# TV theme song questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [April 25, 2025, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510 "2025-04-25T22:43:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![cieskokid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cieskokid/32/5374_2.png) [@cieskokid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cieskokid)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2025, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/61 "2025-04-28T05:11:08Z")
Well, there’s this=\> [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/itYWOXjCVSY/maxresdefault.jpg "It's Garry Shandling's Show S01E01") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itYWOXjCVSY&t=3/) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2025, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/62 "2025-04-28T20:42:27Z")
Good place to post Morey Amsterdam’s lyrics to The Dick Van Dyke Show: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cFudYxk7uYM/maxresdefault.jpg "Theme Songs with Lyrics | The Dick Van Dyke Show") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFudYxk7uYM) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2025, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/63 "2025-04-28T21:11:44Z")
And here’s Bewitched. Never used on the show, but sung by Steve Lawrence, an actual singer who had records that made the charts and everything. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4palLHMm8Gw/hqdefault.jpg "Bewitched Theme with Original Lyrics sung by Steve Lawrence") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4palLHMm8Gw) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2025, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/64 "2025-04-28T23:44:24Z")
Like the OP, I have questions about several theme songs. But the weirdest thing is that I have watched a lot of _Community_ and have no idea what the theme song’s lyrics are except for a few words at the end. This is what the skip button does do a person. OTOH, I really didn’t care for the song at all from day one. It doesn’t reflect the show. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2025, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/65 "2025-04-29T00:06:58Z")
For the first two seasons, the subtitles for _Suits_ on Amazon had the next-to-last line of the theme song as “All that time, imagine this.” It wasn’t until Season 3 that they corrected it to “All step back, I’m 'bout to dance.” ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2025, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/66 "2025-04-29T00:15:55Z")
The theme to _One Day at a Time_ has the line “So up on your feet!” I’m sure I’m not the only person who heard it as “So whop on the key!” ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2025, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/67 "2025-04-29T00:22:24Z")
I thought it was “walk on the beat.” ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2025, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/68 "2025-04-29T00:33:31Z")
The Beverly Hillbillies had a theme song which included a final stanza at the end of the show. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0CsRILdz3FQ/hqdefault.jpg "Beverly Hillbillies Closing Credits + Filmways/CBS (1962) + Viacom International "V of Steel" (1986)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CsRILdz3FQ) Were they unique in that regard? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2025, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/69 "2025-04-29T02:04:25Z")
Call up the YouTube clip where they play the song backwards, and that line refers to Mickey Mouse and sounds like **Mickey, what a wuss**! 😆 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2025, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/70 "2025-04-29T02:06:31Z")
“This been a Filmways prezintashin.” ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/71 "2025-04-30T20:47:44Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > There were lyrics to the Bonanza theme. > [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Good place to post Morey Amsterdam’s lyrics to The Dick Van Dyke Show: > [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > And here’s Bewitched Of interest. Theme tunes are often written to fit the series name, even if there are no lyrics. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cTUdzhKuSsU/maxresdefault.jpg "Can you hear these words hidden in theme tunes?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTUdzhKuSsU&t=285) ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/72 "2025-04-30T21:42:02Z")
There are verses of the Cheers theme song that wasn’t included on the show. One has: Roll out of bed, Mr. Coffee’s dead The morning’s looking bright (the morning’s looking bright) And your shrink ran off to Europe And didn’t even write And your husband wants to be a girl ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/73 "2025-05-01T00:55:48Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Theme tunes are often written to fit the series name Here’s Tenacious D performing the Star Trek theme. Listen carefully and you actually will hear the phrase “star trek.” I have to say Jack Black did a hell of a lot better job singing those words than Roddenberry did writing them [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UiDo22khPrk/hqdefault.jpg "Star Trek Theme song performed by Tenacious D") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiDo22khPrk) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/74 "2025-05-01T03:03:13Z")
My favorite example of using the name of a show’s main character in its theme also comes from Alexander Courage, who was ordered to feature it: “The main character’s name is JUDD, goddammit!” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Y2lQOcv8mNU/hqdefault.jpg "Judd for the Defense (1967-69) Opening Credits (Edited from original.)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2lQOcv8mNU) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/75 "2025-05-01T03:11:26Z")
I’ve known the lyrics ever since I bought a copy of _ **The Making of Star Trek** _ in 1970 or '71. I actually heard an instrumental version of the theme playing over the Muzak in an eye clinic when I went in to get my first pair of contact lenses in the spring of 1972. Have never heard it outside of TV since, though. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/76 "2025-05-02T03:53:14Z")
The **Gilligan’s Island** theme also had a final stanza that played over the end credits. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/77 "2025-05-02T04:10:36Z")
_So this is the tale of our castaways,_ _they’re here for a long, long time._ _They’ll have to make the best of things,_ _it’s an uphill climb!_ _The first mate and his skipper too_ _will do their very best_ _to make the others comfortable_ _in their tropic island nest._ _No phone, no lights, no motor cars!_ _Not a single luxury!_ _Like Robinson Caruso,_ _it’s primitive as can be!_ _So join us here each week my friends,_ _you’re sure to get a smile_ _from seven stranded castaways,_ _here on Gilligan’s Isle!_ ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/78 "2025-05-02T04:25:24Z")
Check out these rejected themes for _ **The Prisoner** _. I’m glad they went with the one written by Ron Granier that we all know and love so well! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CzTwDAIQIGc/maxresdefault.jpg "The Prisoner - Rejected themes with high(er) quality video") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzTwDAIQIGc) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/79 "2025-05-02T18:15:28Z")
The theme song to “The Andy Griffith Show” is titled _The Fishing Hole_ and has lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510/80 "2025-05-02T18:20:52Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Like Robinson Caruso That stretching of “Crusoe” into three syllables always bugged me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-theme-song-questions/1017510.md?page=5)