. Cause the thing where i am moving into stinks. Plus you could then promote the idea in America too... that that's all you really get in an apartment is a kitchen sink and the renters put in a new one or the old renter's leave there's behind for fair compensation. You know like in Germany and maybe like in Sweden.
How about it IKEA? huh huh?
Now back to the usaul programming.
Posted by: nancy | Oct 19, 2006 11:47:32 AM
Yea, and if the facy people at Hülsta are reading...I will fit that stuff in too. You just copied off ... I mean took IKEAS lead with that movable furniture anyway.
Sorry for a break in the taping.
Posted by: nancy | Oct 19, 2006 11:54:30 AM
Some shows that have theme songs use remixed pop tunes -- it's easier than composing one from scratch. For instance, the theme for House loops the first few chords of Massive Attack's Teardrop.
Posted by: cipheroid | Oct 19, 2006 12:02:25 PM
Sort of miss those high-concept lyrical recaps at the start of every episode. Though doesn’t the Sopranos’ opener count: “…got yourself a gun”.
Posted by: Gregory Pruitt | Oct 19, 2006 1:03:42 PM
Re: Sopranos. Yeah that gun line is great. Too bad you can't understand the rest of the lyrics.
Re: Best sitcom jingle: The Patty Duke Show. "... but Patty loves to rock and roll, a hot dog makes her lose control..."
Re: Nancy. Shut up and move please.
Posted by: Sherwood | Oct 19, 2006 1:46:46 PM
The WEEDS "theme song" wasn't written as a theme song, though. It's a folk song from the early 1960s by Malvina Reynolds.
It's cool the way they have different artists cover it for WEEDS.
Similar case: the WONDER YEARS "theme song" was Joe Cocker's take on the Lennon/McCartney "With a Little Help from My Friends." What about M*A*S*H's use of an instrumental "Suicide is Painless" from the movie? All kinds of shades of grey. But nothing like GREEN ACRES or F TROOP.
Posted by: Colonel Agarn, Ft. Courage | Oct 19, 2006 2:23:32 PM
Okay, a little trivia (no Googling allowed). Name the show with this theme song:
Once upon a time when things were rotten,
Not just bad but really rotten,
Things were bad and that ain't good...
Good for Robin Hood.
Posted by: Bob | Oct 19, 2006 2:31:00 PM
We've neglected to mention the comprehensive theme song to Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Posted by: CorruptedJournalist | Oct 19, 2006 2:33:26 PM
Oh come on, Bob, that's too easy: "When Things Were Rotten."
Posted by: Mel Brooks | Oct 19, 2006 2:39:40 PM
Well, I would hope that YOU knew, Mel. And I suppose I should have used a section of the lyrics that didn't contain the series name.
Posted by: Bob | Oct 19, 2006 2:53:22 PM
hey, robin hood, the costume is in the basement, dried out after the flood two weeks ago,
and the 30 cm deep ivar fit in the tiny car.
Just wait till I get the half meter deep thing packed in there tomorrow.
I am .mov inging too. watch for me on a private network near you.
Posted by: nancy | Oct 19, 2006 2:54:57 PM
Best recent TV theme has to be Firefly. It sets the mood of the show and tells the story without being overly explicit (i.e. it's more insight into Mal and, to a lesser extent, the rest of the crew than about the story).
I've noticed too many modern shows use pre-existing songs. It's not necessarily a bad thing (or a new thing as has been pointed out in past comments), but I agree original songs are few and far between.
Posted by: Shawna S | Oct 19, 2006 5:02:04 PM
I thought it was interesting the Firefly theme was written by the show's writer. No one ever asks me to compose the score for my ads....which is for the best.
Posted by: CorruptedJournalist | Oct 19, 2006 5:17:00 PM
So now you guys have me thinking. Does anyone remember all of the words (hell Google it if you must), to The Garry Shandling Show? (Not the Larry Sanders Show, but the show on Fox I think where he played himself?)
I think it went something like, "This is the theme to Garry's show, the opening theme to Garry's show. This is the music that they play while they roll the credits..."
Posted by: Catharine P. Taylor | Oct 19, 2006 8:06:00 PM
This is the theme to Garry's Show,
The theme to Garry's show.
Garry called me up and asked if I would right his theme song.
I'm almost halfway finished,
How do you like it so far,
How do you like the theme to Garry's Show.
This is the theme to Garry's Show,
The opening theme to Garry's show.
This is the music that you hear as you watch the credits.
We're almost to the part of where I start to whistle.
Then we'll watch "It's Garry Shandling's Show".
This was the theme to Garry Shandling's show.
Posted by: CorruptedJournalist | Oct 20, 2006 10:06:18 AM
It was all downhill once the Mary Tyler Moore Show updated the lyrics from "you might just make it after all" to "you're gonna make it after all."
With a toss o' the hat.
Posted by: Chuckles The Clown, R.I.P. | Oct 20, 2006 5:33:47 PM
anhyone know who performs the Fashion House Theme?
Posted by: Jeffrey W Caddell | Oct 31, 2006 10:04:05 AM
any one know what the name of the song is of the fashion house end credits? it goes there was a boy he saw a girl she was beautiful she was everything he ever wanted he was taunted by her he was huanted by all because there is no one like you...??????
Dying to know!
Posted by: | Nov 28, 2006 1:14:56 PM
The theme song from Fashion House is called "Good at Being Bad" by Chesterwhite and his Orchestra. It's a blatant rip-off of "The Strange Face of Love" by Tito and Tarantula that can be heard on the Desperado soundtrack.
Posted by: Mark | Dec 5, 2006 10:11:21 PM
but wat abt the end credits theme???? i really wanna know the name of it... somethin similar happened with tru calling's theme which was also performed by we 3 kings. and the song turned out to be phil collins in the air tonight
Posted by: | Feb 14, 2007 1:46:17 PM
anyone know where i can download The fashion house theme...??
Posted by: sandeep | Feb 24, 2007 11:48:51 PM
also looking for the fashion house end credits song.. there was a boy he saw a girl, she was beautiful...
Posted by: starflower | Mar 17, 2007 8:26:33 AM
In the air tonight by Full Blown Rose.. they sing it in the Tru calling.
Posted by: szendo09 | Jul 6, 2007 6:32:29 AM
Sanjeeva85, the song of full blown rose is not the song with the text "there was a boy he saw a girl, she was beautiful..."
anybody know already the name of the song or the artist?
Posted by: =) | Aug 10, 2007 6:11:22 AM
cud sumbody plz tell me where i can find the song played at the end credits of fashion house...i've been looking for it for so long but cant seem to find it..its like the song doesnt even exist...
newayz if ne1 can plz mail me at
takian85@hotmail.com
Posted by: | Oct 16, 2007 5:54:09 AM
The song is by Madeline Puckette. It's called "Nobody". It's on her 2005 album "The Thing She Desires".
Posted by: EricTor | Nov 7, 2007 3:14:05 AM
Hello Everyone ! I FOUND THE SONG !! = D It is called " Nobody " by madeline puckette. I was having the same trouble as you guys, I couldn't find it. But apparently now I did.
You can listen for free here :
http://www.imeem.com/people/wQ3ObSC/music/uIAnJWQs/madeline_puckette_nobody/
Posted by: Kayri | Dec 21, 2008 5:12:23 PM
