# The Music of 'The Simpsons' **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 27, 2001, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446 "2001-11-27T03:53:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/1 "2001-11-27T03:53:21Z")
One of two musical passages that instantly come to mind are in the “Montgomery Burns is mistaken for an alien” episode (someone will come along with the real title shortly), when the violin passage from “Psycho” starts in the background. Only then does a symphony orchestra bus pull up with the string section onboard bowing their violins. The second is far more obscure and cemented my respect for the writers and Elfman alike. It is during the “Twilight Zone” takeoff (a Halloween Special?), in the episode where Bart is cast as the little boy with psychokinetic powers who can read minds (“Think happy thoughts”). After Bart turns Homer into a Jack-in-the-box, they go out for a day’s fun. The music in the background is from a 1960’s American Cancer Society promotion that shows a father and son spending the day together washing the car and what have you. The spot closes with the child picking up the father’s pack of cigarettes as the dad leans back against a tree after lighting up. To this day I am able to whistle the perky little ditty that went with that public service announcement. When it suddenly started playing during that Simpson’s episode I knew for once and all that these folks really paid attention to the fine strokes. No way could that have made it in there by accident. That was a baby boomer nostaligia tweak if ever I saw one. Got any others? ---
**Author:** ![EandCDad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e274bd/32.png) [@EandCDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EandCDad)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/2 "2001-11-27T04:06:56Z")
Don’t have a specific response to your post, but I think the only connection Danny Elfman has with the Simpson’s music is the theme and the end credits music. Most of the other music is either written by or adapted by Alf Clausen. So he (along with the writers) is probably the one responsible for that choice. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/3 "2001-11-27T15:33:47Z")
I know the drum part for the entire simpsons intro. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/4 "2001-11-27T15:35:47Z")
I’m gonna have to put a vote in for _Streetcar!_ > [@](#): > > New Orleans! > Home of pirates, drunks, and whores… > New Orleans! > Tacky, overpriced souvenir stores… > > If you want to go to hell, you should take a trip > To the Sodom and Gomorrah of the Mississip’ Genius, pure genius. ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/5 "2001-11-27T19:40:44Z")
Gotta chip in with the Monorail song - dead on “Music Man” spoof performed superbly by Phil Hartman. (I stll miss him…) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/6 "2001-11-27T20:03:29Z")
Aw, what about Planet of the Apes… the Musical? Oh my gosh, I was wrong… It was Earth, all along… They finally made a monkey out of me… o/~ hb ---
**Author:** ![Skwerl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Skwerl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skwerl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/7 "2001-11-27T23:05:38Z")
I think Elfman just wrote the theme, and Alf Clausen does all subsequent and background music. ---
**Author:** ![Skwerl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Skwerl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skwerl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/8 "2001-11-27T23:10:59Z")
Oops, missed EandCDad’s response. Sorry for the repetition. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/9 "2001-11-27T23:42:03Z")
O.K., same topic different show. On **Seinfeld** one of the earlier seasons, the gang needs Kramer to get drunk for God knows what reason and he willingly obliges. The only thing in the apartment is Hennessy which is what, some type of cognac or something? anyway, it doesn’t matter. So, Kramer proceeds to get toasted and he breaks out into a little tune singing _“H-E- double N E…”_ well, this is sung to the exact same tune that I once heard on an episode of **Gilligan’s Island** which somehow got stuck in the memory bank. On that episode, there is a dream sequence where Gilligan is some type of king, and his followers, the castaways naturally,sing a song in his honor which went _“G-I-double L, I, G A N spells Gilligan…”_, etc. And then it shows up on Seinfeld years later. ORRRR… Is this some well known tune that both shows borrowed from that has simply always remained unknown to me. Does anybody have any idea of what the hell I’m talking about??? ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/10 "2001-11-28T00:08:12Z")
It’s a takeoff on an old George M. Cohan song “[Harrigan](http://ingeb.org/songs/whoisthe.html).” ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/11 "2001-11-28T00:27:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eutychus55 \* > \*\*It’s a takeoff on an old George M. Cohan song “[Harrigan](http://ingeb.org/songs/whoisthe.html).” \*\* Well, I’ll be durned. So it wasn’t some bizarre-o coincidence that only I had noticed. Thanks for the nifty legwork **Euty**. YOU DA MOD! ---
**Author:** ![EandCDad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e274bd/32.png) [@EandCDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EandCDad)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/12 "2001-11-28T00:51:15Z")
When Burns and Smithers run the power plant themselves because Union Kingpin Homer has taken the plant out on strike to get the dental benefits there is music playing that sounds like the music you heard on school films about the workings of large industrial plants. Other than that I’m also a big “Streetcar” fan. It sorta spoofs bad regional theater and Broadway at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/13 "2001-11-28T03:16:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by EandCDad \* > **When Burns and Smithers run the power plant themselves …there is music playing that sounds like the music you heard on school films about the workings of large industrial plants.** Yep, and very similar to a tune called “Holiday for Strings” which was a classic of the fifties genre of light orchestral music. Ah, George Melachrino, Mantovani, Andre Kostelanaz! What legendary (and complicated) names. Today’s musicians just don’t compare. I’d like to hear The Butt-Hole Surfers try to play “Pizzicato Polka”! Well, no, on second thoughts I wouldn’t. Redboss ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_O.Pinion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/839c29/32.png) [@Frank\_O.Pinion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_O.Pinion)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/14 "2001-11-29T02:37:30Z")
Yep, and very similar to a tune called “Holiday for Strings” which was a classic of the fifties genre of light orchestral music. As well as being the theme from the old “Red Skelton Show”. (Just some useless trivia for you.) ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/15 "2001-11-29T03:59:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by E-Sabbath \* > \*\*Aw, what about Planet of the Apes… the Musical? > > Oh my gosh, I was wrong… It was Earth, all along… They finally made a monkey out of me… o/~ > > hb \*\* “…From chimpanz-A to chimpan-Z.” ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/16 "2001-11-29T13:20:45Z")
Seeeee Myyyy Vest, see my vest, made of real gorilla chest Like my loafers? Former gophers! etc etc etc I really like the vest! Smithers: I gathered that, sir. ---
**Author:** ![SlickUSA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@SlickUSA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickUSA)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/17 "2001-11-29T13:40:49Z")
My bologna has a first name, it’s H-O-M-E-R ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/18 "2001-11-29T14:10:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ross \* > Like my loafers? Former gophers! It was that, or skin my chauffers. I can’t believe I forgot that song! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/19 "2001-11-29T14:26:48Z")
I refer you to [the man himself](http://www.nohomers.net/info/interviews/clausen4.shtml)… ---
**Author:** ![Umbriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de053/32.png) [@Umbriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-music-of-the-simpsons/95446/20 "2001-11-29T21:01:21Z")
My personal favorite was the “Gamesters of Triskeleon” riff when Homer and Barney were forced to do battle as part of astronaut training. A (Trek-geek) friend of mine loaded that same musical passage into his laptop. It’s a great bit of everyday incidental music you can play to enhance any life-or-death struggle you happen across: Trying to get change back from a vending machine… Untangling the phone cord… Fighting to put things back in an overfull closet… etc.