Do you know what I really liked about Saturday morning cartoons? The catchy theme music that let you know it was time to pour that milk over the sugar bombs and plant your ass in front of the almighty tube. Tunes you would sing or hum along with, like: Gigantor-looove them bongos! Cool McCool-got a jazzy beat, it does. Land Of The Lost-as close to a cartoon as live action can get. So sue me. George Of The Jungle, SuperChicken and Tom Slick-the holy trio of cartoon slickness. Jonny Quest-If you don’t see that giant eyeball on legs when you remember the tune, I feel sorry for you. Speed Racer-in his powerful Mach Five! Spider-Man-does whatever a spider can! Mighty Mouse-Here I cooome to save the daaaaay!
So, which ones do you remember with love, and maybe sing to yourself when no one’s around?
I bet there are few people who remember the Saturday morning show “It’s About Time” with fondness. The theme song shows up in my head often, for no reason that I can think of.
It’s about time, It’s about space,
About strange people in the strangest place.
It’s about time, It’s about flight,
Travelin’ faster than the speed of light …
The best, most infectious Saturday morning theme ever: The Banana Splits !BTW, did they steal the chorus from “Buffalo Soldier”, or was it the other way around?
Nah… NAH NAAAHHH!!! NA NA-NA NAAAHHH!!! The Banana Splits aired in the late '60s to early '70s. Bob Marley recorded Buffalo Soldier in 1983. I still sing it at work sometimes, mainly to get funny looks.
Besides that, how about the theme to The Magic Schoolbus, or the theme to the Rockford Files for a prime time theme?
There’s a kids show from the UK called **Charlie and Lola ** which has the most cracking, upbeat, hummable theme song I’ve ever heard. It makes the Banana Splits sound like Mahler. Visit their site, click “clips” and then click “titles.”
Anyone remember the Hercules cartoon? Best theme song ever! All I remember, though, is the parody version that made its way around the schoolyard circa 1974:
*Hercules - you are a real phony
Hercules - you’re made of cheese and baloney
Fighting for his life
With a rubber knife
With the strength of ten
Tiny little men
Hear the cry - Waa!
Of Hercules
*
Magilla Gorilla
Underdog - Once he was like lightning
Bing Bing Bingggg Rickochet Rabbit
And Ahmmm … H. R Puff ‘n’ Stuff!
H.R. Pufnstuff,
Who’s your friend when things get rough?
H.R. Pufnstuff
Can’t do a little cause he can’t do enough?
I loved that show when I was like 5 or 6 … loved it … but even then it was freaky!
And talk about subliminal messages aimed at kids! Nice, couldn’t get away with that today!
Don’t remember if it was on Saturday morning or not, but whenever I heard the theme to He-Man, I about peed my pants with anticipation.
I was looking for an online mp3 of it to see if it still had the pants-peeing effect. While looking, I found the German version. Which did make me pee my pants.
One of the best albums I own. The Reverend Horton Heat does the Jonny Quest theme with a fast rockabilly/surf guitar, and if there’s another minute-and-a-half that kicks more musical ass, I haven’t heard it. And Liz Phair can sing “Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snork” and make it sound sexy.
