The Office Theme Song
I thought a really interesting audio blog would be to focus on the theme song/intro song of The Office. Partly because I’m rewatching it with my roommates right now so it’s stuck in my head but also because theme songs to shows in general are really interesting and sort of comforting. When someone sits down to watch their favorite show they tend to bop their head along to it’s theme song and feel a sense of comfortability because despite plots changing show by show the theme songs stay consistent. Theme songs create a sense of connection between the viewer and the show.
Interestingly enough there are no words in The Office’s theme song. It consists of piano, guitar and even some hand claps? Personally, I think the simplicity and odd nature of the intro song is what makes it work so well. It’s a little funky and silly which is exactly how the show is. If it were a more serious song it would be both confusing and misleading. The song was written by an artist named Jay Ferguson. Originally the shows developers wanted a pre-exisiting song but landed on going with an original piece. Jay Ferguson has composed songs for many famous shows including NCIS: LA and Charlie’s Angels.
Ferguson actually sent the song in for review, unfinished. In an American Songwriter interview he explained:
"Describing the song as “bare bones,” Ferguson said he kept getting calls from the producers saying they couldn’t stop listening to the unfinished ditty on which Ferguson played all the instruments. “Finally it was like they gave up and just said ‘That’s it,’” he says. “It’s just a simple thing, but it captured the spirit of the show for them … It’s a classic.”
And he was right! This song, as well as a the show, are classics. The power this introductory song has on the fans of the Office is immense, myself included. It’s a simple thirty-two second jingle that captures the essence of The Office. Listen to it below! Maybe you’ll love it, maybe you’ll hate it. Maybe you’re already familiar with it 🙂