Find me something to sing along to

November 13, 2008 7:19 PM

What are your favorite theme songs?

I love happy indiepop and am especially excited when bands record a theme song for themselves. I'm not sure if this is an indiepop thing or if other types of bands do it too. For an examples see Tally Hall's "Welcome to Tally Hall" or The All Girl Summer Fun Band's "Theme Song." Do you know any more? They don't have to be pop but I can't imagine a heavy metal band making themselves a theme song.

Just to widen the possibilities lets include TV or movie theme songs covered by bands, like Liz Phair and Material Issue's cover of the Banana Split's theme song.

posted by Bunglegirl to media & arts (40 comments total)

They Might Be Giants.....


We can't be silent
'Cause they might be giants
And what are we going to do unless they are
posted by ian1977 at 7:30 PM on November 13, 2008 [2 favorites]

oh! And Mr Bungle's cover of PeeWee's Playhouse theme song.

Paging Mr. Herman....
posted by ian1977 at 7:32 PM on November 13, 2008

Vicarious Bliss has a theme, called "Theme from Vicarious Bliss"
It isn't really indiepop but its pretty upbeat.
posted by god particle at 7:36 PM on November 13, 2008

The Human League did "Get Carter" quite well.

The Chap's "Le Theme" captures a lot of what they are about in one tune.
posted by galaksit at 7:36 PM on November 13, 2008

The Unicorns I think may have multiple ones.
or at least, they have recorded more than one version of "I was born (a Unicorn)"
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 7:42 PM on November 13, 2008

Not sure if this counts, but the vocalist of The Monochrome Set wrote a song called "B-I-D Spells Bid" [that's his, uh, name] which seems to be a theme song for himself, of sorts, but is performed by the band. They also have a song called "The Monochrome Set (I Presume)", in which they chant "the Monochrome Set" (among other things) over an Adam and the Ants-esque drum beat. Again, not sure if those count. I like the former song, but not the latter.

Didn't The Dickies also cover the Banana Splits theme?
posted by Dreamcast at 7:46 PM on November 13, 2008

Riverbottom Nightmare Band
posted by otolith at 7:49 PM on November 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

They don't have to be pop but I can't imagine a heavy metal band making themselves a theme song.

Dethklok has a theme. It's a stupid theme, but it's a theme.

Also, Rammstein. It's about, well, fire and disaster. The video only includes fire.
posted by Weighted Companion Cube at 7:53 PM on November 13, 2008

Oh! Techno-pop band Freezepop has one called Freezepop Forever, too.

P.s.: here's that unicorns song.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 7:54 PM on November 13, 2008

I can't imagine a heavy metal band making themselves a theme song.

Black Sabbath did a song entitled "Black Sabbath".

Iron Maiden did a song entitled "Iron Maiden".

Queensrÿche did a song entitled "Queen of the Reich".
posted by Flunkie at 8:02 PM on November 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

The Chalets - Theme From Chalets

As far as bands covering themes, Matthew Sweet covered the Speed Racer theme very nicely!
posted by Mael Oui at 8:08 PM on November 13, 2008

I'm From Barcelona's "We're From Barcelona"
posted by papayaninja at 8:14 PM on November 13, 2008 [3 favorites]

They Might Be Giants recorded a theme song for The Replacements.

The Ramones - R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
posted by hydrophonic at 8:14 PM on November 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

Atom & His Package has the Atom & His Package Theme Song, which outlines the basic idea:

"I travel the world with my band in a box, and
I rock ten times harder than your average punk rock band."

And Devo has the "Freedom of Choice Theme Song" on their Dev-O Live disc, but that's just a really catchy instrumental; I'd say their real theme song is "Jocko Homo," which contains the repeated refrain:

"Are we not men?
WE ARE DEVO."

lets include TV or movie theme songs covered by bands

Cap'n Jazz has a beautifully melancholic, fuzzed-out cover of the 90210 theme.
posted by Greg Nog at 8:15 PM on November 13, 2008

Wilco - The Wilco Song
posted by Midnight Rambler at 8:16 PM on November 13, 2008

SOD's theme song - March of the SOD.
posted by blaneyphoto at 8:16 PM on November 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

The Teenagers' "Feeling Better" - "Who's there for you when you're cold and alone
The teenagers, the teenagers
We're playing our songs and you're dancing along
You're feeling better, feeling better"
posted by sweetkid at 8:23 PM on November 13, 2008

Not quite indie pop but I always tapped my toes to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's self referential song Partners, Brothers And Friends:

The promoter says he wants to cancel
Cause there ain't enough tickets sold
The air conditioner on the bus just broke
and I can't shake this cold. . .
posted by Staggering Jack at 8:35 PM on November 13, 2008

Beta Band - The Beta Band Rap
posted by Diskeater at 8:45 PM on November 13, 2008

Suicidal Tendencies - Pledge Your Allegiance
posted by Sailormom at 8:55 PM on November 13, 2008

Suicidal has a few songs that seem to be half-theme song, like a lot of rappers.

