From the episode: | All episodes except Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High, PTV, Family Goy, Brian Griffin's House of Payne, And Then There Were Fewer, And I'm Joyce Kinney, Livin' on a Prayer, Space Cadet, Valentine's Day in Quahog, Bigfat, Total Recall and The Fatman Always Rings Twice. Instrumental arrangements only for the "Road to" mini-series and "Follow the Money". |
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Singers: | :
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Voices: | Alex Borstein, Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, Lacey Chabert (seasons 1-3), Mila Kunis (seasons 4-present), Tony Sirico (2 episodes in season 12) and Walter Murphy and His Orchestra |
Family Guy, like most television programs, has a theme song. It was created by Walter Murphy.
Revised visuals for the theme song were made for the new widescreen version of the show that started in "Excellence in Broadcasting". While the song is not sung for the "Road to" mini-series", instrumental arrangements are used.
In the early seasons, Chris and Brian's voices are heard during the last line of the song over everyone else's. It was rerecorded following the show's revival, removing these prevalences.
Walter Murphy, Seth MacFarlane and David Zuckerman got an Annie Award nomination for writing the theme song in 2000. [1]
Listen
Frank Sinatra, Jr. version
Lyrics
Lois: It seems today
That all you see
Is violence in movies and sex on TV
Peter: But where are those good old fashioned values
Entire Family: On which we used to rely?
Lucky there's a Family Guy
Lucky there's a man who
Positively can do
All the things that make us
Stewie: Laugh and cry!
Entire Family: He's... a.. Fam..ily... Guy!
Rap Version (Peter Griffin: Husband, Father...Brother?)
Peter: Seems today...
Backup Singers: Seems today...
Peter: That all you see...
Backup Singers: That all you see...
Peter: Is violence in movies...
Backup Singers: Violence in movies...
Peter: And sex on TV...
Backup Singers: Sex on TV...
Peter: But where are those good old-fashioned values
On which we used to rely?
Backup Singers: Heeey....
Peter: L-L-L-Lucky there's a Family Guy
Backup Singers: Lucky there's a Family Guy
Peter: Lucky there's a
Backup Singers: Lucky there's a
Peter: Lucky there's a
Backup Singers: Lucky there's a
Peter: Lucky there's a Family Guy
Backup Singers: Lucky there's a Family Guy
Peter: Lucky there's a
Backup Singers: Lucky there's a
Peter: Lucky there's a
Backup Singers: Lucky there's a
Peter: He's
Backup Singer: Come on!
Peter: A...Fam...ily...
Peter and Backup Singers: Guuuuuuuuuuy!
Backup Singer: Indahouse!
Y'know!
Backup Singers: Y'know! Y'know!
Corrupted version #1 (Whistle While Your Wife Works)
Lois: It seems today
That all you see
Is violence in movies and sex on TV
Peter: But where are those good old fashioned values
Entire Family: On which we used to rely?
Lucky there's a Family Guy
Lucky there's a man who
Positively can do
All the things that make us
Peter: [falls down stairs] AAAH! Ow! Aaah! Aaah, ow, ow! [lands on dancer] Dammit!
Lois: Peter, are you all right?
Peter: N-no. I think you should call somebody.
Brian: Ma'am, are you all right?
Dancer: I can't...breathe...
Brian: Oh, God, I think she's punctured a lung!
Peter: Aw, dammit, look at my foot, it's already starting to swell up. I'm looking forward to this week. Friggin' swelled foot all week.
Stewie: [to the camera] You know we should, we should, you should probably go ahead and shut that off.
Corrupted version #2 (Lottery Fever)
Lois: It seems today
That all you see
Is violence in movies and sex on TV
Peter: But where are those good old fashioned values
Entire Family: On which we used to rely?
Lucky there's a Family Guy
Lucky there's a man who
Positively can do
All the things that make—
[while everyone else dances, a dancer walks down the stairs up to Peter]
Peter: Uh uh, hold it. Hold it. [the music stops] W-What's going on here?
Dancer: I'm pregnant.
Peter: Y-You're what?!
Dancer: Yeah.
Peter: We're in the middle of a thing here.
Dancer: Well, you didn't return any of my texts.
Peter: W-W-W-So what's goin' on...You want, like, a ride to the place?
Lois: Peter, what's goin' on?
Peter: What's going on, Lois, is that this girl is obviously not well and I have just learned that she's been stealing from the show and she should probably be escorted out of the building.
[two security guards walk the dancer out of the theme song, everything is silent until Peter looks back at the camera]
Peter: Na...na...Fam...ily...Guy!
Corrupted version #3 (He's Bla-ack!)
Lois: It seems today
That all you see
Is violence in movies and sex on TV
Peter: But where are those good old fashioned values
Entire Family: On which we used to rely?
