SpongeBob SquarePants Theme
Theme song of the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants.
The theme song for the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants was written by Stephen Hillenburg and Derek Drymon, with music by Blaise Smith and Mark Harrison. It is sung by Painty the Pirate, a painted pirate whose mouth is digitally added and voiced by Patrick Pinney, alongside a children’s chorus. Modeled after the sea shanty "Blow the Man Down," the track uses a call-and-response format between Painty and the kids. Since the show first aired in 1999, the song has become familiar to Millennials and Generation Z.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Painty the Pirate and SpongeBob SquarePants chorus
- Released
- 1 May 1999
- Genre
- Sea shanty
- Length
- 0:44
- Label
- Tunes by Nickelodeon Inc.
- Composer
- Blaise Smith; Mark Harrison
- Lyricist
- Derek Drymon; Stephen Hillenburg
Facts from the source article.
Background
The melody was adapted from the sea shanty "Blow the Man Down" by Mark Harrison and Blaise Smith. The lyrics were written by Stephen Hillenburg and Derek Drymon, who had previously worked as an animator on Hillenburg's series Rocko's Modern Life. Drymon later said in a DVD commentary that Hillenburg's idea was to make the most annoying song possible so that when kids turned on the TV on Saturday morning, parents trying to sleep would hear a pirate screaming for the kids to jump on the floor. The song is performed by Painty the Pirate, voiced by Patrick Pinney, who had no other roles in the series, and a chorus of children. Several people have claimed to voice the children, including the child of animator Tuck Tucker.
Did You Know?
- The opening sequence's live-action footage was filmed in a pool owned by Genndy Tartakovsky.
- Corey Taylor first performed the song as an encore in 2011 in Orlando, saying he learned it to connect with his son on music.
More in History & Behind the Scenes
Elsewhere in SpongeBob SquarePants
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