Suicidal Tendencies - Join the Army
Minor Threat - Minor Threat
Metallica - Whiplash
Public Enemy - Public Enemy #1
Ice Cube - The Nigga Ya Love to Hate
Wu-Tang Clan - Ain't Nuthin' Ta Fuck Wit'
posted by ignignokt at 9:13 PM on November 13, 2008

The Aquabats - Theme Song*

We floated across the ocean
in a hollowed out log
From the blue beaches
to the land of smog
We washed up on the beach
The Professor took us in
And that's when the experiments begin
He gave us super powers from chemicals
Then he gave us instruments
So we could rock and roll

* The audio quality is terrible, but it's the best I could find. On the plus side, it has a pre-Blink-182 Travis Barker rocking out in costume.
posted by indyz at 9:14 PM on November 13, 2008

"It's a Sparks Show Tonight" by Sparks
Not really a "theme" song, but "Soul Brother" by Queen does make reference to a bunch of their other songs:
He's my best friend
He's my champion
And he will rock you, rock you, rock you
'Cos he's the saviour of the universe
He can make you keep yourself alive
Make you keep yourself alive
Oooh brother

'Cos he's somebody, somebody, you can love
He's my soul brother
posted by Oriole Adams at 9:37 PM on November 13, 2008

Hey, hey we're The Monkees. People say we monkey around. Especially fun because it was also the theme song to their tv show.
posted by phunniemee at 9:55 PM on November 13, 2008

Madness - One Step Beyond...

The Heavy Heavy Monster Sound - the Nutsiest Sound around!
posted by Graygorey at 11:52 PM on November 13, 2008

The theme to Reading Rainbow
posted by BrnP84 at 1:21 AM on November 14, 2008

The Dandy Warhols: The Dandy Warhols TV Theme Song is precisely the sort of thing you might get excited about.

The theme to "White Horses" - dubbed B&W euro-girl-and-her-horse type thing has also been covered by a few people - Lucy Street for example.
posted by rongorongo at 2:36 AM on November 14, 2008

Adam and the Ants -- Antmusic

The Soft Boys -- Give it to the Soft Boys
posted by ROTFL at 4:24 AM on November 14, 2008

Polysics - "Polysics Or Die" off of Now Is The Time!

Imagine Devo's "Jocko Homo" having a furious threesome with a MicroKorg and a battered Speak'N'Spell in a raggedy Tokyo love hotel and you've just barely scratched the surface of the awesome.
posted by Katemonkey at 5:40 AM on November 14, 2008

Joan Jett does a great version of the Mary Tyler Moore Show theme song (Love Is All Around).
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:25 AM on November 14, 2008

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - Clap Your Hands

...Um, Backstreet Boys - Everybody (Backstreet's Back).
posted by hellopanda at 8:33 AM on November 14, 2008

MC Lars -- "Hey That's Me."
posted by lilac girl at 9:20 AM on November 14, 2008

Sealab 2021 has a great indiepop theme song.
posted by plexi at 9:36 AM on November 14, 2008

All great suggestions, even the heavy metal ones!
posted by Bunglegirl at 9:39 AM on November 14, 2008

I remember Madness actually had a theme song. It wasn't One Step Beyond. It was called "Madness".
posted by Zambrano at 9:59 AM on November 14, 2008

Cloud Cult did a theme song for for blogger Steve "The Sneeze" Steeds, and then used a differently-lyric'ed version of it on their latest album.

Close enough? Definitely indiepop, that's for sure.
posted by Lemurrhea at 10:49 AM on November 14, 2008

Baby Ray - The Ballad of Baby Ray
Young Fresh Fellows - Young Fresh Fellows Theme
Young Fresh Fellows - Young Fresh Fellows Update Theme
posted by dfan at 11:03 AM on November 14, 2008

If anyone's still interested here are links to the Tally Hall and AGSFB songs I mentioned in the question:

Welcome to Tally Hall
Theme Song
posted by Bunglegirl at 12:38 PM on November 14, 2008

Too Much Joy - Theme Song [ lyrics | Real Audio ]
posted by candyland at 4:15 PM on November 14, 2008

Talk Talk, by Talk Talk. On the album, Talk Talk.
posted by not_on_display at 3:57 AM on November 17, 2008