Musical Analysis of 'The Office' Theme Song

We've all seen The Office, right? We all know that catchy tune that we all hum along to and can't ever seem to get out of our heads?  Don't remember? Refresh your memory by clicking the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyIVAm9PVrI

Composed by former seventies rock/pop star, James Ferguson, 'The Office' theme song wasn't ready until less than a week before the show aired back in 2005 in the United States. Talk about a stressful timeline! Nonetheless, the song was fun, catchy, and loved by everyone immediately!

I personally love this song and I think it was a very fitting theme song for this show. This show has some gifted actors, such as Steve Carell, who make it hilarious. This song is the perfect opening for the show and will always be one of my favorites.

3 musical elements that made this piece of work such an immediate hit:

1. This song is played in G major, which is a very common choice for popular songs like this one. This key is perfect for this song because it creates a satisfying and gentle feel, which I enjoy.

2. This song has a relatively quick tempo, at 84 BPM, making it upbeat, catchy, and fun to hum along to. In my opinion, the tempo being faster would have ruined this song, and it being slower would have ruined this song. I think the tempo is at a good rate that is easy to follow.

3. This song has a unique sound, but it's over quick. The duration of the song is very short, lasting only 33 seconds. I enjoy this length because it's long enough to hum along to, but not get annoying.

Rainn Wilson, a star of the TV show, said "It perfectly set the tone for the show", when asked about 'The Office" theme song in an interview. The actor even admitted to making up his own lyrics to the music at times and singing them for other actors on set of the TV show.

In a ScreenRant written by Kirstie Landry, she explains that even though the TV show ended in 2013, the song itself is still loved by fans of the show to this day. Here's what she had to say about 'The Office' theme song:

"The upbeat tune can be hummed by any fan at any given time. It fits the show's characters to a T, even without words. And as simple as The Office's intro is, there are a ton of hidden gems and surprising facts about the song that fans didn't even realize. It goes to show that The Office theme song didn't leave any stone unturned..."

My Sources:

Polanco, Luis. “Rainn Wilson Reveals 3 Classic Tunes That Almost Became 'The Office' Theme Song.” Billboard, 12 Nov. 2015, www.billboard.com/articles/news/6762220/rainn-wilson-the-office-theme-song-bassoon-king

Landry, Kirstie, and Kirstie Landry (51 Articles Published) Kirstie began paying close attention to films and television shows when she was very young. While writing has always been her main passion. https://screenrant.com/the-office-theme-song-intro-facts-trivia/

“The Office Opening Theme by Jay Ferguson Chords and Melody.” Hooktheory, https://www.hooktheory.com/theorytab/view/jay-ferguson/the-office-opening-theme

[{"@type":"Person", "name":"Hope Lasater". “53 Of The Funniest Jokes Ever From ‘The Office.’” BuzzFeed, BuzzFeed, 18 Dec. 2020, www.buzzfeed.com/hopelasater/the-office-funniest-jokes

Comments

  1. SamanthaSeptember 17, 2021 at 4:41 PM

    Jen,

    What a fun choice! I love the office and the intro music is super catchy. It really brings your attention to the screen, which I can only assume was their goal for the song. It sound like your'e someone who plays music as you knew the key that the song is played in. I like that about your blog its an interesting bit of additional information that most people probably don't know.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jade ShepardSeptember 26, 2021 at 10:27 PM

    What a great choice! I love the office,I didn’t even think to do a catchy intro music for a show. Your information is well thought out and organized.

    ReplyDelete

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