Lucky there's a Family Guy
Lucky there's a man who
Positively can do
All the things that make us
Cleveland: 'Scuse me, 'scuse me, sorry. Sorry, Mort, I, uh, I hate to do this.
Mort: What...What's happening?
Cleveland: They want me in the line.
Mort: Well, where do I go?
Cleveland: Home?
Mort: Okay, but I still get paid for today, right?
Cleveland: I...I wouldn't know, you need to talk to Marla.
[Mort leaves.]
Peter: Sorry. [Mort trips.] You okay?
Mort: What do you care?
Entire Family: All the things that make us
Stewie: Laugh and cry!
Entire Family: He's... a.. Fam..ily... Guy!
Corrupted version #4 (A Lot Going On Upstairs)
Lois: It seems today
That all you see
Is violence in movies and sex on TV
Peter: But where are those good old fashioned values
Entire Family, although Stewie mumbles through his lines and his dancing is off: On which we used to rely?
Lucky there's a Family Guy
Lucky there's a man who
Positively can do
All the things that make us
Stewie: Pumpkin pie!
Peter: What the Hell? [To a stagehand] Put him on the bench.
Stewie: Wait please, no, I just wasn't ready.
[Stewie is put on a bench with other characters that have been phased out]
Peter: Don't worry, we'll put you in soon.
Fouad: ho, ho, ho...is funny because you won't be back.
Entire Family sans Stewie: He's... a.. Fam..ily... Guy!
Notes
- This song opens every episode except for the following:
- The "Road to" mini-series (Road to Rhode Island, Road to Europe, Road to Rupert, Road to Germany, Road to the Multiverse, Road to the North Pole, Roads to Vegas and Road to India) - In these episodes, the theme song is replaced by a 1940's style opening credits sequence with an overture of the musical number played over it.
- Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High - The opening sequence is replaced by a parody of Law & Order's credit sequence
- PTV - The entire theme song is replaced by a long cold opening involving Stewie and Osama bin Laden, followed by a parody of the opening scene from The Naked Gun.
- Blue Harvest, Something, Something, Something, Dark Side and It's A Trap! - These episodes begin with spoofs of the openings to the Star Wars trilogy.
- Family Goy - The opening is replaced by a mostly shot by shot spoof of the opening of The All-New Super Friends Hour, even using the original audio.
- Brian Griffin's House of Payne - The opening is replaced by just a shot of the title on a black background and a Star Wars parody starring Stewie and Rupert.
- And Then There Were Fewer - In the initial broadcast, the theme song was replaced by a credit sequence and montage of the Griffins driving to the manor. For reruns, the regular current version of the theme song is used.
- And I'm Joyce Kinney - The theme song was replaced by a parody of The Incredible Hulk opening credits.
- Livin' on a Prayer - The theme song was replaced by a parody of Little House on the Prairie opening credits.
- Space Cadet - The theme song is replaced by a spoof of the opening to Monty Python's Flying Circus.
- Valentine's Day in Quahog - The theme song is replaced by a parody on the trailer to the 2010 romantic-comedy film Valentine's Day.
- Bigfat - The theme is replaced by a parody of the theme to King of the Hill.
- Total Recall - The episode features a special opening in the style of Modern Family.
- Whistle While Your Wife Works - Peter falls down the stairs landing on one of the female dancers.
- Lottery Fever - one of the female dancers (voiced by Judy Greer), says she's pregnant with Peter's child.
- He's Bla-ack! - Marking his official return to the series, Cleveland interrupts the theme song to replace Mort, who demands to know if he'll still get paid for the day.
- A Lot Going On Upstairs - Upset by a monster that pursues him though his dreams, Stewie's dream of the opening theme, which replaces the actual theme, results in him flubbing his opening lines, including substituting "pumpkin pie" for the usual "laugh and cry." As a result, he is placed on a bench with other characters that no longer appear on the show.
- Inside Family Guy - The theme song is presented as an instrumental number as screenshots of the production crew and "actors" are shown.
- V is for Mystery - Similar to the "Road to..." series, the vocals theme is replaced a collection of title cards and an instrumental version of the theme song.
- PeTerminator - The theme is replaced with a instrumental version vaguely styled after The Terminator theme. the camera pans over various cast members who appear in the normal theme who have been turned into skeletons as the entire set is in flames.
- The Fatman Always Rings Twice - The opening is replaced by Noir-style opening with the Love Theme from Chinatown.
