Musical Analysis #2 - "I'll Be There For You"
Rachel. Monica. Phoebe. Joey. Ross. Chandler. If you don't know these names, we can't be FRIENDS. Haha, you like my joke? Anyways, click below to listen to 'I'll Be There For You'.
The song "I'll Be There For You" was written and composed by Phil Solem, Danny Wilde, Allee Willis, Michael Skloff, David Crane, and Martha Kauffman as the main theme song for the NBC sitcom "Friends", which aired in the U.S. from 1994 to 2004. The Rembrandts band was the only one available to record the song with Warner Bros, so they were the lucky group to gain popularity when the song blew up. In 1995, one year after the NBC sitcom aired, The Rembrandts even added two verses to the song and put the new version in their album!
I personally love this song and I think it was a very fitting theme song for this sitcom. For me personally, this song never gets old and it's one of my favorite parts of the show. This song is extremely memorable and easy for many people to recognize at the start!
3 musical elements that made this piece of work so iconic:
1. The clapping. We all know this song isn't complete without the clapping. Added by accident, the claps in the song turned out to be more popular than the drum beats that were originally implemented. The clapping in the song helps people to recognize the rhythm in the sounds.
2. The riff. That guitar riff at the beginning of the song signifies you're in for a full 30 minutes of bliss. This short melody is a great way to start a song, but especially a short one that is meant to catch the viewer's attention. It may seem short and insignificant, but it was the perfect lead.
3. The off-the-beat synth. Though only 50 seconds long, the song starts out with guitar strings and becomes more upbeat and alive in the middle. The tempo of this song is 95 BPM, which works extremely well for a song that is meant to have a powerful impact in a short amount of time.
Though fans of the show around the world admire the theme song, it seems the cast themselves did not exactly love it. Jennifer Anniston, a huge star of the sitcom, said "No one was really a big fan of that theme song", talking about the cast members dislike for the song, when asked about 'I'll Be There For You" in an interview. I understand where they're coming from after hearing it repeatedly for years and years!
Phil Solem, a writer of the song, was surprised with the success and popularity that spurred from "I'll Be There For You". After topping the chart globally and going platinum, Phil Solem stated, "It went further than we ever imagined", when asked about the song's success.
My Sources:
“I'll Be There for You (The Rembrandts Song).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Sept. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'll_Be_There_for_You_(The_Rembrandts_song). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27ll_Be_There_for_You_(The_Rembrandts_song)
Amanda Harding More Articles Published on July 2, 2020. “'Friends' Theme Song Composers Added the Hand Claps to 'I'll Be There for You' By Mistake, But the End Result Was 'Magical'.” Showbiz Cheat Sheet, 2 July 2020, https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/friends-theme-song-composers-added-the-hand-claps-to-ill-be-there-for-you-by-mistake-but-the-end-result-was-magical.html/
Roberts, Maddy Shaw. “Friends Theme Song: Who Sings It, What Are the Lyrics and How Many Claps Are There?” Classic FM, Classic FM, 14 May 2021, https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/periods-genres/film-tv/friends-theme-song-rembrandts-lyrics-story-how-many-claps/.
Woo, Kelly. “The 'Friends' Cast Did Not Like the Show's Theme Song.” Moviefone, Moviefone, 23 Nov. 2016, https://www.moviefone.com/2016/11/23/the-friends-cast-did-not-like-the-shows-theme-song/.
Tailor, Leena. “How the Rembrandts' 'Friends' Song Became the Most Iconic TV Theme of the '90s... and Beyond.” Variety, Variety, 27 May 2021, https://variety.com/2021/music/news/rembrandts-friends-theme-ill-be-there-for-you-1234983082/.
I love this show. I find myself either putting on The Office or Friends all the time as background noise as I clean the house, make dinner, do homework, etc. I've watched all of the episodes at least 4 times, and my favorite character is Phoebe. I love her "Smelly Cat" song. It cracks me up every time. It's so funny that Jennifer Anniston mentioned that no one really liked the song, which makes sense as you said because they have heard it so many times. But for me, it never gets old. I always sing along to the intro every time I watch it :) I like how you included the tempo of the song, which is pretty fast! I also want to add that in the beginning of the theme song, the instruments are added one at a time to create kind of a layering effect, which puts the guitar riff in the spotlight at the beginning. And then by the time the vocals hit all of the instruments are being played and it is so cool!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I laughed so hard at the meme on your blog! I’m currently watching all the episodes of Friends! It’s my “gift” after working on school work all day. I now have my daughter and husband interested in it and we make a big deal out of the clapping when the introduction song comes on.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you described the guitar riff. I agree how it is an attention getter and how the tempo has a powerful impact in a short amount of time. When I watch a few shows after getting my assignments done today, I’ll be thinking about your analysis as I listen to the song.
Thanks for the insight!
-Doris Miller
I like the song too. It is amazing how far the song has come. For this 2nd analysis though, we were supposed to do 5 musical elements. But you did a great job with the three elements you used and I liked your opinions on the song. Great job.
ReplyDelete