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« TVGuide.com Asks....
What Instrumental TV Theme Songs Could Use Lyrics?
As part of a TV Guide cover story on an upcoming all-TV theme song edition of NBC's The Singing Bee, we want to ask you:
What all-instrumental TV theme song could benefit from some actual words? And are you willing to offer up the "missing" lyrics?
If you're feeling creative, this is your place to write the songs that make the TV world sing.
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Oct 3, 2007 12:58 PM
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Don't have a suggestion, but flashing back to Reverend Jim on Taxi, who wrote lyrics to The Bob Newhart Show theme for his date with Marcia Wallace. "Here comes Bob and Carol...."
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Oct 3, 2007 2:24 PM
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I actually like the instrumental themes. I have mp3s of 30 Rock, Lois & Clark, Everwood, Buffy and How I Met Your Mother on my phone to use as ringtones. It's been 30 Rock for awhile now, maybe I need to change it up. But which one? It's so hard to choose.
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Oct 3, 2007 2:36 PM
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So many of the old classic TV themes actually already have lyrics -- like The Odd Couple, I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched (as heard on Dancing with the Stars last week) - but they are rarely used.
A theme that doesn't have lyrics (as far as I know) but could is It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. (Note: I said could, not should.)
I always loved how Roseanne used the same instrumental theme (albeit in various arrangements) for almost its entire run, and then, in its final season, the familiar tune suddenly had lyrics (by John Popper, of Blues Traveler)!
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Oct 3, 2007 3:04 PM
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Minor quibble, Chappy - The Odd Couple theme was borrowed from the movie the show was based on (as with M*A*S*H). Does it still count as a TV theme?
And what were the lyrics?
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Oct 3, 2007 3:12 PM
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Don't know if this is right (never seen the show or movie) but here it is anyway:
from http://www.cfhf.net/lyrics/odd.htm
No matter where they go they are known as the couple.
They’re never seen alone so they’re known as the couple.
As I’ve indicated they are never quite separated,
They are peas in a pod. Don’t you think that it’s odd?
Their habits, I confess, none can guess, with the couple.
If one says no it’s yes, more or less, with the couple.
But they’re laugh provoking; yet they really don’t know they’re joking.
Don’t you find, when love is blind It’s kind of odd.
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Oct 3, 2007 3:30 PM
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Minor quibble, Chappy - The Odd Couple theme was borrowed from the movie the show was based on (as with M*A*S*H). Does it still count as a TV theme? - mirakle58
That's true -- "Borrowed from the movie" is a whole sub-category of TV themes.
That's why these TV theme questions are so hard to answer -- there are a lot of different factors to take into account, like lyrics vs. no lyrics, original song vs. existing pop song, so-so theme but great opening sequence.
And, good job, Leah, on finding the lyrics!
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Oct 3, 2007 3:41 PM
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Thanks Leah and Chappy - those lyrics are funny, but I think I like the tune better without them.
You'd agree if you'd heard me sing them.
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Oct 3, 2007 3:54 PM
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Oct 3, 2007 4:07 PM
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If those Odd Couple lyrics were played in re-runs these days, the show would probably take on a whole new meaning!
Not that there is anything wrong with that................
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Oct 3, 2007 4:19 PM
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Any of them, as long as they're not describing what's going on in the show. The "Friends" theme worked so well because it was about friends, not "Ross is a paleontologist and he's in love with Raaachellll" or something like that. Those types are just annoying.
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Oct 3, 2007 4:28 PM
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Two that I can think of are Bones and House which both have a great sound!
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Oct 3, 2007 4:31 PM
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If those Odd Couple lyrics were played in re-runs these days, the show would probably take on a whole new meaning! Not that there is anything wrong with that................ - Mr. Furley
So true!
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Oct 3, 2007 6:14 PM
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What about Homicide: Life on the Streets?
Ha! Now that would be a challenge.
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Oct 4, 2007 8:27 AM
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I remember David Duchovny on a talk show saying that Mark Snow, the composer, created lyrics for the X-Files theme song:
The X-Files is a show
With music by Mark Snow
The X-Files is a show
With music by Mark Snow
Try singing along the next time you catch a rerun. I guarantee you'll never not mentally sing along when you hear it from now on. At least, that's what happened to me.
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Oct 4, 2007 8:43 AM
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