Theme Songs

1997-present

Whatever happened to Primus? Warning: Explicit lyrics.

The South Park theme is unmistakeably Primus. For those not in the know, Primus is an American band with a sound so unique, it has often been imitated, but never duplicated. Cliché.

The original theme song stays, but it has been remixed a couple of times. One remix that I know of was performed by Paul Robb. Another one was performed by Colonel Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, a project of Primus’ lead vocalist and bassist.

The song is part of Chef Aid: The South Park Album, an album based on the Chef Aid episode.

South Park theme song lyrics

Les: I’m Goin’ down to south park gonna have myself a time
Stan and Kyle: Friendly faces everywhere, humble folks without temptation
Les: Goin’ down to south park gonna leave my woes behind
Cartman: ample parking day or night, people spouting howdy neighbor
Les: Goin’ down to south park gonna see if i cant unwind
Kenny: (Muffled) I like girls with fat tittes, i like girls with big vaginas
Les: Come on down to south park, and meet some friends of mine

Season 3 change (Kenny):
I want a penis, you can have my wenis

Season 7 change (Kenny): Sometime I’lll be old enough to stick my dick in Britney’s butt

Below is a compilation of the various remixes of the theme. There are some videos showing the real opening credits, but they are once again “unembedable.”

1972-1977

This is really old.

Sanford and Son was an American sitcom that starred the late Redd Foxx as a 65-year-old junk dealer, and his son, played by Demond Wilson. In 2007, Time magazine included the show in their “100 Best TV Shows of All Time” list.

The theme song is entitled “The Streetbeater” and was composed by the great Quincy Jones. It was originally part of Quincy’s 1973 release You’ve Got it Bad, Girl, and was also released as a 7″ vinyl single. It also made it to the Quincy Jones Greatest Hits compilation album released in 1996.

Watch & listen

2005-present

So, do you?

Not much information here except for the song itself. I doubt that the song is even titled or is commercially available anywhere, but here it is.

(IMDb credits the show’s original music to a Max Golay and a Don Hostler.)

Listen

2008

This sure does look a lot like Finding Nemo; even the American poster is Nemo-inspired.

What the heck. Ponyo is an award-winning Japanese animated film released in 2008. The original title is Gake no Ue no Ponyo which literally means “Ponyo on the Cliff.” In North America, Ponyo was released in 2009.

Now for the theme song. In Japan, the theme song title is the same as the film’s—”Gake no Ue no Ponyo.” It was performed by the duo Fujioka Fujimaki, which consists of Takaaki Fujioka and Naoya Fujimaki. Them and eight-year-old Nozomi Ōhashi. Below is the Japanese theme song.

An English version of the theme song was of course created. The song was performed by Frankie Jonas and Noah Cyrus, who voiced the characters Sōsuke and Ponyo respectively. Below, the lyrics and the song.

Ponyo, ponyo, ponyo, fishy in the sea
tiny little fishy, who could you really be?
Ponyo, ponyo, ponyo, magic set’s you free;
oh she’s a little girl with a round tummy.
tip-tippie-toe, jump-jump and hop, now that I’ve got my legs, I cannot stop
pat-pattie-pat waving ‘hello!’
come and hold hands with me, dancing we go
my feet are skipping, my heart too
happy-happy are we all
maybe I might love you, maybe I might love you
so hold on tight and hold me close,
you’re my hero!
Ponyo, ponyo, ponyo, fishy in the sea
tiny little fishy, who could you really be?
Ponyo, ponyo, ponyo, magic set’s you free,
oh pretty little girl will you swim back to me?

Yum yummy yum I smell a treat
Let’s fill our tummies now good things to eat
Peak peak-a-boo that’s what we’ll do
I see my favorite boy he sees me too.
My cheeks are rosy from smiling
Laughing, laughing are we all
Maybe I might love you, maybe I might love you
So hold on tight and hold me close,
you’re my hero!
Ponyo, ponyo, ponyo, fishy in the sea
tiny little fishy, who could you really be?
Ponyo, ponyo, ponyo, magic set’s you free,
Oh she’s a little girl with a round tummy.

There is also a remix version of the theme song, used in the first half of the closing credits. Below is the remix version.

2002-2009

I might have a mild case of obsessive–compulsive disorder as well.

There have been two theme songs in Monk‘s eight-season run. Season one uses a jazzy instrumental song composed by American composer Jeff Beal, and performed by guitarist Grant Geissman. The song won the 2003 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music.

Seasons two through eight uses “It’s a Jungle out There” by singer/songwriter Randy Newman. Why they changed an Emmy Award-winning song, I do not know. But get this, the song once again won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music in 2004. Talk about award-winning.

The same songs are paired in the closing credits—for the seasons using “It’s a Jungle out There,” an instrumental version is paired for the closing.

The Jeff Beal song is included in the original television soundtrack.

Monk theme song (It’s a Jungle out There) lyrics

It’s a jungle out there
Disorder and confusion everywhere
No one seems to care
Well I do
Hey, who’s in charge here?
It’s a jungle out there
Poison in the very air we breathe
Do you know what’s in the water that you drink?
Well I do, and it’s amazing
People think I’m crazy, ’cause I worry all the time
If you paid attention, you’d be worried too
You better pay attention
Or this world we love so much might just kill you
I could be wrong now, but I don’t think so!
‘Cause there’s a jungle out there.
It’s a jungle out there.