- During the show's run, Stewie's line "Laugh and cry" has commonly been mistaken as "effin' cry". In the third season, to make the "l" more audible, Seth MacFarlane rerecorded the line. When the show was revived, the original recording of the line was used and has been ever since. This is referenced in "Friends of Peter G", when Peter, very drunk, asks if there truly is a difference while he shoos Stewie away. When the cast of Family Guy was on Inside the Actors Studio, Seth stated that "'effin' cry' lyrically makes no sense." In the uncensored version of "Call Girl", Stewie sets up a cutaway of having difficulty during the theme song. The ensuing cutaway features a burst of profanity from Stewie that far exceeds 'effin' cry'. Also in the original version, the family can be heard singing the chorus along with the studio singers. After the song was rerecorded, their vocals were mysteriously taken out and only the studio singers are heard singing the chorus, even after the original "laugh and cry" recording was put back in.
- The full version of the song appears Family Guy: Live in Vegas album, and is the only song not created especially for the album. The track is titled "Theme from "Family Guy"".
- The revised version of the opening that premiered in "Excellence in Broadcasting" features the supporting cast in roles previously filled with generic figures and the current rug color. From top to bottom on the men's side is Carter Pewterschmidt, Tom Tucker, Mort Goldman, Mayor Adam West, Joe Swanson and Glenn Quagmire. On the women's side is Barbara Pewterschmidt, Joyce Kinney, Angela, Jillian, Bonnie Swanson and Tricia Takanawa. Some of the cast are strategically placed according to their significant others at one point or another. Starting with "He's Bla-ack!", Mort gets replaced by Cleveland Brown and starting with "The Peter Principal", Jillian gets replaced by Donna Tubbs-Brown. In "Pawtucket Pete", Consuela replaces Angela.
- An instrumental version of the theme song played over the end credits from season 1 through part of season 3. Since mid-season 3, the end credits are changed to include a new arrangement of the theme music approximately every two seasons. There have been 6 versions of the end theme; the newest debuted during season 9. Version 4, a mostly flute and string arrangement, appeared in only a few episodes; however, FOX plays this version weekly during the parental advisory tag prior to the show.
- In addition to the above, the ending credits have occasionally used "one-time only" arrangements of the theme song themed to specific episodes; these have included:
- Mr. Saturday Knight - a renaissance version
- Peter Griffin: Husband, Father...Brother? - a rap version
- North by North Quahog - a North by Northwest inspired version
- Breaking Out is Hard to Do - an Asian version
- Jungle Love - a South American Huayño version
- Brian Sings and Swings - a version sung by Frank Sinatra, Jr.
- Deep Throats - a folk music version
- Peter's Two Dads - an Irish version
- Meet the Quagmires - an Axel F-inspired '80s version.
- Blue Harvest, Something, Something, Something, Dark Side, It's A Trap! - a "Star Wars" version
- Padre de Familia - a mariachi band version
- And I'm Joyce Kinney - a porno film score version
- Friends of Peter G - a gospel version, inspired by Mr. Booze
- Seahorse Seashell Party - a dramatic hurricane-themed version with thunder and rain sound effects
- The Simpsons Guy - done in the style of Danny Elfman's theme song for The Simpsons
- The New Adventures of Old Tom - done in a heavy metal/rap style
- Peter's Def Jam - features a techno mix of quotes from the show.
- The Finer Strings - the ending theme performed by a string quartet.
- Don't Be a Dickens At Christmas - "Jingle Bells" is mixed in with the usual theme.
- PeTerminator - The ending credits have the Terminator sound-alike theme that played over the opening theme.
- Adam West High - The theme is styled after the 1966 Batman theme in honor of Adam West.
- Oscars Guy - A piano music ending.
- The uncensored version of "Tales of a Third Grade Nothing" features an extended version of "Take Me Out to pLace Tonight" over the end credits. The syndicated version reuses the Frank Sinatra, Jr. recording from "Brian Sings and Swings".
- The song "Peter Griffin" is sung by "Paul Simon" at the end of "Scammed Yankees".
- Peter is annoyed to find the family singing the theme song along with Chip, Peter's vestigial twin, in "Vestigial Peter". When they invite him to sing along, he mumbles his way through a line of the song, making up his own words before quitting in anger and frustration.
- After the death of Brian in "Life of Brian", Vinny took his place in the theme song for "In Harmony's Way" and "Christmas Guy".
- Stewie sees an alternate version of the theme song from before he was born in "Chap Stewie" as Lois holds up a bag of groceries and remarks on her prominent camel-toe.
- CineFix Homemade Movies series created a shot-for-shot live-action recreation of the "Theme Song".[2]
- In a potential reboot of the show in "Disney's The Reboot" where most of the characters have been written out, the Theme Song is performed only by Chris, Joe and Tricia Takanawa.
- When Alana Fitzgerald attempts to replace Lois in the family, she practices her version of the theme song in "All About Alana".