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TV Theme Songs
TV Theme Songs

Learn new music vocabulary and the Present Perfect Tense

Date: Nov 01 2010

Themes: Music, Pop Culture

Grammar: Present Perfect Tense

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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The TV show Friends is one of the most popular sitcoms that has ever aired. There are a lot of reasons you could give for its success, from good acting to clever writing. But one feature of the show that shouldn’t be overlooked is its theme song. The Friends theme song is as catchy as a cold. And when a TV show has a super catchy theme song that gets stuck in your head, the show stays with you, too. As Marni discovers, it’s hard to forget a good theme song…no matter how hard you try.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Marni

Dale

Dale

Marni:  Dale, I have had a song stuck in my head all day, but it’s actually a TV theme song.

Dale:  You know, that was a good thing about during my time. I’m going to say my time because I’m not going by age here. But it was this era where we actually got to hear theme songs for about a minute to a minute and a half. And it was so catchy that you would sing it and it would remind you of every single part of that TV show. Now I don’t know why they don’t have it that much anymore, but it’s always stuck in my head, there were some good ones from Different Strokes, Cheers, and even Friends.

Marni:  That’s the one I’ve had stuck in my head all day. I cannot get “I’ll be there for you…” out of my head. Some of them are just so catchy, and you know, you just…you hear it and you instantly know exactly what it’s from and you sort of associate it with the show. But I just…gosh, you know, over and over again these little jingles just stick in your head, and sometimes it’s great, but boy, right now, I really wish I could get the Friends theme song out of my head.

Dale:  Well, they did their job.

Marni:  You know there’s actually…some of the shows though now, actually, in some of their opening sequences it’s almost like a music video, for instance True Blood, have you seen that show on HBO, about vampires?

Dale:  No, but tell me about it.

Marni:  I really actually like the song a lot. And the opening sequence is like this…it really has nothing to do with the show, I mean some of the characters are in it, but it’s sort of this, like, video. And it’s really fascinating. And I think it’s sort of almost this new art form with theme songs.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Marni can’t get the theme song for Friends out of her head. Dale agrees that the Friends theme song is really catchy. He thinks TV theme songs used to be more catchy and longer than they are now. To Marni, the Friends theme song is a little too catchy, but she agrees that a memorable theme makes always you remember the show each time you hear it.

Marni thinks the TV show True Blood is doing something interesting with their theme song. They begin each show with a short music video that doesn’t have much to do with the show, but is fun to watch. Theme songs are one more way TV producers try to get you hooked on their shows, and judging by Marni, they’re working.

Which TV theme songs are memorable to you?

Related: Review this lesson about commercial jingles.

 

Comments

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thegreentree

Germany

i want to  ask why she used the present perfect in this  senteces , I have had a song stuck in my head all day

08:34 AM Jan 26 2012 |

CatcheR

CatcheR

Iceland

Listening to the music in school bus, really I wish it get out of my head.

11:45 AM Dec 25 2011 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

There has a theme song that makes me remind 80's time…MacGyver's theme song,pretty cool in the 80's and till today I remind it when I listen to Tom Sawyer by Rush :) Pretty cool hehe

10:45 AM Jan 05 2011 |

tiger_bagira

Greece

NICE

11:20 AM Nov 14 2010 |

Romio79

Romio79

Russian Federation

I can remember only one. It's the theme song from The Simsons.

...ta-da-da-daSmile

04:55 PM Nov 04 2010 |

julianrockeromillonario

Argentina

tv theme songs?? i love alot

 

my favorites: "follow me " zoey 101 "i found a way" drake & josh,the big time rush theme song(the name's song is the same that the band/show), beautifull songs!!! 

01:13 AM Nov 04 2010 |

ruanjable

ruanjable

China

I  love the theme song of sitcoms "big bang theory". It's really a cathy song that very time I watch "big bang theory", it poped in my head.

01:47 PM Nov 03 2010 |

rebel lee

rebel lee

China

There is a terrible commercial jingle in my mind all the time. I hate that jingle, but I just cann't get it out of my mind.

But there are also some great ones. And lots of children like them.

03:17 AM Nov 03 2010 |

kukuka

kukuka

Ukraine

Sex and the city's melody was a very catchy tune, I think.

02:39 PM Nov 02 2010 |

jiahui.lei

jiahui.lei

China

my heart will go on is one of the greatest theme song ,i was so impressed each time,when i heard it.thank u for those genius musician.

01:53 PM Nov 02 2010 |

lolekesh

lolekesh

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh….....................

12:36 PM Nov 02 2010 |

rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

for me ,  a tv theme song funny is "SpongeBob" hehe , it's so catchy and also there is a ringtone for cellphone , come on !!!

 

02:12 AM Nov 02 2010 |

tota 369

tota 369

Saudi Arabia

hi

12:24 AM Nov 02 2010 |

hopeli667788

China

I agree on Marni. " I 'll be there for you" is also stuck in my head. Even sometimes my friends shared some miserable things with me, I want to say" I 'll be there for you".

 

11:40 PM Nov 01 2010 |

charming princess

Saudi Arabia

Marni , your voice is awesome. You must start a career as a singer  . I would be the first one to buy your CD.

09:23 PM Nov 01 2010 |

spacedragon

Brazil

yeah it's true

06:04 PM Nov 01 2010 |

Winchester_07

Brazil

I think the most memorable TV theme song is "Carry On My Wayward Son", from Supernatural. This songs speaks to me a lot and it's completely associated with the TV show, the story and, of course, the characters. The producers did a good job choosing this song. 

I really love when a new season begins with scenes of the previous events of the last season and then they start playing this song. It's a such classical rock song and now is associated with my favorite tv show. Supernatural rocks so do the soundtrack!

02:25 AM Nov 01 2010 |

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