'Bred Crumbs
10.05.05
I Bet Even VH1 Can't Hum It
07:42 PMAt Peet's this morning, the tall young man at the register takes my order, and then, for the first time, starts a conversation with me.
"Did you watch much TV in the '80s?"
"I'm afraid so," I say. I don't know where this is going. I braced for a mention of an unfortunate physical resemblance to some washed-up supporting actor. Though I can't think of who that might be.
"Do you remember the theme from Mr. Belvedere?" he asks. I shake my head. I think about mentioning that the reason I don't remember it is because I've never watched Mr. Belvedere, but I don't.
I am not prepared for the subsequent outburst of amazement from Coffee Boy.
"Nobody does!" he shouts.
He says he's asked and asked, and no one knows it (including him). His mom thought she remembered, "and she tried to sing a little bit of it, but it just like evaporated. It's one of those songs that just doesn't stick."
Of course, it's on the Interweb (here's the MP3, via the ad-intensive Sitcoms Online), and it's no wonder no one remembers it. You've heard catchier dirges. Bearing the weirdly Elizabethan title "According to Our New Arrivals," it's a limp little thing that for some reason opens and closes with an approximation of a harpsichord solo.
But, again, I never watched the show. Was it set in an assisted-living speakeasy during the Holy Roman Empire? 'Cause that's the vibe the theme gives off.
The tune, such as it is, was voiced by Leon Redbone, best known for filling out the last ten minutes of Saturday Night Live back in its infancy. Ah, remember the mid-'70s, when SNL just had to pad out the last 30 minutes as opposed to, say, 90?
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(4 so far)
Damn it. Not only can I sing that theme song, I can do it in a pretty fair immitation of Mr. Redbone's voice.
When I was very sick for several weeks after Christmas during my senior year of high school, I looked forward to watching two shows every day: reruns of Mr. Belvedere, and the game show Password.
Let me reiterate, lest anyone judge me - I was very, very ill.
– Jack Scheer · 4 AM
Now that I listen to it, it's all coming back to me, including Mr. Belvedere's daily letter to the Queen. That may be the worst theme song ever.
– nilblogette · 4 PM
"When I was very sick for several weeks after Christmas during my senior year of high school, I looked forward to watching two shows every day: reruns of Mr. Belvedere, and the game show Password.
Let me reiterate, lest anyone judge me - I was very, very ill. "
The password is: Lame.
;D
But yeah, that show was horrible, as is the theme song. And the second I heard the .wav file I remembered it :(
– Bowler · 10 PM
When I was very sick for several weeks after Christmas during my senior year of high school, I looked forward to watching two shows every day: reruns of Mr. Belvedere, and the game show Password.
Let me reiterate, lest anyone judge me - I was very, very ill.
The password is: Lame. ;D
You say that now, but you don't know who the guest players were on Password one of those weeks: Jimmy Doohan and Michael Dorn!
Who's lame now?
– Jack Scheer · 4 AM
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