I recently stumbled across some news from the producers of our beloved program, who have decided to hold a “Mock Theme Contest.” As the official website for the show states:
“For this year’s Comic-Con panel, our theme is about giving back to YOU…the fans!!! It is because of you that we are celebrating our 5th year at Comic-Con, and we would love to incorporate your astounding creativity. We’d like to feature YOUR ideal version of what you think a LOST title song would be (if the show had one). Over the years, we’ve been witness to your incredibly innovative pieces on LOST, and would love to hear your fetchy melody for LOST which you were waiting to share!” (http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=mocktheme).
Even though the show has never had any official theme song (aside from the lovely eerie tone that reverberates as the title comes into view, of course), LOST has always been a program that utilizes music to its fullest effect to capture the feel of a moment. My personal favorites are the distinct marching tunes that usher in an air of triumph and determination. These melodies usually make themselves heard near the end of each season, especially season finales. Possibly the one that sticks out the best for me is the driving rhythm that carried the survivors along during the finale of season 3, as they marched with certainty, determined to stand against the Others once and for all.
Needless to say, music within LOST also goes a long way to establishing creepy and frightening ambience to enhance the thrill of harrowing moments. What I find even more intriguing, though, is the use of an absence of music to up the chill factor. In season one’s “Raised by Another,” Claire has a nightmare in which she encounters Locke with black eyes and finds blood in a cradle. The complete lack of music coupled with faint sounds of a baby crying solidify this scene as one of the most terrifying over the whole five seasons of LOST.
I’m curious to see what you all think about the use of music in general throughout the course of the program. Leave a comment below with your thoughts. Now I would like to transition from discussing the masterful use of music to create mood to some fun speculation on what might make a good theme song for the show, and what the implications of the choice may be. I am fully going to break the rules of the contest, however, and not actually create a song of my own.
Theme 1: “(You All) Everybody” by DriveSHAFT. This choice is clearly a no-brainer since it is the hit song of awesome rocker and Claire-obsessed Brit, Charlie. It doesn’t really fit the mood of the show though. Something about lyrics that say “You all, everybody / You all, everybody / I don’t like you stupid people / Wearing expensive clothes,” fail to capture what the show is actually about. I do applaud the producers for basing a song on what I have heard were the insane ranting of a Jerry Springer guest…
Theme 2: “Fly Like an Eagle” by Steve Miller. Who wouldn’t love to see a montage of clips of the show paired with the lyrics, “Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin / Into the future”? Unfortunately the rest of the song doesn’t really work for the show. The Smoke Monster’s flight patterns are more serpentine than eagle.
Theme 3: Theme from “Sanford and Son” OR theme from “Benny Hill.” I can’t really justify these choices. I just personally think these are two of the most memorable and hilarious theme songs of all time. I would love to see Ben chasing Sun and Kate in bikinis before stumbling onto Sawyer selling junk. It’s moments like these that write themselves…
Theme 4: “HOUSE Theme.” Sure it’s already on television, but it’s an awesome song. (Yes, I am aware it is part of a real song, but this is the best part.) Add some darker and deeper discordant tones, slow down the track, and you adapt the song to better fit the creepier mood of LOST. Instant classic.
Well those are my brief thoughts on the subject. Let me know what you all think would make good – or funny – theme songs. Stupid people in expensive clothes need not reply…
