Top 10 TV-Show Theme Songs of the '70s: Lyrics, History and More

First Telecast: September 17, 1972
Last Telecast: September 19, 1983

(Theme song : "Suicide is Painless" by Johnny Mandel)

(Lyrics that were shortened for television theme song)

Through early morning fog I see,
Visions of the things to be,
The pains that are withheld for me,
I realize and I can see...
That suicide is painless,
It brings on many changes,
And I can take or leave it if I please.

M*A*S*H was set in South Korea, near Seoul, during the Korean War. The series focused on the group of doctors and nurses whose job was to heal the wounded who arrived at this "Mobile Army Surgical Hospital" by helicopter, ambulance or bus. The hospital compound was isolated from the rest of the world. One road ran through the camp; a mountain blocked one perimeter and a minefield the other. Here the wounded were patched up and sent home--or back to the front.

2) Happy Days (for pictures and reviews click link)

First Telecast: January 15, 1974
Last Telecast: July 12, 1984

Original Theme song : "Rock Around the Clock" (original recordings by Bill Haley & His Comets) (Seasons 1-2)

Theme song of later episodes : "Happy Days" (Gimble-Fox); recordings by Fats Domino, Connie Francis, Johnnie Ray, Kay Starr, and other stars of the 1950s ans 1960s. (Seasons 3-10)

"Happy Days" - written by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox; performed by Bobby Arvon (Season 11)

Golden Globe Awards Nominations for "Happy Days"

Outstanding Production - Musical Or Comedy Series

1976
1977

Actor In A Leading Role - Musical Or Comedy Series

1976 - Henry Winkler (winner)
1977 - Henry Winkler (winner)
1977 - Ron Howard

Actor In A Supporting Role - Series, Mini-Series, Or Television Movie

1982 - Anson Williams

3) All in the Family (for pictures and reviews click link)

First Telecast: January 12, 1971
Last Telecast: January 25, 1992

Original Theme song : "Those Were the Days," by Strouse and Adams, sung at the opening of each show by Archie and Edith until 1979.
(Replaced by an instrumental version in 1980.)

Theme song lyrics :

Boy the way Glen Miller played
Songs that made the hit parade.
Guys like us we had it made,
Those were the days.
And you knew who you were then,
Girls were girls and men were men,
Mister we could use a man
Like Herbert Hoover again.
Didn't need no welfare state,
Everybody pulled his weight.
Gee our old LaSalle ran great.
Those were the days.

The stories revolved around many controversial topics including, rape, sex, homosexuality, death, and other topics that were relevant to the 1970's, especially political strife and inflation. Archie Bunker was probably the first character in a situation comedy to use racist remarks referring to blacks and other minorities, yet another first for television.

4) Good Times (for pictures and reviews click link)

First Telecast: February 8, 1974
Last Telecast: August 1, 1979

Theme Song: "Good Times" (Written by: Alan and Marilyn Bergman and David Grusin) (Sung by: Jim Gilstrap and Blinky Williams)

Theme song lyrics :

Good Times. Any time you meet a payment.
Good Times. Any time you need a friend.
Good Times. Any time you're out from under.

Not getting hassled, not getting hustled.
Keepin' your head above water, making a wave when you can.

Temporary lay offs. Good Times.
Easy credit rip offs. Good Times.
Scratchin' and surviving. Good Times.
Hangin in a chow line. Good Times.

Ain't we lucky we got 'em. Good Times.

This TV show was a spinoff of the TV series, Maude, centered on the Evans family. In Maude Esther Rolle had portrayed Florida Evans, the black housekeeper, but in Good Times Florida and her family were struggling to survive in a South Side ghetto in Chicago.

5) Laverne and Shirley (for pictures and reviews click link)

First Telecast: January 27, 1976
Last Telecast: May 10, 1983

Theme song : "Making Our Dreams Come True," by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox; sung by Cyndi Grecco.

Laverne and Shirley are lower-society girls who share an apartment and work together at the Shotz Brewery as bottlecappers. Laverne and Shirley are very different people. Laverne is feisty, quick-tempered, and man-hungry while Shirley is more naive and trusting and quite inexperienced when it comes to romance.

6) The Mary Tyler Moore Show (for pictures and reviews click link)

First Telecast: September 19, 1970
Last Telecast: September 3, 1977

Theme song : "Love Is All Around," sung by Sonny Curtis

The show centered around Mary Richards, who moved to Minneapolis after a breakup with her fiancé and got a job as associate producer at a TV station, WJM-TV.