Watch & listen (Jeff Beal)

Watch & listen (It’s a Jungle out There)

All videos of this song seem un-embeddable. Watch in YouTube.

2000-2004

Julie Bowen is hot. I remember this show very vaguely.

Ed is the one with Tom Cavanagh as Ed Stevens, the lawyer who got fired and found out his wife is sleeping with a mailman.

The theme song is one by the Foo Fighters, ergo, it rocks. “Next Year” was used in seasons one, three, and four. In the second season, Clem Snide’s “Moment in the Sun” was used because of “complicated business reasons.”

“Next Year” was the last single of Foo Fighters’ 2000-release, There Is Nothing Left to Lose.

Now, for the first time in this blog’s history, no proper opening credits video for the show is available. Instead, below are videos of “Next Year” and “Moment in the Sun.”

2009-present

Not really familiar with this show, but…

Southland is a television series which originally premiered on NBC and is currently shown on TNT. It is about Los Angeles and the lives of the LAPD officers who police it.

The theme song is a short, instrumental version of Dulce Pontes’ “Canção Do Mar.” Pontes is a Portuguese singer who performs pop, folk, and classical, and is usually regarded and credited as a world music artist.

“Canção do Mar” means song of the sea. It was originally part of Dulce Pontes 1996 release, Lágrimas (Tears), and also appeared on the soundtrack of the film Primal Fear. It was composed by Frederico de Brito and Ferrer Trindade.

Watch & listen

1990-1996

A very different Will Smith.

The theme song of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air basically explains the whole context of the show. Will Smith is a street-smart teen, born and raised in West Philadelphia, who was forced to move to Bel-Air to avoid getting himself further into trouble in his hometown.

The song was written and performed by Will Smith himself, as “The Fresh Prince,” and music was composed by the legendary Quincy Jones. It was played in its entirety (2 minutes, 52 seconds) in some early episodes. It is also included in his Greatest Hits album, attributed to DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jeff Townes) & The Fresh Prince.

The song is obviously entitled, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song lyrics

Now, this is a story all about how
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And I liked to take a minute
Just sit right there
I’ll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air

In west Philadelphia born and raised
On the playground is where I spent most of my days
Chillin’ out maxin’ relaxin’ all cool
And all shootin’ some b-ball outside of the school
When a couple of guys
Who were up to no good
Startin’ making trouble in my neighborhood
I got in one little fight and my mom got scared
She said ‘You’re movin’ with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air’

I begged and pleaded with her day after day
But she packed my suite case and send me on my way
She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket.
I put my walkman on and said, ‘I might as well kick it’.

First class, yo this is bad
Drinking orange juice out of a champagne glass.
Is this what the people of Bel-Air Living like?
Hmmmmm this might be alright.
I whistled for a cab and when it came near
The license plate said fresh and it had dice in the mirror
If anything I can say this cab is rare
But I thought ‘Now forget it’ – ‘Yo homes to Bel Air’

I pulled up to the house about 7 or 8
And I yelled to the cabbie ‘Yo homes smell ya later’
I looked at my kingdom
I was finally there
To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel Air

Watch & listen

2008-present

Being Erica is a Canadian television series (I’ve always wondered what goes on up there). Most would probably not be able to relate, but what the heck. The show stars Erin Karpluk as Erica Strange, a woman who has a therapist (Michael Riley) who can actually send her back in time to relive and correct certain events in her past. Sounds wild.

The theme song is good. The song is an edited version of “All I Ever Wanted.” It was co-written and performed by Canadian independent singer-songwriter, Lily Frost. Go Indie!

The song is part of the official soundtrack of the series. It is listed as “Being Erica Opening Theme Song” for track 1, and as Lily Frost – “All I Ever Wanted To Be (Being Erica Theme Song)” for track 23 (last).

Being Erica theme song lyrics

It’s clearer inside of me
Who I will always be
Open me up to my heart
Feels like I’m singing the dark
(Waking me up to my life)
To do it all over
Again and again
Back to the end
The sum of my dreams
And everything I ever wanted to be

Watch & listen

2003-2007

This used to be cool.

The theme song for The O.C. is obviously entitled “California.” It was written and performed by Phantom Planet, an alternative rock band from Southern California. Phantom Planet is perhaps best known for that song, but they also made waves as that group which featured actor Jason Schwartzman on drums.

“California” originally came from Phantom Planet’s 2002 album, The Guest. It was also part of the original soundtrack of the film Orange County, and from Music from The O.C.: Mix 1.

In 2005, Phantom Planet rerecorded a mellower version of the original song and called it “California 2005.” It is part of Music From The O.C.: Mix 5.

In all, there are 6 official soundtrack releases for The O.C.: Music From The O.C. Mix 1 through 6.

The O.C. theme song lyrics

California here we come
Right back where we started from

California
Here we come

Watch & listen (opening credits for seasons 1 to 4)

However…

Back when I still watched this show, yes, I did, the end credits’ song caught my attention more. Below is the said song. I believe this song was an original bit made for the show, and was probably composed by Christopher Tyng—original music composer for The O.C.