# What's your theme song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 13, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617 "2009-10-13T02:54:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/1 "2009-10-13T02:54:11Z")
I’ve been watching the complete series of “Ally McBeal”, just released on DVD, and I came upon an episode where Ally’s therapist (played hilariously by Tracy Ullman) tells her to pick a theme song. The only requirements she gives are that it needs to be upbeat, something that can give you a life as you walk down the street, and that it’s something she can play in her head to make her feel better. The therapist chose “Tracy” (HAH!!) by the Cufflinks, and Ally ended up picking The Exciter’s “Tell Him” (after her therapist rejected "Searchin’ My Soul – HAH!!). I’m not going to be as strict in my requirements though. I was initially going to go with Jobim’s “Waters of March”, as it’s one of my favorite songs, but in the spirit of Ally’s therapist I’m going to have to go with something completely different, the Dollyrots’ “Because I’m Awesome”. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2pgbjPzF2k](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2pgbjPzF2k) So…what’s yours? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/2 "2009-10-13T03:12:21Z")
[I Don’t Know What to Do With My Life](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLrsJa0cuvI) ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/3 "2009-10-13T05:03:28Z")
Steve Miller Band’s “The Joker” or “Take the Money and Run” Though recently I’ve been getting turned onto The Eels’ [Souljacker part1.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCgB871XKV8) But SMB has always been my standard. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/4 "2009-10-13T05:25:22Z")
Motörhead’s [Ace Of Spades](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUZyEbdQpPE). Live loud, take risks, and if ya gotta go out, go out in a blaze of glory. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/5 "2009-10-13T06:02:21Z")
If it’s gotta be upbeat, then I gotta go with [Pinch Me](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k70i9HarXB4) by Barenaked Ladies. Runners up: [One Thing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnOvGGGf6qA) by Finger Eleven or [Excuses](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkVobEYm3Us) by Alanis Morissette. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/6 "2009-10-13T06:38:36Z")
“[It All Comes Out In The Wash](http://beemp3.com/download.php?file=2390277&song=It+All+Comes+Out+In+The+Wash)” by Self (the studio version is much better, but this seems to be the only way you can hear it on the internet.) ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/7 "2009-10-13T08:37:29Z")
The theme from the TV show “One Day at a Time”. [http://www.cfhf.net/lyrics/one-day.htm](http://www.cfhf.net/lyrics/one-day.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/8 "2009-10-13T09:05:32Z")
Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, or Meatloaf’s Paradise by the Dashboard Light. It depends on my mood. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/9 "2009-10-13T09:25:03Z")
The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” springs to mind immediately… ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Awesome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Captain\_Awesome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Awesome)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/10 "2009-10-13T09:33:14Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > “[It All Comes Out In The Wash](http://beemp3.com/download.php?file=2390277&song=It+All+Comes+Out+In+The+Wash)” by Self (the studio version is much better, but this seems to be the only way you can hear it on the internet.) [Link](http://isfuckingaweso.me/song/1100802/Self-It-All-Comes-Out-in-the-Wash) ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/11 "2009-10-13T10:29:58Z")
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXj2TudPCYU) ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Medlo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hi\_Medlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Medlo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/12 "2009-10-13T12:28:37Z")
Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb. ---
**Author:** ![Haunted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/898d66/32.png) [@Haunted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haunted)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/13 "2009-10-13T12:33:43Z")
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCssYzVl6oQ) ---
**Author:** ![wolf-alice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9e8a1a/32.png) [@wolf-alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf-alice)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/14 "2009-10-13T12:47:18Z")
Coachwhips, [_Hands on the Controls_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbTWFj2SMX8) > [@](#): > > Oh little baby oh baby be bold yeah > Get your hands on the fucking controls yeah _raises eyebrow_ I’m not sure, but I _think_ there might be some _innuendo_ in that. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/15 "2009-10-13T13:05:39Z")
Too many to list. But if I had to pick one, I suppose it would be \*\*AC/DC’s If You Want Blood \*\*- I know, sounds delightful, eh? If you ever saw the obscure movie **Empire Records** , which had everyone from Robin Tunney, Liv Tyler and Renee Zellweger - when Anthony LaPaglia goes back in his office, gets behind his drum kit and puts on a song to play along to, get pumped up and block out his problems, that’s the song he goes with. For me, it was the song I played before most of my tests in high school, college and grad school to get pumped up. I know - how pathetic is that, getting pumped up before a test?? :smack: but it totally worked. 😉 And it’s really fun to play. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/16 "2009-10-13T14:16:36Z")
Mine is _Time Out of Mind_ by Steely Dan. It speaks to my desire to take chances and really live my life. I like the imagery of “chasing the dragon” as a metaphor for going for it. I steadfastly refuse to give any creedence to the notion that it’s about doing heroin. ::I’m not listening! I’m not listening:: 🙂 ---
**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:** [October 13, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/17 "2009-10-13T14:47:11Z")
For the longest time mine alternated between Jackson Browne’s _The Pretender_ and U2’s _I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For_. Now, I think it’s _When I Said I Do_ by Clint Black. Or maybe Jimmy Buffett’s _That’s My Story and I’m Stickin’ To It._😃 ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/18 "2009-10-13T16:12:59Z")
Probably either “And Your Bird Can Sing” by the Beatles, or “Lay Down” by the Strawbs. Although “When I Get to the Border” by Richard & Linda Thompson is up there too. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/19 "2009-10-13T16:17:16Z")
Rihanna’s [Disturbia](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6zdhHLvT7k). Honestly, something about that song captures the… how should I put this… the _chaos_, the sense you’re sliding towards the abyss and the branch you’re grabbing might break any moment, the horrifying _unpredictability_ of living with mental illness. You think you’ve got control, but you know in the back of your mind you’re walking a tightrope. Whenever things get worse you tell yourself that you’ve always gotten over these things eventually, but you don’t quite believe it. You worry that there’s a bridge between having a hard time functioning, and not being able to function, and that someday you may lose your mind altogether. Anyway, when I was going through a tough time last year Disturbia was my theme song. Still goes through my head whenever I’m having one of my bad days. ---
**Author:** ![Haunted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/898d66/32.png) [@Haunted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haunted)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617/20 "2009-10-13T16:19:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Too many to list. But if I had to pick one, I suppose it would be AC/DC’s If You Want Blood - I know, sounds delightful, eh? That’s my favorite song! Yes, my theme song and my favorite song are different. It happens. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-theme-song/513617.md?page=2)