7) The Muppet Show (for pictures and reviews click link)

First Telecast: 1976
Last Telecast: 1981

Original theme song written by : Jim Henson

Theme song lyrics :

It's time to play the music
It's time to light the lights
It's time to meet the Muppets
On the Muppet Show tonight

It's time to put on makeup
It's time to dress up right
It's time to raise the curtain
On the Muppet Show tonight

Why do we always come here
I guess we'll never know
It's like a kind of torture
To have to watch the show

And now lets get things started
Why don't you get things started
It's time to get things started
On the most sensational
Inspirational
Celebrational
Muppetational
This is what we call the Muppet Show!

After the success of Sesame Street in 1969, Muppet creator Jim Henson wanted to have a chance at his own series. The special starred famous muppet, Kermit the Frog, with a cast of new muppets including: George the Janitor, Droop the Anteater, Crazy Donald (later named Crazy Harry), Brewsters the oldtimer, Mildred the goose, and Rufus (later named Muppy). Many of these characters were used during the first season of The Muppet Show, and quickly faded away to background characters.

8) The Brady Bunch (for pictures and reviews click link)

First Telecast: September 26, 1969
Last Telecast: August 30, 1974

Theme song : "The Brady Bunch" Written by: Frank DeVol and Sherwood Schwartz
Sung by: The Peppermint Trolley Company (Season 1) and The Brady Kids (Seasons 2-5)

Theme song lyrics :

Here's a story of a lovely lady,
Who was bringing up three very lovely girls.
All of them had hair of gold, like their mother,
The youngest one in curls.

It's a story, of a man named Brady,
Who was busy with three boys of his own.
They were four men, living all together,
Yet they were all alone.

'Till the one day when the lady met this fellow,
And they knew they we're much more than a hunch.
That this group must somehow form a family.
That's the way (we)* all became the Brady Bunch.
The Brady Bunch, The Brady Bunch.

That's the way (we)* became the Brady Bunch.

(*they instead of we during Season 1 only.)

Michael Paul Brady marries Carol Ann Tyler Martin and they combine their families. Mike had three sons from a previous marriage and Carol had three daughters also from a previous marriage. Mike's previous wife had died and the fate of Carol's previous husband was never explained. However, creator Sherwood Schwartz, originally intended Carol to have been divorced, but ABC balked at that idea. So thus we have two parents (Mike and Carol),six kids (Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby & Cindy), one housekeeper (Alice), and the family dog (Tiger), all living under one roof.

9) The Jeffersons (for pictures and reviews click link)

First Telecast: January 18, 1975
Last Telecast: July 23, 1985

Theme song : "Moving on Up," written by Jeff Barry and sung by Ja'net Dubois.

Theme song lyrics :

Well we're movin on up,to the east side.
To a deluxe apartment in the sky.
Movin on up, to the east side.
We finally got a piece of the pie.

Fish don't fry in the kitchen;
Beans don't burn on the grill.
Took a whole lotta tryin', just to get up that hill.
Now we're up in the big leagues, gettin' our turn at bat.
As long as we live, it's you and me baby,
and there ain't nothin' wrong with that.

Well we're movin on up, to the east side.
To a deluxe apartment in the sky.
Movin on up, to the east side.
We finally got a piece of the pie.

The series was a spinoff of All in the Family in which the Jeffersons were Archie and Edith Bunker's next door neighbors.

10) Welcome Back, Kotter (for pictures and reviews click link)

First Telecast: September 9. 1975
Last Telecast: August 10, 1979

Theme song : "Welcome Back," composed and performed by John Sebastian.

Theme song lyrics : (opening credits)

Welcome back, your dreams were your ticket out.
Welcome back to that same old place that you laughed about.
Well, the names have all changed since you hung around.
But those dreams have remained and they've turned around.
Who'd have thought they'd lead ya (who'd have thought they'd lead ya)
Back here where we need ya (back here where we need ya)?
Yeah, we tease him a lot 'cause we've got him on the spot, welcome back.
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.

(ending credits)

Welcome back, we always could spot a friend.
Welcome back, and I smile when I think how you must have been.
And I know what a scene you were learnin' in.
Was there something that made you come back again?
And what could ever lead ya (what could ever lead ya)
Back here where we need ya (back here where we need ya)?
Yeah, we tease him a lot 'cause we've got him on the spot, welcome back.
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.

Welcome Back, Kotter was based on Gabe Kaplan's own high school experiences with redmedial education and a teacher who cared dearly for her students.