# A long time ago... in a galaxy far, far away... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 20, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078 "2009-08-20T15:13:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/1 "2009-08-20T15:13:14Z")
OK - Here’s the poll. How many of you immediately heard the fanfare at the beginning of the music on reading the subject line. BUM! Ba-da-bum… Happens every time I hear those words - the sound is so associated in my head. I expect it about half the time after seeing the Twentieth Century Fox searchlights, too, in front of nearly any movie of theirs. I’m not that huge a fan of Star Wars - at least not now as an adult. Even as a kid, though, I saw it once before DVD’s and VCR’s brought it back as a teen(?) in my house. I find it amazing how tightly these sounds, sights, and words are associated in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/2 "2009-08-20T15:25:39Z")
I didn’t. I’ve seen far more references to _Star Wars_ than I have the movies themselves, and the references don’t usually come with music. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/3 "2009-08-20T16:46:54Z")
Seconded. I just saw the light-blue words against a black screen in my mind’s eye. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/4 "2009-08-20T17:17:21Z")
I saw the words on a black screen, then the music started. It’s still going. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/5 "2009-08-20T17:23:11Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I didn’t. I’ve seen far more references to _Star Wars_ than I have the movies themselves, and the references don’t usually come with music. Seconded - no music or rolling screen- It’s almost more of a pop culture meme sardonically referencing a long ago event than something I associate (mentally) specifically with Star Wars at this point. Like “Truth, Justice and the American Way” was/is (for me) more of a wry commentary on American cultural attitudes vs “Superman” specifically. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/6 "2009-08-20T19:24:13Z")
I heard the opening bars of the Star Wars theme and the opening scroll as soon as I read those words Similarly, any time I hear or see “In the not-too-distant Future”, I automatically hear the Love Theme for the SOL and add the words “Way down in Deep 13”, or “Somewhere in Time and Space” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/7 "2009-08-20T19:31:05Z")
Not me. But interestingly, I ran across something just yesterday that was eerily similar. Remember the bar scene from the original Star Wars? OK, now what imagery/music do you get? ---
**Author:** ![FalconFinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@FalconFinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FalconFinder)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/8 "2009-08-20T19:33:03Z")
I hear the Cantina band song! Love that tune! ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/9 "2009-08-20T19:33:10Z")
I must have been the only person in the Western World who never saw any of those movies. Even when they turned up on the tube I didn’t bother with more than a few minutes (especially as they were stripped across the centre of the screen with fake stars [that didn’t move] above and below the picture in the space battle sequences) ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/10 "2009-08-20T19:34:20Z")
Fanfare here. Not particularly proud of it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/11 "2009-08-20T19:48:44Z")
Nope. The music starts after that line, so I knew what to expect, but for me that fanfare is cued specifically to that iconic STAR WARS title emerging from the screen (like in all the films) so my mind didn’t make that connection–especially since those few beats between the OP’s title and that first chord is, in its own way, quite epic. ---
**Author:** ![Kalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df705f/32.png) [@Kalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalypso)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/12 "2009-08-20T22:42:00Z")
I’m a fan, but I heard no fanfare upon reading the title. When I read tdn’s, “Remember the bar scene from the original Star Wars?” _that_ music started playing in my head though. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/13 "2009-08-20T22:58:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I didn’t. I’ve seen far more references to _Star Wars_ than I have the movies themselves, and the references don’t usually come with music. Yup. And I’ve seen them about 8 times. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/14 "2009-08-20T23:02:33Z")
Fanfare. Of course, I saw **Star Wars** 26 times. In the theater. In a week. Insert either :o or 😃 or :rolleyes: here. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/15 "2009-08-21T00:28:04Z")
> [@Belrix](#): > > OK - Here’s the poll. > > How many of you immediately heard the fanfare at the beginning of the music on reading the subject line. > > BUM! Ba-da-bum… > > Happens every time I hear those words - the sound is so associated in my head. I expect it about half the time after seeing the Twentieth Century Fox searchlights, too, in front of nearly any movie of theirs. > > I’m not that huge a fan of Star Wars - at least not now as an adult. Even as a kid, though, I saw it once before DVD’s and VCR’s brought it back as a teen(?) in my house. > > I find it amazing how tightly these sounds, sights, and words are associated in my head. Actaully it reminded me of fanboys, with the end of the scroll being posted from my iphone. lol Declan ---
**Author:** ![badlyburnttoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@badlyburnttoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badlyburnttoast)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-long-time-ago-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away/507078/16 "2009-08-21T00:39:14Z")
I heard this: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Es5HV529xI](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Es5HV529xI) I wonder if that makes me more or less of a dork?